Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)
Encyclopedia
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American live-action film adaptation
of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
directed by Steve Barron
. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
in 1993, and TMNT
in 2007. This film presents the origin story of Splinter
and the Turtles, the initial meeting between them, April O'Neil
and Casey Jones
, and their first confrontation with Shredder
and his Foot Clan. The film is distributed by New Line Cinema
and outside the United States is internationally distributed by Golden Harvest
.
When the New York Police Department is unable to stop a severe crime wave caused by the Foot Clan
, four vigilantes — Leonardo
, Michelangelo
, Donatello
and Raphael
— come forth to save the city. Under the leadership of Splinter and together with their new-found allies April O'Neil and Casey Jones, they fight back and take the battle to Shredder. The film kept very close to the dark feel of the original comics, with several elements also taken from the animated series
that was airing at the time, such as April being a news reporter, and the turtles having different-colored masks, as opposed to the uniform red masks of the comic. The film was the highest-grossing independent film of all time when it was released, and became the ninth highest grossing film worldwide of 1990 and the most successful film in the franchise.
As an unsolved crime wave rises in New York City, news reporter April O'Neil (Judith Hoag
) covers the reports and rumors of a mysterious 'Foot Clan,' a gang of ninja
s that is plaguing the city. April continues to cover news of the crime wave, to the point where the Shredder, leader of the Foot, decides she needs to be silenced. She is attacked by the Foot in a subway and is knocked unconscious. Raphael has been following her to retrieve his lost sai, which he uses to easily fight off the Foot. He carries April back to the Turtles' hideout, unaware that he is being followed by one of the Foot. Splinter then recounts to an astonished April his and the Turtles' origins: once ordinary sewer turtles, they were mutated into intelligent, human-sized creatures by a flood of mysterious chemicals
. The Turtles escort April back home. Upon their return to the sewers, the Turtles find that their home has been ransacked and Splinter kidnapped. With nowhere else to go, the four distraught Turtles return to April's apartment and spend the night there.
Meanwhile, the Foot Clan continues to grow, incorporating a number of delinquent teens into their ranks. One of these teens is Danny Pennington, the son of April's boss, who is arrested for robbery. After bailing Danny out of jail, Charles Pennington stops by April's apartment, where Danny incidentally catches a glimpse of one of the Turtles in hiding. He then reports back to the Shredder, who has been searching for the Turtles.
At April's apartment, Leonardo and Raphael get into a heated argument. Raphael storms out and heads to the roof of the building, where he is ambushed by an army of Foot Clan ninjas. He is thrown unconscious through April's skylight, and the Turtles scramble to defend themselves from the Foot. Things look bleak until the arrival of Casey Jones, who helps them fight off the remaining Foot warriors. However, the building catches fire during the melee, and the Turtles have no choice but to withdraw.
They retreat to a farm that belongs to April's family, and April learns soon after that she has been fired from her job. Raphael eventually recovers from his coma, and the Turtles train together vigorously, while April and Casey fall in love. At one point, Leonardo manages to make contact with Splinter through meditation, and after the Turtles witness him in a shared vision, they decide to return to New York to find and rescue him.
Despite being a member of the Foot Clan, Danny had secretly been taking counsel from Splinter, who shares with him the story of his master Hamato Yoshi's murder by a rival ninja named Oroku Saki, who is implied to be none other than the Shredder. When he learns that the Shredder intends to have Splinter killed, he and Casey set him free from captivity.
Although the Foot were set to ambush the Turtles in the sewers upon their return, the Turtles manage to turn the tables on them. The fight escalates into the streets above and eventually onto a rooftop, where the Turtles finally face off against Shredder, but prove to be no match for him. Leonardo eventually scores a hit with his ninjato
, but is ultimately disarmed and pinned to the ground. Before Shredder can finish Leonardo off, Splinter appears and challenges him to a fight. Shredder remembers the old rat who scarred his face years prior and charges him. Using a nunchaku
, Splinter ensnares Shredder's yari
, leaving him to dangle precariously over the roof's edge. In desperation, Shredder throws a knife from his belt, but when Splinter reaches up to catch it, his grip is released and the Shredder falls into the back of a garbage truck. Casey then pulls the lever to activate the compactor, apparently crushing the Shredder to death. As the police arrive on the scene, the teens inform them on where all the stolen goods can be found.
