One film is the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The other is a reboot of a beloved 80's franchise. While these films would seem to have little in common, Iron Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have managed to somehow contain the same 24 key story beats – as seen in the video below.
Courtesy of Cinema Sins contributor Couch Tomato, this breakdown of Iron Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles maps out two surprisingly similar films that have been received in varying ways by audiences. Considering that the former has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the latter weighing in with a rating of 21%, the similarities couldn't possibly be enough to confuse audiences. Yet, if you were to listen to the rundown in the video with your eyes blindfolded, you'd notice that the skeleton of both film's plots are almost identical.
The basic plot structure for both films is as follows: a huge company is hiding some terribly secretive business practices that somehow involve the protagonist and their brilliant scientist father. Said company is partnering with a foreign third party (most likely from an Asian country, if recent stereotypes hold true,) and the protagonist finds out after getting kidnapped. No one believes them when they try to tell the truth, so they take to the streets and fight evil – ultimately leading to a huge battle in a metropolitan area. Said battle takes out the villain, as they fall from a height that will definitely kill them. Cue sequel, and possible casting changes.
Yet with an extremely similar foundation, Iron Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are definitely two different films in their execution. While Iron Man maintains Jon Favreau's indie spirit through the lens of a major budget comic book film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles manages to come off as the most Michael Bay movie that the Bay-meister himself never directed. Even audiences themselves could tell the differences, as the numbers show Iron Man outpacing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with a solid $100.2 million advantage in box office receipts.
No matter what similarities can be found between Iron Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the truth that they're both wildly different experiences is something that cannot be escaped. Besides, if we really want to get technical, Couch Tomato has another video that says Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is similar to the plot structure of The Last Dragon. So feel free to watch that video below, and decide which film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rips off more in its plotline.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 kicks its way into theaters on June 3, 2016.
