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[Penguin]

It's really confusing since everything in the franchise uses the same name, but the original live-action movie released on this day in 1990.

While I'm of the camp that prefers... well the camp of Secret of the Oooze, the original movie has its charms. And to me the superior theme song!

So what are your memories and thoughts on this most gnarly movie?

 

[Blablurn]

Legendary movie.

 

[Mac the KNife]

Re-watched this recently. While not as good as I remember, it aged very well & it's still very enjoyable.

 

[Nokterian]

Huge fan of the cartoons back then and the movies have seen the first and second one in theaters movie still holds today thanks to Jim Henson's studio making the turtle heads and splinter puppet back then.

 

[JimiNutz]

They did an amazing job with that movie considering it's subject matter and budget. The rooftop fight with Raphael and all the foot soldiers was the standout moment for me as a kid

 

[Struct09]

The earliest I remember being hyped for a movie, and it completely delivered. I re-watched it a few years ago and still found it enjoyable. The sequel is even better IMO.

 

[Data West]

Best comic book movie of all time.

 

[Various Artists]

Loved it. Remember seeing it with my dad on April fools day.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Dat Jim Henson's Creature Shop's costumes!

 

[Saroyan]

I was 11 when this came out and a huge Turtles fan, I saw it in a theater with a couple friends from school and got the VHS when that came out. I haven't seen the movie in probably 20 years and I don't know if I want to, I don't want to spoil my memories.

 

[Scavenger]

One of the best comic book to big screen adaptations ever. I hope Barron gets to make his director's cut some day. There's some interesting stuff left behind in the cutting room floor.

Tomorrow AVGN and Nostalgia Critic are going to tear the 2014 movie apart. Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE9NOgcGQOw

 

[Mitch]

Still have my VHS copy.

 

[FloatOn]

let's not kid ourselves... it wasn't that good.

 

[SlipperyMoose]

Best comic book movie of all time.

I like the blade movies too

 

[Measley]

Wow it's been 25 years? Crazy how time flies.

Still remember watching this as an 8 year old with my brother and step-dad. Loved every minute of it. After the movie, I went out into the lobby and saw the first TMNT arcade game and played a few levels.

Good times.

 

[Ban Puncher]

"DAMN!"

 

[manzoman96]

Enjoy this movie every time I watch it. Got my trusty ol' VHS copy.

 

[Wingfan19]

I have this bad boy sitting here at work with me

Still remember the day I went and saw it in theaters and was blown away by it. I was in 2nd grade when it came out and even bought the movie adaptation novel from our school's scholastic book club.

 

[terrisus]

I was going to say, they're older than that.
But you just mean the first movie.

 

[MezzoForte]

"DAMN!"

beaten.

 

[Data West]

let's not kid ourselves... it wasn't that good.

But it was. I only watched it recently, and it's great.

 

[MarauderShields]

let's not kid ourselves... it wasn't that good.

Yeah it wasn't good. It was great.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

"...way out where the dandelions groooooow."

My boy turns 6 at the end of April and I think we'll watch this on his birthday. It's going to blow his mind.

 

[Nokagi]

I remember being kinda annoyed/confused by this movie as a kid.Where was Krang? Where was Bebop and Rocksteady? Who is this annoying Foot Clan kid? But I gotta say the final showdown with Shredder on the roof had me hyped as fuck.

 

[GekigangerV]

To me this is easily in the top 10 best comic book adaptations out there. It's only really aged by the early 90's pop culture stuff that pops in and out every so often. There are a lot of subtle things throughout the movie that I didn't catch as a kid, but appreciate now that I am older. Like when Splinter begins to tell the origin to April he hesitates to talk about Hamato Yoshi and skips to finding the ooze canister and turtles. Then when it is more relevant to the plot he tells the story to Danny who I didn't really appreciate as a kid, but not I understand the concept of the audience surrogate and he fits in perfectly.

The choreography of the final Shredder really told a story in and of itself. The Turtles were completely outmatched and Leo go in one slash (I think the only time in non-comics Turtles media that a living creature got cut by Leo's sword) then it ends up being Splinter who "defeats" Oroku Saki thus kind of closing the story of him and Hamato Yoshi.

There are some deleted scenes that are apparently in the German DVD release for some reason such as the Fight between the Shredder and the street punks that try to mug April

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lB1ampYlzs

and the ending where April pitches the idea of a TMNT comic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w30eYI8SEQ

I have read that the sequel was originally going to have the Utroms like in the comics, but was eventually written out due to the budget not being there to do the exosuits and creatures properly and the studio heads thought the first movie was too dark.

