Every generation since the 80s has had two or three versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles across every medium. Few fictional characters mean as much to as many as Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Kids in the early 2000s were spoiled for choice. Perhaps the best TMNT cartoon ever aired on TV just as the first animated Turtles film hit the big screen. Has it stood the test of time?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is coming to theaters with an all-star cast and a great premise. It's another new take on the heroes in a half shell, complete with new vocal talent and new looks for several obscure characters. The franchise has done well enough in live-action, but its home has always been in the realm of cartoons.
What is TMNT about?
Most Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films start with the typical origin story. Four turtles are transformed from the norm by the nuclear goop. They live in a New York City sewer with their rat father, Splinter, and fight crime each night. TMNT takes place long after the rise of the Turtles. The heroic reptiles defeated Shredder years ago. Without their nemesis, Splinter's kids have drifted apart. Leonardo is still committed to self-improvement, working as the silent guardian of a village in Central America. Donatello has put his expertise to use as a tech support hotline. Michelangelo entertains children as a costumed party clown. Raphael sleeps all day because he spends evenings patrolling the streets as a motorcycle-riding vigilante. They haven't seen each other in years, but forces conspire to bring them back together.
April O'Neil and Casey Jones have founded a shipping company that handles antiquities for wealthy customers. April delivers a statue to a reclusive billionaire named Max Winters. Under Winters' convincing disguise, he's an immortal ancient warlord named Yaotl. Yaotl reanimates his mighty generals and uses his artifact to unleash monsters onto the world. Leo returns to the sewer, where Splinter forbids the turtles from fighting crime until they learn to work as a team. Their conflicting motivations and new ideals threaten to rip the family apart while an army of monsters threatens to destroy the world. The Ninja Turtles must face their greatest foes, learn to be a family, and determine who the real heroes and villains are to save the world again.
How did TMNT change the franchise?
TMNT is the darkest big-screen take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It's a standalone sequel to the third live-action film but has almost nothing in common with the trilogy. The film was devised in 2000 after diminishing returns struck the third live-action movie. Screenwriters have discussed rejected pitches for the film, which included absurd ideas like the Turtles traveling to space. Eventually, the writers were drawn toward a new tone. Everyone knows Eastman and Laird's original comics were grim and gritty, while the cartoons were comedic and child-friendly. The films generally followed the show, but the 2007 entry takes a step toward the comics. By introducing the idea of a broken bond between brothers, TMNT shakes the tone in a way no other adaptation has attempted.
TMNT was the end of an era. After 26 years, TMNT was the final project made with the Turtles under the ownership of its original creator. Kevin Eastman sold his shares to Peter Laird in 2000, making him the franchise's sole owner. In 2009, Laird sold the Ninja Turtles to Viacom. That opened the door for the two series aired on Nickelodeon, the two live-action films released by Paramount and Mutant Mayhem. It also led to the beloved IDW comic series, which came from a licensing agreement with Nickelodeon. TMNT might not have been responsible for Laird's decision to sell the Turtles, but it does represent the last piece of the franchise to be directly tied to its creator. There have been highs and lows over the resulting era, but TMNT is a crucial piece of history.
How does TMNT end?
The most memorable moment of TMNT comes at the end of the second act. The tensions between Raphael's vigilante lifestyle and Leonardo's cautious leadership boil over into a brawl. Raphael wins, though only just. His sais snap Leo's swords, leaving him vulnerable. Elsewhere, Yaotl reveals his true intentions to his generals. The warlord wants to capture the beasts he released years ago and end the curse of immortality that plagues him. His generals rebel against him, plotting to betray Yaotl and stay alive. Leo is kidnapped while April and Casey fight the Foot Clan. April convinces Karai that they should fight Yaotl's generals together. The Turtles, Foot Clan, April, and Casey work together to defeat Yaotl's generals. They force them through a portal, allowing Yaotl to pass on peacefully. Karai congratulates them but warns that their fight is not yet over. The world is saved, and the Turtles return to their nightly crime-fighting duty.
TMNT is a wonderful outing in this franchise. It's tangibly different from every other on-screen iteration of the Turtles. Though Mutant Mayhem is openly returning to the old days, there's something to be said for this experimental ERA. Fans should return to TMNT before Mutant Mayhem hits the big screen.