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calina12 · 2 years

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ROTTMNT Movie: Why Cassandra’s absence unnecessarily hurt their characters and the Mother-Son narrative on several layers.

I’m gonna be really honest here, I do not understand why Cassandra had to be almost entirely cut out of the movie. Baron Draxum for example and other Rise exclusive characters being held back, because Nickelodeon wanted the movie to be as watchable even for Turtle fans not familiar with the changes Rise made? That I get.

But there is no reason to exclude Cassandra too, the same rules do not apply to her and Rise was very much aware of that and played it to their advantage in the show.

Because one of the main reasons why having introduced and keeping her for so long as nameless “Foot recruit”, only to drop the Casey Jones twist right at the end, worked as well as it did WAS because the narrative deliberately played with the fans assumption for her to be KARAI. They cleverly never denied it but also never pretended like she was, so when then in s2 we met the actual Rise Karai we kinda got the rug pulled from under our feet but at the same time.. not at all.

We assumed she’d be Karai, but in retrospective its easy enough to accept that this assumption was on US. Not every mayor foot clan female character automatically HAS to be Karai.

So we met the real Karai, which took down the first barrier for Cassandras reveal, and this opened up the opportunity later on when we hear her stating her name to go: “Huh, right. Why DID I expect for her to not have a legit name besides Foot recruit? Of course she would have a fucking name! And she’s been an absolute ball of chaos and stubbornness the ENTIRE time, her having been Rise Casey Jones the entire time actually checks out.. surprisingly well enough. Damn!”

The show had this entire narrative spiel, cleverly playing with the fans assumptions, to make it easier for everyone to accept and love this “new” female character. So literally, why the hell was she cut out of the movie? Just do the same thing on a smaller scale.

People who are unfamiliar with Rise and her identity would have once again automatically assumed she is Karai. Just do the name trick again and they’d been good to include her at least somewhat in the movie as long as she and Casey are kept apart until Casey drops the bomb in the end. She wouldn’t even have to be there for it either; play the ending the same as it happened in the movie we got, but INCLUDE HER in the plot. Even if it obviously cant be to a large extent, but still.

One moment I especially liked in the Movie was when Casey told the horrifying doomsday story he heard as a child. And while the moment of course also works on itsown, I like how there is a not at all far-fetched interpretation hidden here that it wasn’t actually a cultural thing to pass down the story of the event like THIS, since the story’s wording resemble Cassandra’s speech pattern ALOT:

Disclaimer: I’m not saying Cassandra deliberately traumatized her own son or that the concept of it is somehow funny. I am NOT.

So even if Cassandra had only been allowed to be part of a subplot, so she and her son Casey dont met for the end reveal, it actually would have been fine by me. I would have gotten the story reason behind it and that when Cassandra has the Rise show for herself its fine to give her son the bigger role in the movie while she has a subplot. Especially with one or two more scenes like the above so the viewers can connect even more details about him to them ACTIVELY having had a dynamic in the future. Then yeah, I’d be 100% cool and down with that.

But simply not with the way the final version of the movie went about it, no matter whose fault that is.

Cassandra is a major representing character of the Rise show, she should have been there. And you straight up had the most picture-perfect narrative deception with the is-she-Karai?-thing you already successfully pulled off in the show for a similar enough Casey Jones related reveal – just fucking do it again, please! What was the issue here??

There are even more narrative issues that her absence creates in my eyes regarding the existence of the male Casey Jones now. But not in the sense that I think he isnt supposed to exist, but in the sense that so. much. narrative disconnection between them right now was most likely not EVER supposed to be created. It even had the potential to literally fix almost everything from my perspective :/

So let me talk about boy-Casey and his role in the movie for a sec.

(Oh, but first: His design is damn GREAT! This crew knows how to (re)design these characters <3)

Casey himself in the movie as a character has honestly nothing for me to criticize on. The only thing I would normally bring up regarding his personality here is the fact that this version of Casey has lost most of his usual edge and spunk, which he is normally characterized with in the TMNT franchise. But truth be told, its not that big of a deal.

