I'm well aware that some of you reading this article might not have been alive when the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie debuted in theaters (I was only 7), but let me tell you, it was an event.
Arguably the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie ever (though, I've come to believe that Mutant Mayhem is my favorite Turtles flick), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles really had it all. It’s kind of bonkers to believe that it will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Yes, for those of us who watched it in theaters, it’s time for us to schedule our colonoscopy exams.
But in all seriousness, even though there have been many iterations of the Turtles (many of them in cartoon form), I still believe that the first movie is one of the best comic book adaptations ever. Here’s why.
The Film Follows The Comic Books Much Closer Than Any Of The Later Ninja Turtles Movies
I just mentioned how there have been many iterations of the Turtles, and that goes for movie form as well.
That said, even as early as the second movie, 1991’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, you could already tell that the execs at New Line Cinema must have seen how popular the cartoon was, because the second film pivots so sharply toward being kid-friendly that it almost seems like it comes from a different studio. What I mean is the second movie is a stark contrast to the more serious and, dare I say, more “adult” first movie, which hewed much closer to the source material.
In the black and white Mirage Studios comics created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, there are many moments that actually make their way into the 1990 movie, like when Raphael confronts Casey Jones. There’s also the origin of Splinter, which is closer to the comics than what we would get in the 1987 animated series.
But, what makes the film feel closest to the comics is the tone, which is pretty dark for a “kids” movie. The first flick has its humorous moments (like the Turtles loving pizza, for instance, which comes from the cartoon rather than the original comics), but it’s way darker than the later movies.
This tone mimics the original comics way more than any other Turtles’ film, making it one of the best comic book adaptations ever.
It Is A Complete Time Capsule For The ‘90s And A Great Follow-Up To 1989's Batman
When ranking the Batman movies, the 1989 Batman is way up there, probably only second to The Dark Knight in many fans' eyes.
The reason why it works so well is because it specifically fits in with that specific time period. What I mean is that when people think about late ‘80s/early ‘90s Batman, they likely picture Gotham as presented by Tim Burton. For example, The Joker in Batman ‘89 (which is my favorite Joker, by the way) is not the same Joker found in The Dark Knight. That's because Batman ‘89 represents a different era altogether.
The same could be said about the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. In fact, Batman ‘89 and Ninja Turtles 1990 is a great one-two punch when it comes to comic book adaptations of that time period.
For one thing, they are both great time capsules for the era they debuted in, but they also feel uniquely dark and gritty (I like to think of them as being cloaked in shadow) in a way that many comic book films today often shy away from.
A lot of that might be due to technical limitations at the time (more so for the independent Ninja Turtles movie than the more expensive Batman flick), but all that darkness and shadows in the first TMNT film also makes it feel closer to the black and white comics from which it was adapted.
The Costumes And Puppetry Are Still Some Of The Most Astounding We've Ever Seen In A Live-Action Film
The original Ninja Turtles movie had a budget of $13.5 million dollars, and it looks amazing. In fact, I think it looks even better than some of the most expensive movies ever made, as many of those films rely heavily on CGI, which can go either way when it comes to “realistic” special effects.
The first Turtles movie instead relied on puppetry and costumes. Not only that, but the costumes are exceptional! Created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, actors filled in the suits while puppeteers worked on the facial expressions, which only added to the performances.
It’s kind of crazy that the Michael Bay-produced Turtles movies, which were pretty much a showcase for CGI, arguably don’t look as good as the Turtles in the 1990 movie.
In a way, it’s like how the dinosaurs in the first Jurassic Park arguably look better than the dinosaurs in the Jurassic World movies. In truth, it seems like we’re kind of going backward rather than forward when it comes to special effects.
But I digress. What’s important is that the costumes and puppetry really make the Turtles from the comics come to life in a way that really hasn’t been matched ever since. I’ll never forget my first time seeing this movie in the theaters and being blown away by how it looked. 35 years later, I’m still impressed. They don’t make them like this anymore.
The Turtles Have Never Felt More Grown-Up On The Big Screen
As I said earlier, the tone of this first movie is somewhat dark, which mirrors the original comic books.
For those who don’t know, the first comics were pretty much a homage (some might even call it a parody) to other comic books at the time, such as Daredevil, X-Men and even Howard the Duck. This amalgamation helped spawn characters who may be even more popular than the comic books that inspired them.
However, the Turtles’ character traits from the 1987 cartoon are really what made people fall in love with them, because while there are hints of these traits in the original comics, it’s a bit more subtle on the page, and again, much darker For example, the recent Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is great, is about as far removed from the original comics’ dark tone as you could get.
That said, the movie captures this tone perfectly, and makes it feel grown-up. Raphael, the perpetual hothead, gets beaten up pretty badly in the film and even curses a few times. There’s a pretty harrowing moment in the film where the Turtles’ are trapped in a burning building, and Shredder actually gets crushed in a trash compactor at the end.
This was a bold move to make a Turtles’ movie as dark as the comic, especially when the cartoon at the time was so wholesome. It’s just another reason why this comic book adaptation is aces.
It's Still A Great Place To Start For Anybody New To The Ninja Turtles
Lastly, if one of my students were to ask me where to start if they wanted to get into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I would tell them to start with the 1990 movie. The only reason for that is because it’s the closest we’ve ever gotten to the original comics in either live-action or even animated form. (And no, I don’t count when the later cartoon actually featured the comic book versions of the Turtles since that was only for a brief appearance.)
Yes, one might argue that Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or The Last Ronin (Which will be getting its own movie) also do their best to match the tone of the original comics. However, I really think those only work if you already know the Turtles, and can appreciate the stark contrast from almost everything else that came before them.
No, the first Turtles movie does the best job of encapsulating the essence of the original comic book, which makes it the best version to start with. Is it perfect? Of course not. Because again, there are definitely elements from the 1987 cartoon sprinkled in, which lessen the dark tone a bit. However, is it the closest to the original comic book as a whole? Yes, even 35 years later.
So if you’re a Turtles fan like me, eat some marshmallow and pepperoni pizza and re-watch this amazing movie. It still holds up today!
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