On the roof, the Turtles reunite with Splinter and, while trying to come up with a proper word to cheer with, Splinter suggests the phrase "Cowabunga," a catchphrase from their '80s animated series
. The Turtles unanimously agree, and Splinter declares, "I made a funny!" as the film ends.
‡ Josh Pais, who portrayed Raphael, is the only actor to portray a Turtle on screen and provide his voice.
(with a couple of location shoots in New York City during the summer of 1989 to capture famous landmark areas such as Times Square
, Empire State Building
, and the Hudson River
), at the North Carolina Film Studios, where New York rooftop sets were created. Production designer Roy Forge Smith and his art director, Gary Wissner, went to New York City four months prior to filming and took still photographs of rooftops and other various locations. While in NYC, Smith and Wissner were allowed to explore an abandoned Brooklyn
subway line, as they could not gain access to a city sewer, but the structure of the subway had the same principle as a sewer. They also went to a water tunnel which had large pipes running through it.
After design sketches were created, the construction team used the studios' backlot to create some of the sets. There were problems with the manholes that led to the Turtles' home, in that an eight-foot square room had to be constructed beneath them, but found water at about five-feet, and thus had to pour concrete into the underground rooms to keep the water out. In order to make the sewer authentic, a tide-mark was given, and it was covered with brick, plaster and stucco paint to give the walls a realistic look. The Turtles themselves were done by Jim Henson's Creature Shop
in London. Jim Henson
said that the creatures were the most advanced that he had ever worked with. The creatures were first made out of fiberglass, and then remolded out of clay. They were produced as moulds to cast the whole body in foam rubber latex. The work at the Shop was completed within 18 weeks.
label on October 4, 1990. The suggested price was $24.99 per cassette. Pizza Hut
engaged in a $20 million marketing campaign tied into the film. Items included advertising in print, radio, and television, and several rebate coupons.
The German theatrical version is identical with the UK version, i.e. it omits the usage of the nunchuku. Furthermore, the German audio track contains several "cartoon-like" sounds in order to soften the violence of the fight scenes. Although the film was released with uncensored picture on DVD in Germany, the audio version with the "funny noises" was kept, because they were permanently mixed into the German audio.
with the consensus "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is exactly as advertised: one-liners, brawls, and general silliness. Good for the young at heart, irritating for everyone else." Roger Ebert
gave it 2½ stars out of 4, saying, "this movie is nowhere near as bad as it might have been, and probably is the best possible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie. It supplies, in other words, more or less what Turtle fans will expect." The film was also criticized for its level of violence, but it was mostly stylized and not graphic. The film was praised for largely staying loyal to the original comics while also integrating several elements from the cartoon series.
on March 30, 1990, entering at #1 over the weekend and taking in more than $25 million. The film turned out to be a huge success at the box office, eventually making over $135 million in North America, and over $66 million outside North America for a worldwide total of over $200 million, making it the ninth highest grossing film of 1990 worldwide. The film was also nominated for awards by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.
in Region 1 on September 3, 2002; it includes only minor special features such as a trailer and interactive menus. The film was also released in the MiniDVD
format.
On August 11, 2009, the film was included in a special 25th anniversary boxset, released to both DVD and Blu-Ray formats. It also contains Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
, and 2007's animated release, TMNT. No additional features, other than theatical trailers, were included.
In Germany
, however, a "Special Edition" was released on March 12, 2010 with additional features, including an audio commentary
by director Steve Barron
, an alternate ending, and alternate takes from the original German release where Michelangelo's nunchaku had been edited out.
s were created. Only a year later, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
was released in theatres though the sequel was a commercial success. However, in 1993, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
didn't meet the standards set by the original film. After a 14-year absence from the theatres (due to development hell
), a fourth film was released in 2007, though unlike the first three, this was a CGI
animated film.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
directed by Steve Barron
Steve Barron
Steven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American live-action film, It is the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, being the direct sequel to the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Secret of the Ooze was then followed by a third film in 1993, and a fourth...
in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American live-action film, the second sequel of the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd. and Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema and...
in 1993, and TMNT
TMNT (2007 film)
TMNT is a 2007 film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. This is the fourth and final installment in the original film series. The film sees the Turtles grow apart after their defeat of The Shredder. Meanwhile, strange things are happening in New York City...
in 2007. This film presents the origin story of Splinter
Splinter (TMNT)
Master Splinter, or simply Splinter is a fictional character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. -Origin Story:Splinter has two origin stories, and which one is used depends on the medium...
and the Turtles, the initial meeting between them, April O'Neil
April O'Neil
April O'Neil is a fictional character in the Mirage Studios franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In each of the many TMNT continuities, she is a good friend of the Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.-Comics:...
and Casey Jones
Casey Jones (TMNT)
Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones is a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Like the turtles, Casey Jones is a vigilante, and was created as a parody of vigilante characters that were in comics. Casey wears a hockey mask and cut-off biking gloves and carries his weapons in a golf bag...
