This movie holds up incredibly well. Still great to watch.
I atill have this memorized because I watched my TMNT VHS so many times
I atill have this memorized because I watched my TMNT VHS so many times
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RTTP - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
- Thread starter Lightning Count
- Start date
Awesome movie. I watched the old green VHS countless times as a kid. Probably my most watched film of all time come to think of it.
Oh my god, I never thought of him like that.
Mine was turtle green too! I'm sure I haven't thrown it out so I reckon it's still kicking about somewhere.
This is what i'll forever hate about the sequel that ,despite his Super Broly powerup, Shredder round 2 is basically a QTE
Turning Shredder into an American Colonel? That's the most Michael Bay shit I've ever heard. Ridiculous.
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They are stealing for the foot, and he is in a twisted way a father figure to them. This depiction is very Fagin like.
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Also the guy in the back of the taxi after Raphael and Casey have their fight is the actor who plays Raphael. He's also the only actor of the four to both voice his character and be in the turtle suit.
I would like to see the supposed director's cut.
The 30th anniversary seems as good a time as any.
The 30th anniversary seems as good a time as any.
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Is there a director's cut? Even if there isn't I'm fine with the uncensored theatrical cut.
Would be awesome, I still remember bits of when I saw it as a kid in the movie theater, would be amazing to see it again.
This movie incredibly good, way more so than it had any right to be.
And it was originally written that he kills that guy. They added him breathing in ADR. The movie is just, I don't know, earnest. And if Henson knew how violent it was going to be we'd probably have those abominations from We Wish You A Turtle Christmas instead.
Dang that's cheap. This was several years back. I didn't even know it existed at the time, that was one of the main reasons for its awesomeness to me
WTF? Really? This is just for the movie, right? Could have sworn ninja was used in the cartoon. Other wise they would be the Teenage Mutant Taekwondo Turtles or something.
Why wasn't I tagged?
Can never unsee the guys face in the mouth lol.
There was an initial cut done by Sally Menke which the studio was so unhappy with they actually fired her for it (she would later go on to edit all of Quentin Tarantino's films).
The director has expressed interest in releasing it (or some version of it).
YEah the movie is great because it largely follows the Volume 1 of the Eastman & Laird run.
Some important changes:
-Hamato Yoshi kills Oroku Nagi while defending Tang Shen's honor. He flees to America instead of facing death, the penalty for killing a fellow member of the Foot Clan. Oroku Saki grows up to take over the Foot at the age of 18 and avenge his brother, killing Yoshi. During the scuffle, that is when Splinter breaks free.
-Splinter trains the Turtles for the explicit purpose of getting revenge for his killed master, Yoshi. In the movie, the turtles saving April is their first mission; in the comics, the Turtles kill the Purple Dragon gang for their first mission.
-Splinter has Ralph deliver a message to the Foot. Open challenge. They take to the streets and the turtles—Leonardo specifically, defeats Shredder.
-It is Leonardo, not Ralphael, who gets ambushed later, and his body is thrown into the apartment that gets burned down, and they escape to Northampton to tend to their wounds.
-The Turtles actually stay exiled in Northampton for TWO YEARS. The movie makes it look like a day or week or two, lol. The "exile" ends with a "City at War" arc when the Turtles return to fight a bunch of shredder clones, Shredder's Elite Guard (who are arguably the most skillful of all), and Shredder's daughter, Karai.
-Casey Jones and April break up, and Casey actually moves across the country and gets another woman pregnant. She dies during childbirth and now- mellow Casey comes back to April with a daughter named Shadow.
The Mirage comics are amazing. I have to thank this guy's blog for getting me into the series, and into comics in general.
Some important changes:
-Hamato Yoshi kills Oroku Nagi while defending Tang Shen's honor. He flees to America instead of facing death, the penalty for killing a fellow member of the Foot Clan. Oroku Saki grows up to take over the Foot at the age of 18 and avenge his brother, killing Yoshi. During the scuffle, that is when Splinter breaks free.
-Splinter trains the Turtles for the explicit purpose of getting revenge for his killed master, Yoshi. In the movie, the turtles saving April is their first mission; in the comics, the Turtles kill the Purple Dragon gang for their first mission.
-Splinter has Ralph deliver a message to the Foot. Open challenge. They take to the streets and the turtles—Leonardo specifically, defeats Shredder.
-It is Leonardo, not Ralphael, who gets ambushed later, and his body is thrown into the apartment that gets burned down, and they escape to Northampton to tend to their wounds.
