Peter Laird Chimes in on Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles
In case you aren’t quite sick of the debate surrounding Michael Bay’s choice to change the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from mutants to aliens in the upcoming reboot, we have one more opinion to add to the mix. This one comes from TMNT co-creator Peter Laird, who is no longer involved in the property but who obviously still has some attachment to it. While he doesn’t sound like he is a huge fan of the idea, he does have a slightly different perspective on it. He admits that he “would actually encourage TMNT fans to swallow the ‘chill pill’ Mr. Bay recently suggested they take.” He admires the fact that someone has finally come up with a good justification for potentially having more than just four Turtles. Here is what he had to say:
“It’s possible that with enough truly creative brainpower applied to this idea, it might actually work. I’m not saying it’s probable, or even somewhat likely… but it IS possible. However, as I have pondered this further, I have realized that in one way it IS truly a genius notion. Let me explain… The reason I say it could be a “genius” idea is that — for the first time — someone has come up with a way to have as many freakin’ Turtles as they want. I mean, if the TMNT are actually members of an alien race, there could be a whole PLANET of them!”
He refers to the constant external pressure to add more Turtles over the years (which resulted in the female character Venus de Milo in the live-action TV series). However, there is no evidence that this is what Michael Bay and his cronies have in mind anyway. If anything, the idea of a whole planet of Turtles takes away the very thing that makes the four core characters interesting: their desire to fit in when such a thing is physically impossible. At any rate, he makes it quite clear that he has no power to change this even if he wanted to, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. What do you think, would you like to see more than just four Turtles?