, and their first confrontation with Shredder
Shredder (TMNT)
The Shredder is a fictional character and primary antagonist from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. At one point or another in every incarnation of the TMNT stories, he has been the archenemy of Splinter and the Turtles...
and his Foot Clan. The film is distributed by New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
and outside the United States is internationally distributed by Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest is a film production, distribution, and exhibition company based in Hong Kong. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan...
.
When the New York Police Department is unable to stop a severe crime wave caused by the Foot Clan
Foot Clan
The Foot Clan is a fictional ninjutsu clan in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe and the Turtles' main antagonists. It is usually led by the Shredder. The Foot Clan was originally a parody of the criminal ninja clan the Hand in the Daredevil comics...
, four vigilantes — Leonardo
Leonardo (TMNT)
Leonardo is a fictional character that appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media.In the Mirage comics all four turtles wear red bandanas, but in other versions, he wears a blue bandana. His signature weapons are two ninjaken , which are universally referred to as...
, Michelangelo
Michelangelo (TMNT)
Michelangelo is a fictional character, one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . His mask is typically portrayed as orange outside of the Mirage/Image comic series and his weapons are dual nunchaku, though he has also been portrayed using other weapons, such as a grappling hook, tonfa, and a...
, Donatello
Donatello (TMNT)
Donatello is a fictional character and one of the four main characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. He is co-creator Peter Laird's favorite Turtle....
and Raphael
Raphael (TMNT)
Raphael , a fictional character, is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .In the Mirage/Image comics all four turtles wear red bandanas over their eyes, but unlike his brothers in other versions, he is the only one who keeps a red bandana...
— come forth to save the city. Under the leadership of Splinter and together with their new-found allies April O'Neil and Casey Jones, they fight back and take the battle to Shredder. The film kept very close to the dark feel of the original comics, with several elements also taken from the animated series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988...
that was airing at the time, such as April being a news reporter, and the turtles having different-colored masks, as opposed to the uniform red masks of the comic. The film was the highest-grossing independent film of all time when it was released, and became the ninth highest grossing film worldwide of 1990 and the most successful film in the franchise.
Plot
As an unsolved crime wave rises in New York City, news reporter April O'Neil (Judith Hoag
Judith Hoag
Judith Hoag is an American actress.She is perhaps best known for portraying April O'Neil in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, as well as in the 1998 feature film Armageddon...
) covers the reports and rumors of a mysterious 'Foot Clan,' a gang of ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
s that is plaguing the city. April continues to cover news of the crime wave, to the point where the Shredder, leader of the Foot, decides she needs to be silenced. She is attacked by the Foot in a subway and is knocked unconscious. Raphael has been following her to retrieve his lost sai, which he uses to easily fight off the Foot. He carries April back to the Turtles' hideout, unaware that he is being followed by one of the Foot. Splinter then recounts to an astonished April his and the Turtles' origins: once ordinary sewer turtles, they were mutated into intelligent, human-sized creatures by a flood of mysterious chemicals
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
. The Turtles escort April back home. Upon their return to the sewers, the Turtles find that their home has been ransacked and Splinter kidnapped. With nowhere else to go, the four distraught Turtles return to April's apartment and spend the night there.
Meanwhile, the Foot Clan continues to grow, incorporating a number of delinquent teens into their ranks. One of these teens is Danny Pennington, the son of April's boss, who is arrested for robbery. After bailing Danny out of jail, Charles Pennington stops by April's apartment, where Danny incidentally catches a glimpse of one of the Turtles in hiding. He then reports back to the Shredder, who has been searching for the Turtles.