Casey Jones serves very well as the new self-insert character the viewer can hold onto and explore the journey with. He is mostly the straight-man deuteragonist paired up with Leo as one of the two main vehicles of the narrative (the first two characters we see in the movie), so Leo doesn’t have to give up his flawed Rise-personality as the main character now in the movie so HIS plot and character arc works. This is very well done, and for all it is its nice that they decided to go with a character Turtle fans are already familiar with but also one who hasn’t been part if this shows universe.. in the form we see him here (more on that in a bit).

This is actually a great choice being made here, because it simply means the crew once again KNEW that by using a well known character of this franchises long history they can use a trick to 1) save important time they would have otherwise needed to “waste” on introducing us to an unnecessarily completely new character for this movie; and 2) they also wouldn’t have to give an already well-established Rise character the straight-man treatment out of the sudden, which would have stripped them off their personality just for Leo’s sake.

Look, this Casey is nothing too special character wise. That isn’t actual criticism or character bashing, that’s his role as a narrative tool. His purpose is to be kinda…well.. bland and generic so the actual Rise characters don’t have to be. Although, wait. I want to point out one moment!

First time watching this movie in English (I normally watch it for the most part in German, my native language. Awesome Dub) I LEGIT lost my shit at how fucking DISGUSTED Casey sounded for this line. Its so brutal and I love it. This scene in general gave Casey a lot of needed edge even as the straight-man. But DUDE. I did NOT expect him to just verbally murder Leonardo right here. A+ voice acting. Haley Joel Osment, Sir, chapeau. xD

I like the cleverness in how the writers used boy Casey Jones’ character with and I honestly came around to respect it a lot more than I initially expected. He does not really have alot of the core character traits that the Casey Jones character normally is characterized with (just enough to get by), but theoretically speaking these specific circumstances totally would have allowed to just give this exception a free pass.

Its fine.

But

This is unfortunately where we come back to Cassandra Jones. Because fact is: Cassandra is a well established character in the Rise universe, she WAS officially stated to be this shows version of Casey Jones and she was even acknowledged, by her SON Casey, while the movie shows pictures of her showing off her personality.

And it is this acknowledgment of her, ESPECIALLY when you take her personality into concideration (which the movie DID through the following photos), that I have a gripe with.

Because buddy, that right HERE was the fucking solution to new boy-Casey Jones having to sacrifice most of his usual brunt personality traits for the narratives sake. His MOTHER, Cassandra Jones: This universes actual version of Casey; was running around showing off the exact character traits her son COULDN’T HAVE: Brash, chaotic, rude, loud and impulsive.

If BOTH had been characters in the movie they would have filled in the narrative “shortcommings” for the each other (you know how I mean this), creating a perfectly round Jones picture. THIS is allowed in story telling - even encouraged when done properly, to naturally expand a character’s identity or family. And the way it could have had been executed in the movie through this mother-son pair I would have applauded with a standing ovation for at least a solid month.

NOT having Cassandra in the movie was a WASTE on more than one mere level.

So I’m asking AGAIN: What excuse is there for Cassandra to not be included? Because in my eyes it gets harder and harder to find any other reason for Cass’ exclusion than higher up executives simply demanding it out of sexist reasons.

Rise’s Mother-and-Son-Jones pair literally would have had created a honestly remarkably well executed BRIDGE to expand the Casey Jones character in a way that would have 1) taken care of the criticisms Cassandra’s character reveal has received, and 2) created a solid opportunity through an ON SCREEN STORY with both of these Casey’s here, that would have increased the chances of Cassandra’s character being taken over to future TMNT incarnations.

Because Rise would (and to be fair, DID, but only to lesser degrees now) established her as a flexible JONES character that can be both: CASEY Jones and CASSANDRA Jones; his mother who has her own personality, function and PLACE in the TMNT story: The Foot Clan.

This wasnt just GOOD for her character, that was fucking brilliant!

I truly understand that there are Cassandra fans who are justifiably upset that this movie took away the ballsy milestone of insisting that “No, the Rise Casey Jones is this unique and very different FEMALE character.” The movie indeed caused damage here as one can VERY clearly see in the rottmnt tags. Cassandra has been replaced as the Rise Casey for the standard one for ALOT of fans (not even necessarily with malicious intentions) and certainly the fact that she has not been part of the movie AT ALL “in person” made this divide much bigger than it ever should have become. I mean, damn, quite alot of people dont even includer her in the picture of his present FAMILY. Thats his MOTHER and the teams friend!

