Every generation since the 80s has had two or three versions of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesacross 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 bestTMNTcartoon ever aired on TV just as the first animatedTurtlesfilm hit the big screen. Has it stood the test of time?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemis 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.
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What isTMNTabout?
MostTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfilms 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 withtheir rat father, Splinter, and fight crime each night.TMNTtakes 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 Joneshave 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. TheNinja Turtles must facetheir greatest foes, learn to be a family, and determine who the real heroes and villains are to save the world again.
How didTMNTchange the franchise?
TMNTis 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 incommon 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,TMNTshakes the tone in a way no other adaptation has attempted.
TMNTwas the end of an era. After 26 years,TMNTwas 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 twoseries aired on Nickelodeon, the two live-action films released by Paramount andMutant Mayhem. It also led to the beloved IDW comic series, which came from a licensing agreement with Nickelodeon.TMNTmight 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, butTMNTis a crucial piece of history.
How doesTMNTend?
The most memorable moment ofTMNTcomes 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.
TMNTis a wonderful outing in this franchise. It’s tangibly different from every other on-screen iteration of the Turtles.ThoughMutant Mayhemis openlyreturning to the old days, there’s something to be said for this experimental ERA. Fans should return toTMNTbeforeMutant Mayhemhits the big screen.
