REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Released in 1990) [30th Anniversary Review]

DIRECTOR: Steve Barron

PRODUCERS: Kim Dawson & David Chan & Simon Fields

WRITERS: Bobby Herbeck & Todd W. Langen

PERFORMERS: Judith Hoag Elias Koteas Raymond Serra Michael Tierney Jay Patterson James Saito Toshishiro Obata Sam Rockwell

I remember the cartoon series from the late 80's, I was just between 6-7 years old when I first starting watching it and in doing so, became one of my most favorite shows to watch. But I have been a 'Turtles' fan for as long as I can remember, since childhood. In fact, my love for the turtles has never died and this particular adaptation from thirty years ago is no exception. I watched it every chance I got and enjoyed every minute of it every viewing. Growing up, my love for it has not changed and there are some things that never change, this for me was one of them. This movie represents what comic book films are all about and a concept worth revisiting for future reference.

"LEAN, GREEN AND ON THE SCREEN"

With these words there was no doubt that this was going to be one of those things that devoted fans of the mania (at the time) we're excited for. On March 30th, 1990 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" debuted to the world as a live action adaptation of the comic book series created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. At the time, it was an ambitious project to take on but the popularity of the animated series was just so huge there was just no way to imagine NOT having these beloved characters on screen in the live action format. After all, how interesting would it be to see these guys for real? This movie got everything about the characters right: The characters, the settings, the mood and more importantly: the storyline. What that had touched on was the themes of Brotherhood, Family, Friendship and of course Perseverance.

"HEORES IN A HALF-SHELL"

For some of us who grew up on this, we all know the premise: four turtles and a rat come into contact with a radioactive substance which transforms them into humanoid animals not only of great intelligence, but also knowledge of martial arts and their harness of that craft to fight crime in New York City within the shadows. They come up against an underground society of ninja thieves called the Foot Clan led by none other than a highly skilled martial artist warlord called "The Shredder". What I always liked about this movie was the look and feel of the turtles (as they were portrayed by actors and martial artists in handmade latex suits), the puppetry by the late Jim Henson, responsible for the designs and workings of how they moved and looked especially when it came to close-ups. Then there's the voice-overs which still have a profound affect on me. There were only a few who always had my attention: First there was Robbie Rist as Michelangelo, as the comic relief of the group how could you possibly want it any other way? Just one of those things that never gets old. Then there's Corey Feldman as Donatello, whose vocal performance has always been my most fond memory of the film itself. Not only did he nail it, he fit it so well you couldn't even tell it was him behind the voice of the purple bandana turtle with a love for science and gadgetry. Although he was the second comic relief of the group next to Michelangelo and not the original scientist counterpart, he was still good in his part. Because of Donatello, I study the Bo Staff techniques in martial arts and still do, his fighting skills are based off of his weapon handling because he's such a critical thinker, my favorite turtle of the bunch. Leonardo and Raphael are also the kind of turtles I think we all can relate to because we are all leaders and followers at one point in our lives. Like Raphael, I too used to be filled with anger and considered hot tempered, but then again we all were before right? And Splinter is just that same sensei and surrogate father you wish you had because of his wisdom and knowledge and when he's chained up at the Foot warehouse as a prisoner, you can't help but fear for him and his well being. And having just watched the film, I thought of the story of Daniel from the Old Testament in the Bible when he was thrown in prison for doing God's will instead of human's will while three others who were with him did.

There have been many actresses who have played news reporter April O'Neill to the best of their ability, but Judith Hoag has always been my top choice when it comes to on screen portrayals because she does it so well that her chemistry with the turtles and Casey Jones is undeniable! Even during her scenes with Casey played by Elias Koteas you can see it building and when they come together at the end it all comes full circle. Who says you can't include romance in a Ninja Turtles story? Everyone who's familiar with this will tell you that Casey and April develop and create a history with each other with their additional friendship with the turtles and Splinter. The Shredder is physically played by James Saito and voiced by David McCharen and if you think about it, a great marriage of talents to bring to life a very intimidating character you don't want to cross paths with. The Shredder has always been one of my personal favorite villains because he represents a sense of fear, superiority and dominance and whenever I think of villains, he's usually at the top of my list, next to Thanos of 'The Avengers'. Both are driven by the single goal of dominance, The Shredder: the world and Thanos: the universe. And when they fall to their fate or defeat, you think of Satan's fall (LUKE 10:18).

The direction of Steve Barron I thought was a major contribution to the success of this film because he leads it so well, that every time you watch it, it never feels out of date or place, just original. The writing is genius and settings are just so spot on you don't even care about the tone they supposedly set for the way films with certain settings are made today. In 1989, "Batman" was the first film of that era to have a dark brooding set wise making it a big hit all around the world and this film was a follow-up of that same tradition. The dark tone and settings of New York was what made this film such a beloved cult classic and I don't understand why it was praised as violent and dark. It's got action and it takes place in dark side of New York! But even so, it still had it's friendly moments and even that alone deserves more credit than it has. The campfire scene has always been one of my most remembered scenes from the film, when our heroes make spiritual contact with Splinter through meditation. That whole sequence with Splinter advising his "sons" on working together was just so emotional, especially when Mikey cries. I cried on the inside of my heart as I felt Mikey's pain, it's no wonder he doesn't answer Donny's question about Splinter not being around forever. We don't want to think about what life will be like when we get older, we just want to enjoy life and have fun (ECCLESIASTES 12:1). The soundtrack to this film still remains unforgettable and the music score also has that same profound effect on me as it always has.

COWABUNGA!!! 30 YEARS LATER...

In Conclusion, looking back on this film thirty years later I think of this: how did I get so blessed to have lived to witness this? I was just a kid when this came out and when it went off the air in 1996. Being the turtles fan that I am, this makes me remember that I used to practice karate in my youth. Like the way 'The Mighty Ducks Trilogy' inspired me to play hockey, this film (and it's sequels) inspire me to want to do martial arts again. And although we are facing some heavy times today, it's not too late nor too soon to re-learn all the positive things you used to do while learning new ones in the process. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello & Michelangelo have always been a huge part of my life and if I were to ever come across them (if they were real), the first thing I would say is "Cowabunga!" because it's their trademark catchphrase. With the personalities of Teenage kids and the appearance of reptilian nature, one would say 'That's strange', but the truth is there's nothing strange about a group of intelligent fighting Turtles who could eat Pizza all day. 3 decades on... I still enjoy everything about this movie: from story to details to place to action and everything in between. The fact that it's about Family makes it all the more special and that is where the other films after this have struggled and sometimes failed the most. Yes I liked the last ones from Michael Bay, but this one will always have special place in my heart. Here's to 30 years of pizza loving and butt kicking!!! #TMNT199030thAnniversary #TMNTMovie #AnniversaryReview #Filmsof1990