At April's apartment, Leonardo and Raphael get into a heated argument. Raphael storms out and heads to the roof of the building, where he is ambushed by an army of Foot Clan ninjas. He is thrown unconscious through April's skylight, and the Turtles scramble to defend themselves from the Foot. Things look bleak until the arrival of Casey Jones, who helps them fight off the remaining Foot warriors. However, the building catches fire during the melee, and the Turtles have no choice but to withdraw.
They retreat to a farm that belongs to April's family, and April learns soon after that she has been fired from her job. Raphael eventually recovers from his coma, and the Turtles train together vigorously, while April and Casey fall in love. At one point, Leonardo manages to make contact with Splinter through meditation, and after the Turtles witness him in a shared vision, they decide to return to New York to find and rescue him.
Despite being a member of the Foot Clan, Danny had secretly been taking counsel from Splinter, who shares with him the story of his master Hamato Yoshi's murder by a rival ninja named Oroku Saki, who is implied to be none other than the Shredder. When he learns that the Shredder intends to have Splinter killed, he and Casey set him free from captivity.
Although the Foot were set to ambush the Turtles in the sewers upon their return, the Turtles manage to turn the tables on them. The fight escalates into the streets above and eventually onto a rooftop, where the Turtles finally face off against Shredder, but prove to be no match for him. Leonardo eventually scores a hit with his ninjato
Ninjato
The , also known as or , is the most common name for the sword that the ninja are portrayed to have carried by ninja in television and movies. Historically, there is no physical evidence for the existance of this weapon. In reality, the katana was probably the ninja's weapon of choice...
, but is ultimately disarmed and pinned to the ground. Before Shredder can finish Leonardo off, Splinter appears and challenges him to a fight. Shredder remembers the old rat who scarred his face years prior and charges him. Using a nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
, Splinter ensnares Shredder's yari
Yari
is the term for one of the traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear...
, leaving him to dangle precariously over the roof's edge. In desperation, Shredder throws a knife from his belt, but when Splinter reaches up to catch it, his grip is released and the Shredder falls into the back of a garbage truck. Casey then pulls the lever to activate the compactor, apparently crushing the Shredder to death. As the police arrive on the scene, the teens inform them on where all the stolen goods can be found.
On the roof, the Turtles reunite with Splinter and, while trying to come up with a proper word to cheer with, Splinter suggests the phrase "Cowabunga," a catchphrase from their '80s animated series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988...
. The Turtles unanimously agree, and Splinter declares, "I made a funny!" as the film ends.
Live actors
- Judith HoagJudith HoagJudith Hoag is an American actress.She is perhaps best known for portraying April O'Neil in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, as well as in the 1998 feature film Armageddon...
as April O'NeilApril O'NeilApril O'Neil is a fictional character in the Mirage Studios franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In each of the many TMNT continuities, she is a good friend of the Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.-Comics:... - Elias KoteasElias KoteasElias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
as Casey JonesCasey Jones (TMNT)Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones is a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Like the turtles, Casey Jones is a vigilante, and was created as a parody of vigilante characters that were in comics. Casey wears a hockey mask and cut-off biking gloves and carries his weapons in a golf bag... - Michelan SistiMichelan SistiMichelan Sisti is an actor and musician who played Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Before becoming a Turtle, he had an eighteen year theatrical career including five Broadway shows...
* as MichelangeloMichelangelo (TMNT)Michelangelo is a fictional character, one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . His mask is typically portrayed as orange outside of the Mirage/Image comic series and his weapons are dual nunchaku, though he has also been portrayed using other weapons, such as a grappling hook, tonfa, and a... - Leif TildenLeif TildenLeif Tilden is an American actor who played Robbie Sinclair in the sitcom Dinosaurs, and gorillas in various films including George of the Jungle, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Buddy...
* as DonatelloDonatello (TMNT)Donatello is a fictional character and one of the four main characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. He is co-creator Peter Laird's favorite Turtle.... - Josh PaisJosh PaisJosh Pais is an American actor of film and television.He has appeared in many Hollywood films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Raphael, Music of the Heart, Scream 3, It Runs in the Family, Little Manhattan and Find Me Guilty. He played Assistant M.E...
* as RaphaelRaphael (TMNT)Raphael , a fictional character, is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .In the Mirage/Image comics all four turtles wear red bandanas over their eyes, but unlike his brothers in other versions, he is the only one who keeps a red bandana... - David FormanDavid FormanDavid Forman is an internet entrepreneur. who has played several suit roles in Jim Henson's Creature Shop, notably as the character of Leonardo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film...
