Some days you just have to stand back and shake your head. The internet is a powder keg of misunderstanding and preconception. When a polarizing figure like Michael Bay makes an off hand comment about a beloved franchise that doesn’t meet perfect fan criteria, the whole things explodes in so much whiny status updates and forum threads.

Recently Bay, who’s Platinum Dunes is setting up a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle reboot, made a comment about the Turtles being of alien origin. He made the comments during the Nickelodeon up-fronts last week, and the internet has been all pissy about it since then.

Keen to clarify his original statement, Bay remarked on his official message boards about the subject:

Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.

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Later this year, Nickelodeon will be reinventing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon much in the way that IDW Publishing reinvented the TMNT comic line. While the core characteristics of the Turtles will remain intact, the creative teams behind these versions have gone in two very different directions. While IDW has gone for a more gritty and realistic (well as realistic as mutant turtles can be) version of the shelled foursome, Nickelodeon is going the other direction with a more kid friendly version much in the way the comics and cartoon series diverged over twenty years ago.

At Toy Fair, the Flickcast got to see some of these latest Turtles designs up close and personal. The first thing people will notice actually isn’t the turtles at all but the redesigns on Shredder, Splinter and April. Shredder’s redesign looks like it has some drastic anime inspired influences behind him. He has been beefed up in terms of muscles and has more exaggerated spikes on his armor than ever before. The same goes for the Foot Soldier’s who now have incredibly creepy white with red polka dotted eyes.

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Those who grew up, or even had a TV in the mid 90′s probably remember one of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated shows, Doug. The show was about a tween-aged boy who tries to make it through junior high school troubles of an evil bully, a weird older sister, and impressing the girl of his dreams. The show lasted 4 seasons until Disney bought the rights in 1996 and rebooted it. It was downhill from there.

Now, fans of the original Douglas Yancey Funnie and his gang of multicolored pals can now be seen in a new fan trailer from YouTube comedian DrCoolSex. Not only do we get the return of some nostalgic characters, but they’re even played by real folks! That’s right, a live action trailer.

Think of it like Doug meets Garden State as an older Doug returns home to reunite with his previous friends and family. Some great comedic moments in this one, so be sure to check it out after the jump.

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Every good super hero tale needs an even better origin story. Well, the same goes for super villain tales, and that’s quite clear as the release date for Dreamworks’ twist on the classic “Good vs. Evil” battle in Megamind starring Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt.

With Madagascar director Tom McGrath taking the helm and a very impressive voice cast including Ferrell, Pitt, Tina Fey, David Cross, and Jonah Hill, there is very little stopping this film from becoming the next Incredibles, which is exactly what Dreamworks is hoping for.

Nickelodeon also has faith in the film, as they’ve released the first five minutes of the film online, which gives us an inside look at the origin of both Metro Man and Megamind. Of course there are allusions to other great comic tales, just done with that Will Ferrell style of humor.

Check out the first five minutes after the jump and catch Megamind in theaters and 3D on November 5th.

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It looks like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a new place to call home: MTV Networks and more specifically, Nickelodeon. According to Reuters, the network, the world’s number one for kids, acquired the rights today to the globally recognized, and phenomenally successful, Ninja Turtles property for roughly $60 Million.

The network plans to develop a new CG-animated television series based on the shelled superheroes, which will potentially debut sometime in 2012. In addition, the network is planning the release of brand new feature films starring the Turtles in partnership with Paramount Pictures and will also continue to work Playmates Toys on merchandising of the Turtles.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shares a comedic sensibility with the Nickelodeon DNA, with added layers of action and fantasy that have kept this property an evergreen favorite with multiple generations of audiences,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to be able to focus on this property and creatively re-introduce it to a new generation of kids.”

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a property that maintains a very passionate global fan base, is rich with opportunity for a tentpole movie, and is exactly the right property for us to work together with Nickelodeon,” said Adam Goodman, President, Paramount Pictures.

Actually, TMNT and Nick seem like a great partnership. TMNT has always seemed more of a kids thing to me and for it to be on Nickelodeon and then have a brand new movie from Paramount should continue to expand the appeal of these characters for a long time to come.