 

[super-famicom]

"A Jose Canseco bat? Tell me, you didn't pay money for this."

 

[jetjevons]

I bought the original black and white comic books. Back then the turtles were killers.

 

[Platy]

The puppetry is god tier.

Henson's best probably

 

[The Real Abed]

I rewatched and enjoyed all three a few months ago. Yes, even the third one.

Great movies.

I still wish 2 had Bebop and Rocksteady instead of new characters. Also, leaving Krang out was probably a good idea given how it would have looked on the big screen compared to a cartoon. Though a big screen Technodrome would have blown our child minds back then.

I haven't really been able to get into anything TMNT related since the 90s cartoon and movies. Except for the 2007 TMNT movie which I enjoyed. I haven't seen the new one yet at all. Nor have I ever watched any of the newer cartoons that came about. Also, I have never read a comic book in my life.

 

[Firemind]

go ninja go ninja go

 

[VARIA]

Chevy Nova!

Still great. The gritty tone mirrored the original comic which I think has helped it age with grace. Classic.

 

[BocoDragon]

I saw this in theaters. They had green popcorn

 

[Tizoc]

Wow 25 years...still holds up and among the best comic book movies IMO.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Movie is great. Still holds up.

TMNT vs. Shredder fight theme is amazing.

 

[Rapstah]

I read the thread name as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dies At 25" and felt really sad for like five seconds while I tried to figure out how that makes sense.

 

[Delta Assault]

I like to call it "The One With the Better April O'Neil."

But yeah, the movie's great. As a kid, I was surprised how dark and adult it felt. The cinematography, the tone... it definitely felt different from the cartoon, but in a good way.

And of course, Jim Henson's costumes were fantastic. They legitimately looked like they'd stepped out of the cartoon.

 

[Nokterian]

Judith Hoag has aged like fine wine still best April.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVj10mxHSik

 

[Platy]

(I think the only time in non-comics Turtles media that a living creature got cut by Leo's sword)

Already in the 2 parter "pilot" for the 2012 series Leo cuts the tentacle of a plant mutant.

 

[Sou Da]

I bought the original black and white comic books. Back then the turtles were killers.

They still are in the IDW comics.

 

[Data West]

That ending is dark as fuck too.

I also think it's as relevant to the pop culture of its era as BTTF and John Hughes movies were to the 80s.

 

[GrayFoxPL]

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

I just bought the movie four pack on blu-Ray and now is a good a time as any to rewatch the first movie.

 

[Sanjuro]

Twenty-five years, huh?

 

[Ivan 3414]

Thought they were older than that honestly.

Edit: Oh it's for the movie. Would have been nice if the topic title were clarified

 

[Frecklestein]

let's not kid ourselves... it wasn't that good.

haha... you made a funny

 

[Data West]

Thought they were older than that honestly.

Edit: Oh it's for the movie. Would have been nice if the topic title were clarified

Literally the first sentence of the thread.

 

[Dictator93]

Twenty-five years, huh?

 

[True Savior]

It was amazing. Sadly i only saw the third one on theaters (i don't remember exactly why i didnt went to see the second one , albeit vividly remembering it being shown on theaters)

 

[Buddha Beam]

I last watched it a few years ago and was surprised at how well it held up. The costume effects really were amazing work. The only thing I don't really like about this movie is how Shredder is basically a hulking , grunting silver monster. There isn't really any character to him.

the 2014 movie, however, is honestly one of the absolute worst movies I've ever seen in my life. There is nothing redeemable about it. It was absolute torture to watch... but I had nothing better to do on a 14 hour plane ride :\

 

[joedan]

The choreography of the final Shredder really told a story in and of itself. The Turtles were completely outmatched and Leo go in one slash (I think the only time in non-comics Turtles media that a living creature got cut by Leo's sword) then it ends up being Splinter who "defeats" Oroku Saki thus kind of closing the story of him and Hamato Yoshi.

Watched the third turtles movie two nights ago. I got a good chuckle that despite the weaponry the turtles possess, the bad guys were all defeated with kicks and punches. Only Donatello got to use his staff/bo.

By the way the third movie is great. I liked it.

First is the best movie.

Second? Haven't watched it in a long time. Need to revisit it.

The recent movie Turtles movie? I wanted to like it but I couldn't. Plot was a mess and I didn't like giant robot shredder.

The animated movie released some years back? Haven't seen it.