Cassandra fans are allowed to be pissed about that. And before the movie aired, I definitely was one of them who didnt wanted the classic Casey there at all.

But now looking at the narrative puzzle pieces I have in front of me? I did change my mind, because I will be real – Yes, I make a lot of theorise and I like analysing and figuring out narrative/plot potential but the Cassandra & Casey stuff in Rise just checks out WAY too well for me. Looking at it on a broader scale I don’t want to give my train of thought here unnecessary discredit by only making it into a complaint.

The Rise show has proven time and time again that they truly LOVE this franchise and these characters, and that they DO know what they are doing. They are unfortunately often held back by instructions they have been given by their higher ups. As convenient of an excuse as that may sound like…buddy, that’s how it is. You think creators have free reign??

For me personally, THIS is how I see and accept the Cassandra-Casey situation in Rise. As a genuine (and honestly clever as fuck) attempt from the creators to not only massively expand the Casey Jones character into completely new directions for the future - because let me make one thing clear: if there has always been ONE major character in the franchise, who has the most potential in the way they COULD be used through their loose-footing in the TMNT’s core story and cast, ITS CASEY JONES -

It was also one HELL of a risk being taken to play the long-game and basically manipulate your audience TWICE using their expectations regarding her, to be able to open the door for Casey in future instalments to also have Cassandra as a rounded and liked MOTHER character. A character who can even come back unrelated to the male Casey Jones character or AS Casey Jones herself.

I can fuck with that in respect.

(Gosh, look at them, this is so GOOD! I’m so damn mad about this, dont touch me)

I only wished that Cassandra could have had properly been IN the Rise movie to really cement her as a this flexible character option for the future. Because unfortunately it IS quite an important factor to SEE and FEEL Cassandra and Casey at least SOMEWHAT together on the story screen. To properly make that narrative connection as a viewer so the story possibilities, implications, differences but most importantly CONNECTIONS of the two character variations can actually be truly TAKEN IN.

For all it is right now, these ARE open doors future incarnations can use however they want.. but its more on PAPER/ in the subtext than straight up explored on screen for the fans to connect and get attached to for real (I mean I did get attached as hell to their potential Mother-Son dynamic, but I’m well aware the way I consume media doesnt exactly represent the general masses lol)

I hope with all of my heart that Rise gets a season 3 because of this movie just for Cassandras sake alone. I WANT that Rise gets the necessary chance to properly use Cassandra as both: the Casey Jones character (since she IS still stated to be the official Rise Casey) AND as her own character Cassandra Jones, boy Casey’s mother who was originally part of the Foot Clan.

Make her the best of both worlds, even if it costed Rise the milestone of having a straight up exclusively female Casey Jones. The long-term possibilities for Cassandra to have higher chances of RETURNING in other incarnations- so for her character to survive longer than just being in Rise- are just too damn good to pass on. THIS I can fucking respect.

But FUCK whoever forbit the crew to include Cassandra in the Rise movie when there where SO MANY (even just straight up LOGICAL narrative/plot) reasons for her to be there.

I refuse to believe that this is a coincidence. That the one time Casey Jones is used as a straight-man character who lacks his signature roughness it just so happens to be in the one version where a second (already established) Casey Jones (the creators had to fight for) is running around. Who HAS the exact personality traits he was stripped off and who happens to be his MOTHER who can surprisingly still very much stand alone as her OWN character even WITH her son around…

I’m not buying this bullshit. There was one hell of a long-term plan here by the crew and some asshole in power said “no”.

And THIS I’m criticizing. Not Cassandra. Not Casey.

THIS bullshit.

#Rottmnt #Rottmnt spoilers #Rottmnt movie #cassandra jones #casey jones #Rise Casey Jones #Rise Casey Jones II #Rottmnt movie criticism #Rottmnt meta analysis #I normally don't really participate in this fandom but this made me legit upset #So I'll just throw it out there and hope I won't get torn apart by a Fandom dynamic im not familiar with :|#Cassandra Jones deserved better #And her son Casey didn't deserve to have his mom almost entirely written out of the movie when she has like 90% of his regular personality!

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