-The Turtles actually stay exiled in Northampton for TWO YEARS. The movie makes it look like a day or week or two, lol. The "exile" ends with a "City at War" arc when the Turtles return to fight a bunch of shredder clones, Shredder's Elite Guard (who are arguably the most skillful of all), and Shredder's daughter, Karai.
-Casey Jones and April break up, and Casey actually moves across the country and gets another woman pregnant. She dies during childbirth and now- mellow Casey comes back to April with a daughter named Shadow.
The Mirage comics are amazing. I have to thank this guy's blog for getting me into the series, and into comics in general.
The third movie is better than the second because of all the censorship, but the 2nd movie is still ok.
1 > 3 > 2 is the proper order for the original trilogy.
1 > 3 > 2 is the proper order for the original trilogy.
One of the best comic book films made before the 2000's, for sure.
I can't say it "holds up" because it's corny as fuck, but my god is it charming through and through. You gotta appreciate that they really went for it.
Honestly, the casting is really good even though everyone is virtually a no-name!
The vision of New York in that film will always be my idea of New York (as an Indiana boy)
edit: Also, the second film is fucking terrible.
I can't say it "holds up" because it's corny as fuck, but my god is it charming through and through. You gotta appreciate that they really went for it.
Honestly, the casting is really good even though everyone is virtually a no-name!
The vision of New York in that film will always be my idea of New York (as an Indiana boy)
edit: Also, the second film is fucking terrible.
LOL i never noticed before!
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this is a strange phenomenon i never understood as an American that seems incredibly culturally insensitive - although all Western things "Ninja" in the 80's were culturally insensitive.
How did they land on the very concept of "ninjas" being a menace to society? Was it just because every straight-to-VHS violent action film in the 80's had Ninja in the title?
You are also forgetting Danny's father. The whole movie is about fathers' caring for their sons.
Also, as an adult, the Raphael and Leo story resonates much more (and especially Raphael as a character).
This scene and this advice is still something I need to hear as a grown ass adult. (And it came from a kids movie of all places, but is perfect in its simplicity....again, a deeper and darker theme than most "comic" or "kids" movies)
Movie's great but the T-U-R-T-L-E POWER song fucked up and called Raphael the leader. That shit always bugged me.
Don't remember if I saw it in a theater but I kind of found the first one a little boring when I was younger (also being a fan of the cartoon, it didn't have enough of it for me) and actually liked Secret of the Ooze more at one point until I got older, also was cool with Ernie Reyes Jr, remembered him from Red Sonja which I watched a lot. The third one which I saw a theater, was pretty shit and the one of the three I haven't seen since it came out on video.
Also didn't realize until a couple years ago that Ya Kid K was a girl.
EDIT: Actually I guess he did have issues with it but he still agreed.
Also didn't realize until a couple years ago that Ya Kid K was a girl.
Naaaah, I'm sure Jim Henson knew and was down for that and wanted to do a lot more than he could, he got the Dark Crystal made but IIRC he felt trapped by what his company's image had become.
EDIT: Actually I guess he did have issues with it but he still agreed.
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I recall reading the novel, and I'm pretty sure that's what happened in the book.
I really really love this movie. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid and as I got older I only loved it more.
The story is so very solid and tight. It is taken very seriously and the performances from everyone including the voice actors is just as good as any serious movie.
The deeper themes of family are also very well done, and there are so many emotional tones and scenes that hit their mark perfectly.
The scene with Raph and Splinter showing him support.
The scene where they come home to discover that splinter is gone, and Raph flips out.
The scene of the turtles around the campfire channeling Splinters spirit.
The scene where Leo finds Raph awake in the bath tub.
They set the tone and build the emotional base for our characters so well from the very start, with simple scenes as well.
Such as how you can feel Raph's frustration when he looses his weapon, or again looses a fight with Casey Jones.
When Don ask Mike if he has thought about what it would be like without Splinter.
Leo tries to console Raph about the lost sai and Raph pushes his arm off his shoulder.
Shredder lies and says, "So, the rat has a name...HAD a name" The fear and panic in Mikes voice when he shouts, "You lie"
The movie is fun and exciting but also sweet and touching. It's takes itself seriously and does not condescend to its audience or treat them like fools.
The movie just hits its mark so well so many times. Much more so than a comic book movie would have needed to and much better than so many movies have done.
Does not get the respect it deserves.