* as LeonardoLeonardo (TMNT)Leonardo is a fictional character that appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media.In the Mirage comics all four turtles wear red bandanas, but in other versions, he wears a blue bandana. His signature weapons are two ninjaken , which are universally referred to as... - Michael Turney as Danny Pennington
- Jay Patterson as Charles Pennington
- Raymond SerraRaymond SerraRaymond Serra was a character actor known for his many supporting roles in film and television over a 30 year career.-Films:* Gotti...
as Chief Sterns - James SaitoJames SaitoJames Tomio Saito is an American actor of stage, motion pictures, and television. He is best known for his physical portrayal of Shredder in the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the character was voiced by David McCharen. Saito also appeared in films like The Devil's Advocate, Home Alone 3,...
as The ShredderShredder (TMNT)The Shredder is a fictional character and primary antagonist from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. At one point or another in every incarnation of the TMNT stories, he has been the archenemy of Splinter and the Turtles... - Toshishiro ObataToshishiro Obatais a Japanese actor and the founder of the International Shinkendo Federation.He studied under Gozo Shioda in the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, and studied the sword arts of Nakamura Ryu, Ioriken Battojutsu, Toyama Ryu, Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, Kashima Shin ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo, and others...
as Tatsu - Sam RockwellSam RockwellSam Rockwell is an American actor known for his leading roles in Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Choke and Moon, as well as for his supporting roles in The Green Mile, Iron Man 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Frost/Nixon, Galaxy Quest, Matchstick Men, The Assassination of...
as Head Thug
Voice cast
- Corey FeldmanCorey FeldmanCorey Scott Feldman is an American film and television actor. He became known during the 1980s, with roles in the Hollywood films Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, Gremlins and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
as Donatello - Brian TochiBrian TochiBrian Keith Tochihara , better known as Brian Tochi, is a U.S. actor, screen-writer, movie director and producer. He was widely recognized as the most popular East Asian child actor working in U.S. television during the late 1960s through much of the 1970s having appeared in various T.V. series and...
as Leonardo - Robbie RistRobbie RistRobert Anthony Rist is an American actor and musician.-Acting and voiceover work:As a child, Rist played Cousin Oliver in the final six episodes of The Brady Bunch. With the regular children all getting older, his inclusion was intended to reintroduce cute younger children to the series...
as Michelangelo - Josh PaisJosh PaisJosh Pais is an American actor of film and television.He has appeared in many Hollywood films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Raphael, Music of the Heart, Scream 3, It Runs in the Family, Little Manhattan and Find Me Guilty. He played Assistant M.E...
‡ as Raphael - Kevin ClashKevin ClashKevin Jeffrey Clash is an American puppeteer and voice actor whose characters include Elmo, Baby Sinclair, Clifford, Splinter and Hoots the Owl...
as Splinter - David McCharen as Shredder
- Michael McConnohieMichael McConnohieMichael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
as Tatsu
- All four actors who played the Turtles also appeared in cameos as minor characters, with Rist (Michelangelo) as a pizza delivery man, Pais (Raphael) as a passenger in a taxi, Feldman (Donatello) as a messenger of The Foot, and Tochi (Leonardo) as a gang member.
‡ Josh Pais, who portrayed Raphael, is the only actor to portray a Turtle on screen and provide his voice.
Production
Filming took place from July to September 1989. The film's budget was $13.5 million. A lot of the production took place in North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(with a couple of location shoots in New York City during the summer of 1989 to capture famous landmark areas such as Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, and the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
), at the North Carolina Film Studios, where New York rooftop sets were created. Production designer Roy Forge Smith and his art director, Gary Wissner, went to New York City four months prior to filming and took still photographs of rooftops and other various locations. While in NYC, Smith and Wissner were allowed to explore an abandoned Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
subway line, as they could not gain access to a city sewer, but the structure of the subway had the same principle as a sewer. They also went to a water tunnel which had large pipes running through it.
