In Stock at Asylum - Family

This film is an inexorable part of my childhood. I have seen it - quite literally - hundreds of times. Of course any objective critique is impossible.
That said, as a cinematic experience, it remains completely awesome. Totally tubular. Gnarly and in all ways bodacious.
Nostalgia aside, it still stands up. The costumes work way better than anyone ever gave them credit for and the fight scenes are as intense as a kid's movie can get. The banter is genuinely funny and the family dynamic is realistic and heartfelt.
There is a reason I used to watch this every day as a kid and never got bored with it and there's a reason I still watch it from time to time today. (No, not my lifelong crush on Judith Hoag.) It simply gets everything right, adapting one of the most popular properties of the decade into a timeless family classic.

While I have always loved this movie nearly as much as the original, it was painfully clear even to my 11-year-old self that the story had been softened, neutered by nervous studio bosses into a more "family friendly" presentation that lacks the depth of the original and its life and death stakes.
Also working against it:
1) No Judith Hoag. I'm sure Ms. Turco is a lovely person, but she's no Judith Hoag.
2) No Casey Jones.
3) No Feldman.
4) The Turtles rarely use their weapons, opting for more comedic fight scenes involving sausages and neckties.
Even with all that working against it, it still manages to be a highly entertaining flick. The more comic tone gives it some great one-liners, and it maintains its high energy throughout. While it can't compare to the amazing original, it's still a worthy sequel that my nostalgia won't let me bash. It wins me over every time, making the kid in me cheer go ninja, go ninja, go!