With the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles flick tearing up the box office (not to mention our countdown of the best episodes of the original cartoon series), we figured we might as well keep the mean green hype machine running full steam ahead.
The TMNT have been fortunate enough to get many different incarnations on screen, but as we know some are better than others.So which silver screen adaptation of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s famous creations takes the
Theoretically, the third live-action TMNT movie shouldn’t be as terrible as it is. The Turtles going back in time to feudal Japan and becoming samurai is an awesome idea, and the return of original cast members Elias Koteas and Corey Feldman as Casey Jones and Donatello, respectively, should be a treat.
Unfortunately, TMNT III is a sloppy mess full of lackluster non-Henson puppets that are hardly recognizable in comparison with their original counterparts, a severe lack of a compelling villain, and bland action sequences. The result is the only profoundly poor Ninja Turtles movie.
But hey, four out of five ain’t bad.
Let’s be honest: most of us feared the worst when we learned of a
Michael Bay-produced TMNT flick, but the truth is that the movie’s not
so bad. At the very least, it’s far superior to TMNT III. Sure, it’s got
odd character designs, a ho-hum mind-numbing plot, some questionable
alterations to the TMNT mythology, and a few too many references to
movies past, but ultimately it provides surface-level enjoyment that the
new generation of Turtles fans will probably love.
Despite its shortcomings, Jonathan Liebsman’s TMNT delivers an absolutely stunning action sequence and perfectly captures the comraderie between the Turtles, Splinter, and April. Their personalities are spot on, even if the world they exist in isn’t quite as good. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of fun to be had.
Despite its shortcomings, Jonathan Liebsman’s TMNT delivers an absolutely stunning action sequence and perfectly captures the comraderie between the Turtles, Splinter, and April. Their personalities are spot on, even if the world they exist in isn’t quite as good. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of fun to be had.
Though a direct sequel to the original 1990 movie, Secret of the Ooze
feels like a different universe altogether. There are a few cast
changes, but more noticeably, the tone of the movie is drastically
different (don’t forget there’s a dance sequence involving Vanilla Ice).
It takes more of a cue from the cartoon than the comics. It’s
light-hearted, doesn’t deal with heavy themes, and it’s less violent.
Despite taking away the comic book influence and the heart of the
original, TMNT II is still a blast. It’s loaded with classic Turtles
lines (“Yeah… a little TOO Raph.”) and memorable action sequences.
The addition of new mutants Tokka and Rahzar certainly spiced things up a bit, and the addition of David Warner to the cast as a TGRI scientist added some veteran acting chops that even original was missing.
The addition of new mutants Tokka and Rahzar certainly spiced things up a bit, and the addition of David Warner to the cast as a TGRI scientist added some veteran acting chops that even original was missing.
The CGI-animated TMNT flick was the first big screen offering in the
franchise to take the source material seriously since the original TMNT
hit in 1990. Though technically its own thing, one could watch this as a
sequel to the original film and it works. It features a TMNT that’s
somewhat disbanded. Leonardo has drifted away on something of a vision
quest, after a falling out with Raph (typical) but a new, ancient threat
forces them back together.
What follows is a reaffirmation of the four brothers’ relationship, but not before one of the most badass fight sequences in TMNT history, when Leo and Raph duke it out in the rain on a rooftop in New York City. It’s a gorgeous piece of animation and an even better slice of character.
What follows is a reaffirmation of the four brothers’ relationship, but not before one of the most badass fight sequences in TMNT history, when Leo and Raph duke it out in the rain on a rooftop in New York City. It’s a gorgeous piece of animation and an even better slice of character.
This movie hit at the height of Turtles mania and made tons of money,
but the best part is that it’s a damn fine film. It’s not simply
cashing in on the popularity of the TMNT cartoon, but is actually a
thoughtful, emotional, and challenging movie about the loss and
reconstruction of family. It’s got lots of hilarious one-liners and
ninja action too, making it one of the most well-rounded comic book
movies that’s not afraid to hold reverence to the source material while
also having some fun with it.
Shredder is grim and imposing, Splinter is wise, April is charming, and Casey Jones is hysterical, but it’s the Turtles themselves that shine. Each brother has a different dichotomy with one another and their failures and triumphs are all inexplicably tied to each other. It’s got just the right amount of cheeseball comedy, wizard-like puppetry, and badass choreography to combine into one classic TMNT flick.
Shredder is grim and imposing, Splinter is wise, April is charming, and Casey Jones is hysterical, but it’s the Turtles themselves that shine. Each brother has a different dichotomy with one another and their failures and triumphs are all inexplicably tied to each other. It’s got just the right amount of cheeseball comedy, wizard-like puppetry, and badass choreography to combine into one classic TMNT flick.