After design sketches were created, the construction team used the studios' backlot to create some of the sets. There were problems with the manholes that led to the Turtles' home, in that an eight-foot square room had to be constructed beneath them, but found water at about five-feet, and thus had to pour concrete into the underground rooms to keep the water out. In order to make the sewer authentic, a tide-mark was given, and it was covered with brick, plaster and stucco paint to give the walls a realistic look. The Turtles themselves were done by Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, and Frank Oz.It was originally created as a result of the observation that the team that had been put together for The Dark Crystal was extremely hard to recreate for Labyrinth, since the...
in London. Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
said that the creatures were the most advanced that he had ever worked with. The creatures were first made out of fiberglass, and then remolded out of clay. They were produced as moulds to cast the whole body in foam rubber latex. The work at the Shop was completed within 18 weeks.
Marketing
Live Entertainment Inc. announced that the film would go to VHS via its Family Home EntertainmentFamily Home Entertainment
Family Home Entertainment was an American home video company founded in 1980 by Noel C. Bloom. It was a division of International Video Entertainment, which had its headquarters in Newbury Park, California.-General information:...
label on October 4, 1990. The suggested price was $24.99 per cassette. Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
engaged in a $20 million marketing campaign tied into the film. Items included advertising in print, radio, and television, and several rebate coupons.
Alternate versions
The UK version was severely censored due to its censorship guidelines considering Eastern fighting weapons like the nunchuku. Alternate shots of Michaelangelo were used in order to conceal his nunchuku weapon, or omitted altogether - for instance, the show-off duel between Michaelangelo and a member of the Foot clan. Also, the death scene of Shredder was heavily cut because of this. The uncensored version was released on DVD in 2005 in the UK due relaxation on the censorship laws.The German theatrical version is identical with the UK version, i.e. it omits the usage of the nunchuku. Furthermore, the German audio track contains several "cartoon-like" sounds in order to soften the violence of the fight scenes. Although the film was released with uncensored picture on DVD in Germany, the audio version with the "funny noises" was kept, because they were permanently mixed into the German audio.
Reception
The film was a commercial success and was praised by the large fanbase, but received mixed reviews from critics. Based on a sample of 38 reviews, the film holds a 45% "rotten" rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
with the consensus "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is exactly as advertised: one-liners, brawls, and general silliness. Good for the young at heart, irritating for everyone else." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave it 2½ stars out of 4, saying, "this movie is nowhere near as bad as it might have been, and probably is the best possible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie. It supplies, in other words, more or less what Turtle fans will expect." The film was also criticized for its level of violence, but it was mostly stylized and not graphic. The film was praised for largely staying loyal to the original comics while also integrating several elements from the cartoon series.
Box office
The film opened at the box office in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on March 30, 1990, entering at #1 over the weekend and taking in more than $25 million. The film turned out to be a huge success at the box office, eventually making over $135 million in North America, and over $66 million outside North America for a worldwide total of over $200 million, making it the ninth highest grossing film of 1990 worldwide. The film was also nominated for awards by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.
Home release
In 1990 the film reached No.4 in home video market. The film was released to DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in Region 1 on September 3, 2002; it includes only minor special features such as a trailer and interactive menus. The film was also released in the MiniDVD
MiniDVD
MiniDVD is a DVD disc having 8 cm in diameter.The 8 cm optical disc format was originally used for music CD singles, hence the commonly used names CD single and miniCD...
format.
On August 11, 2009, the film was included in a special 25th anniversary boxset, released to both DVD and Blu-Ray formats. It also contains Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American live-action film, It is the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, being the direct sequel to the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Secret of the Ooze was then followed by a third film in 1993, and a fourth...
, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American live-action film, the second sequel of the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd. and Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema and...
, and 2007's animated release, TMNT. No additional features, other than theatical trailers, were included.
In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, however, a "Special Edition" was released on March 12, 2010 with additional features, including an audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
by director Steve Barron
Steve Barron
Steven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
, an alternate ending, and alternate takes from the original German release where Michelangelo's nunchaku had been edited out.
Legacy
Following the huge success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the box office, several sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s were created. Only a year later, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American live-action film, It is the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, being the direct sequel to the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Secret of the Ooze was then followed by a third film in 1993, and a fourth...
was released in theatres though the sequel was a commercial success. However, in 1993, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American live-action film, the second sequel of the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd. and Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema and...
didn't meet the standards set by the original film. After a 14-year absence from the theatres (due to development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
), a fourth film was released in 2007, though unlike the first three, this was a CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
animated film.
External links
- TMNT I on the Official Ninja Turtles website.
- TMNT movie soundtrack information at the Official Ninja Turtles website.