Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Four teenage mutant ninja turtles emerge from the shadows to protect New York City from a gang of criminal ninjas.

Director:

Steve Barron

Writers:

Kevin Eastman (characters), Peter Laird (characters)

Stars:

Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judith Hoag	...	April O'Neil
Elias Koteas	...	Casey Jones
Josh Pais	...	Raphael (voice) / Passenger In Cab
David Forman	...	Leonardo / Gang Member
Brian Tochi	...	Leonardo (voice)
Leif Tilden	...	Donatello / Foot Messenger
Corey Feldman	...	Donatello (voice)
Michelan Sisti	...	Michaelangelo / Pizza Man
Robbie Rist	...	Michaelangelo (voice)
Kevin Clash	...	Splinter (voice)
James Saito	...	The Shredder
David McCharen	...	The Shredder / Oroku Saki (voice)
Toshishiro Obata	...	Tatsu
Michael McConnohie	...	Tatsu (voice)
Michael Turney	...	Danny Pennington

Storyline

Through contact with a mysterious ooze, four turtles in the sewers of New York mutate into intelligent pizza-loving humanoids, and are mentored in the art of ninja combat by the wise rat Splinter. When the evil Shredder attempts to take over the world, the turtles set out to stop him.

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Plot Keywords:

teenage mutant ninja turtles | splinter character | april o'neil character | anthropomorphic animal as protagonist | animal hero | 

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Taglines:

This ain't no cartoon.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's budget was $13.5 million.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, when Casey Jones goes to run for the garbage truck, an unexplained person runs in front of the camera in the opposite direction.

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Quotes

[first lines]
April O'Neil: Much more than just a series of small, isolated incidents, it's now apparent that an organized criminal element is at work and at the moment, business is good. So good in fact that there appear to be no eyewitnesses to any of these crimes. With complaints ranging from purse snatching to breaking and entering, police switchboards have been swamped with the angry voices of more and more citizens who have fallen prey to the recent surge of crime that continues to plague the city. ...

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Crazy Credits

The film title appears from behind the corner of the sewer, just before the Turtles come around it and are fully seen for the first time.

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Alternate Versions

The depiction of chainsticks on screen was rarely allowed in the UK, so the movie was heavily cut or reframed to remove every last trace of them for its original theatrical exhibition. In 2003 all these cuts were waived by the BBFC due to changed guidelines.

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Connections

Remade as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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Soundtracks

Every Heart Needs a Home
Written by Paul Peterson, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers
Performed by Paul Peterson (as St. Paul)
Courtesy of Atlantic Records

User Reviews

A Movie that Changed my Life

As a new generation turns 18-20 this movie was vital for many growing up. It WAS their Saturday morning routine. A necessary part of growing up, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles instilled values for a generation. Both the movie and the TV show were key in this upcoming generation's development and coming of age. I recently watched this movie again for the first time in a decade, and yes it was cheesy and tacky. However, that doesn't make it bad in anyway. There are some complex issues going on beneath the surface here. First, this movie was released close to the peak of crime wave that occurred across the country in the early 1990's. A city lost in crime is saved by a few of the next generation's heroes, who are nothing more than teenagers on a quest for pizza. Second, there is a definite connection between Splinter and Jesus when he is nailed up to a wall and talking to his "sons". Many reading my comments may laugh because, lets face it, the idea of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is hilarious, but the movie spoke to a specific generation at a specific time and as a period piece it can still be appreciated. This was more than just a movie; it defined a generation. Even if the movie makes no sense go with it and watch it for the ridiculous 1990's dialogue...Its funny, enjoy!

Details

Official Sites:

Official TMNT site

Country:

USA Hong Kong

Language:

English French

Release Date:

30 March 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,398,367, 1 April 1990

Gross USA:

$135,265,915

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$201,965,915

Company Credits

Production Co:

888 Productions, Golden Harvest Company, Image Comics

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1