Casey Jones (2011)

The character of Casey Jones was created by Kevin Eastman as a parody of other street level comic book vigilantes of the 1980s. Sporting his hockey mask and a golf bag packed with sports equipment, he made his debut as a supporting character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics as well as appearing in the live action movie in 1990 where he was played by Elias Koteas. He’s a likeable and amusing side character that I never gave much thought to, even while watching the movie. This was obviously not the case with others, like Polaris Banks, the director/executive producer/cinematographer/writer/editor/production designer behind Casey Jones, a fan film detailing the little known origins of the character. The run time is only about 35 minutes and the plot revolves around Casey Jones being kicked off a hockey team and returning home to live with his mother. After getting attacked by a local street gang, he decides to become a vigilante and eventually runs into the Ninja Turtles.

As far as fan movies go, Casey Jones looks very impressive. The film was made with a budget of about $20,000 and made good use of it. The treatment of the character is geared much more dark and violent as opposed to being toned down for a younger audience. They didn’t go this far even in the first film. He actually kills criminals in this and does so in an alarmingly brutal way. As a vigilante, Casey Jones is extremely violent and aggressive; he bludgeons people and crushes their body parts using baseball bats, golf clubs, and cricket bats (there’s even a sledgehammer in there). It’s silly and at the same time gruesome. When compared to his somewhat laid back and amiable attitude, this contrast makes his nightly battles a little disturbing. He’s essentially been turned into a sociopath. This is one of the stranger aspects of the movie, as his actions are so alarmingly insane compared to how he acts around people normally. I remember that it was implied in the first movie that he was unnecessarily brutal with criminals, but that was never shown (a decision that worked better because it just doesn't fit).

The acting is decent from the central players, all using the stereotypical New York accent to various degrees. Hilarion Banks as Casey Jones - though he acts and sounds better with the mask on - is probably the most natural with it while others, such as his cousin Sid and some of the gang members, are borderline cartoons. The dialogue isn’t bad and sounds right coming out of these characters. Michelangelo (voiced by Robbie Rist, the same voice actor from the previous films) spouts out the usual lines and catchphrases the Ninja Turtles are known for so that’s no surprise. Speaking of the Ninja Turtles, Michelangelo is the only one to make an appearance towards the end, and the costume is…decent. Given the budget, it’s easy to forgive it not looking like the Jim Henson costumes/puppets used in the studio productions, but it’s actually not the worst live action adaptation I’ve seen (look up TMNT: “Coming Out of Their Shells” Tour if you want to see really bad costumes). He can move his mouth a little and he can also fight while wearing it which is important. It’s not great, but it’s understandably bad.

In the comics, he would shout nonsensical battle cries like "Goongala!"

As far as the look of the movie goes, it’s actually quite good. The night scenes are nicely shot and show off the small section of the city really well. It often looks and even feels like a legitimate action film. Even though it’s dark and set in a grim and gritty locale, the tone never takes itself too seriously. This is part of what makes it work because Casey Jones never takes himself too seriously either. He’s a well intentioned goof who’s overly aggressive when it comes to his surroundings. He seems to genuinely enjoy getting in fights, so it makes sense that no great motivation would lead him down the path he chooses. He needs an outlet and he has a lot of time on his hands.

As for the fights scenes, this is another part of what’s so surprisingly good about this short film. The stunts and battles are well staged and look really good. The climax has Casey and Michelangelo battling an army of the Foot Clan and the quality compares to almost any of the big budget versions. I think that this movie will definitely appeal to fans of the Ninja Turtles franchise. It’s well made and seems to have a lot of love and appreciation for the source material. Not bad for 35 minutes.

The entire short film can be seen at the website: caseyjonesthemovie.com