The story is so very solid and tight. It is taken very seriously and the performances from everyone including the voice actors is just as good as any serious movie.
The deeper themes of family are also very well done, and there are so many emotional tones and scenes that hit their mark perfectly.
The scene with Raph and Splinter showing him support.
The scene where they come home to discover that splinter is gone, and Raph flips out.
The scene of the turtles around the campfire channeling Splinters spirit.
The scene where Leo finds Raph awake in the bath tub.
They set the tone and build the emotional base for our characters so well from the very start, with simple scenes as well.
Such as how you can feel Raph's frustration when he looses his weapon, or again looses a fight with Casey Jones.
When Don ask Mike if he has thought about what it would be like without Splinter.
Leo tries to console Raph about the lost sai and Raph pushes his arm off his shoulder.
Shredder lies and says, "So, the rat has a name...HAD a name" The fear and panic in Mikes voice when he shouts, "You lie"
The movie is fun and exciting but also sweet and touching. It's takes itself seriously and does not condescend to its audience or treat them like fools.
The movie just hits its mark so well so many times. Much more so than a comic book movie would have needed to and much better than so many movies have done.
Does not get the respect it deserves.
I basically just wanted to come here and say thank you for making this thread. I love the first movie so much.
Also, I still remember being disappointed in the turtle costumes in the second and third movies. They were perfect - why screw it up? (Don't even want to talk about the Michael Bay abominations)
Also, I still remember being disappointed in the turtle costumes in the second and third movies. They were perfect - why screw it up? (Don't even want to talk about the Michael Bay abominations)
If I can say one thing and one thing ONLY good about the new ones, it's that the second film is basically the 1990 cartoon in live action form.
Bebop and Rocksteady were perfect.
This is a great post. I love how closely the movie keeps to the original Mirage run. It's such an elegant adaptation, skipping past the cosmic stuff right to the City at War/Return to New York arc and shifting the ICONIC rooftop showdown to the end. The Mirage books immediately go from gritty Miller pastiche to adorably amateurish Kirby-esque interstellar action, it's great stuff but they're like, battling Triceratons and chilling with Fugitoid before the cathartic return showdown with the Foot.
It's not as faithful as the MCU, but the emphasis on father/son themes, more fleshed out personalities borrowed from the animated series, etc. reminds me of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies in the best way possible. The 2003 series also did a GREAT job taking elements from the comic and fleshing out the Purple Dragons, Stockman, etc.
It makes me wish they had gone in the direction of a (reasonably toned-down) Utroms/TCRI arc for the sequel, TGRI was pretty damn mundane in comparision. We never got to see the OG movie turtles take on Krang/Utroms, which have become a huge part of the mythos.
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Man, Shredder has a bottom bitch who unfurls his cape off his shoulders for him before his men roll out the carpet so he can make a grand entrance for the underlings. Modern movie villains ain't got shit on this bad mother fucker.
Can you imagine how weird this movie would have been if they had gone with the animated version where Splinter was a mutated human? I hated the whole "lab rat" aspect of the Bay film, they had no reason to be ninjas! The reincarnation origin from the IDW comics is my fave, it's so elegant and adds a ton of texture to the family.
The "Video Nasties" (Google if you don't know) we're a lot to do with it. But generally 'Ninja' weapons were seen as weapons of assassination and not defence. So they were deemed inappropriate for kids, as well as Ninja in general being assassins. Unlike a lightsaber which is deadly, you could get real world versions of nunchucks, throwing stars etc.
Deserves a spot in the top 5 comic book movies easily.
The Blu Ray is beautiful, clearing up a lot of the blurriness and over-dark of the VHS. I was lucky enough to get the anniversary pizza box edition of the first forum movies. To this day, part 3 has never been used.
All this talk about directors cuts and possible theater showings have me interested. Maybe we'll see a 4k edition soon as well.
The Blu Ray is beautiful, clearing up a lot of the blurriness and over-dark of the VHS. I was lucky enough to get the anniversary pizza box edition of the first forum movies. To this day, part 3 has never been used.
All this talk about directors cuts and possible theater showings have me interested. Maybe we'll see a 4k edition soon as well.
I was literally just thinking the same thing. Wasn't Corey Feldman in one of those suits?
Nah, he just did the voice for Donatello. He was "great" PR for them at the time after he got busted for possession before the premiere and was a dick to the guy who wore the suit.
This is immediate after Shredder kills Splinter too.
Been awhile since I've seen this movie. The 2012 series got pretty damn dark at times too.