Revisiting The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie On Its 30th Anniversary
Wanna feel old? Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And while you can say what you will about the updated version and its sequel that was produced by Michael Bay, and Nickelodeon’s latest animated reboot, it’s still a testament to the property’s longevity in popular culture. To think, what started out as a riff on the dark and gritty comics trend of the early to mid 80s, ultimately exploded into a worldwide phenomenon that has endured for over three decades.
The original film, however, will always have a special place in my geeky heart, having grown up with the original animated series. I remember moving to Oxon Hill, MD from Montreal, Canada in 1987, and it was one of the first things I saw on television, and was instantly hooked. Even with all the out-there concepts for cartoons I had been exposed to up to this point, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was something truly unique. And really, nothing beats that theme song (Damn you, Chuck Lorre!). Like every other kid, I was hooked. Ninja Turtles was my dope.
So imagine how off the wall I must have been at nine years-old when I heard that they were making a live-action film based on the characters. Bear in mind, Batman had come out the previous summer, and most were still coming down from “Bat-mania”, but for me, the prospect of a live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was infinitely more exciting. Now factor in that this was happening long before the internet, and any sliver of information that squeaked out about the production was like sifting for gold in the 1800s. The news that Jim Henson’s Creature Shop would be working on the film was definitely encouraging as someone who had grown up on shows like Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock, and movies like Labyrinth.
Then there was the trailer.
From the moment the Shredder appeared, my jaw did not leave the floor. The build-up to the reveal of turtles themselves was just astoundingly well done, and when they finally show up, it exceeded all expectations. The action, the music, and of course the moment EVERY KID talked about after seeing the trailer; as a Foot Clan member swung an axe at Michelangelo’s head, who tucks it into his shell to dodge the weapon, before popping back up and back-fisting that fool in the face screaming, “God, I love being a turtle!!!” Even with a voice that was clearly not going to be in the final film (seriously, it sounded like a 50 year-old man!), that was a pitch-perfect way to end that trailer.
Needless to say, opening day could not come soon enough. Of course I would ultimately end up seeing the film on a Saturday. Why? Because I was nine, and it was the only day of the week my parents would take me to a movie! That’s why! In any event, the local movie theater decided Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was exactly the kind of movie to build a promotion around, so that Saturday, the day after it opened, they were offering $2.00 tickets to a 10:00am screening, which I found out about via newspaper (I told you I was gonna make you feel old!). Naturally, I begged my dad to take me, selling him on the discount, as he’d essentially be buying two tickets for the price of one. It was in his best interests, right?!
That Saturday, I woke up and looked outside to see it pouring rain, and not giving a damn in the world! The devil couldn’t steal my joy on THIS day! I was going to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I ran down to wake up my dad, and I swear, I caught the strongest “is this kid serious?” vibe from him as he woke up, but could you blame me? Could you you REALLY blame me in the grand scheme of things? Anyway, we got down to the theater, and as you could probably imagine, there was a line stretching out the building and down a third of the length of the shopping center the theater was connected to. UGH!!! I suppose it was to be expected. In any event, my father and I inched along in line for about half an hour before a theater attendant informed us that the 10:00am show had sold out, but tickets for the 11:00am show were available at regular price. Politely asking my father, he agreed to us staying and waiting for the 11:00am show.
Considering my only frame of reference for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the cartoon, I was definitely caught off guard by the dark tone of the whole film. I was unfamiliar with the comic, but as I would discover after seeing the film, the tone was definitely more in line with the comic, with a dark, gritty, grungy vibe that even matched what Tim Burton had done on Batman the previous year. Imagine how all the other kids in the theater and I must have felt watching as Splinter was strung up in chains for half the movie, or when Raphael was essentially beaten into a coma. Or any scene with the GODDAMN Shredder! I’m a grown-ass man now, and that fool STILL scares the crap outta me whenever I watch the film. Yeah, he wore a glittery maroon jumpsuit, but he also sported literal shoulder blades! For crying out loud, the movie began with April O’Neil getting jumped by a gang of street kids (led by a young Sam Rockwell, no less), although she was immediately rescued by the turtles. Even Raphael’s multiple utterances of the word “damn” threw us for a loop! And as you can imagine, parents on the whole were none too pleased. Neither were Jim Henson or actress Judith Hoag who played April. Actress Paige Turco would step into the role for the two sequels, partially because of Hoag’s disdain for the violence of that first film.
Needless to say, the film certainly pushed the boundaries of its PG rating, while also being infused with comparable humor and heart that made the original animated series work. The personalities of the turtles were spot on, and the elements from the comic, in retrospect, were woven into the film rather masterfully. Obviously, the work of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was the star of the film (especially considering the fact that none of the suit performers are even listed in the opening credits!). Their work still holds up after three decades, and that is a testament to the craftsmanship and attention to detail. The range of emotion the turtles and Splinter are able to convey is absolutely astonishing, and makes a strong case for more films utilizing practical creature effects, despite Hollywood’s current reliance on CGI. Even more impressive was stunt performers ability to execute a wide range of fight choreography and acrobatics in the film, most notably, Ernie Reyes Jr., who was the stunt performer for Donatello, before having a full-ol speaking role in the sequel, The Secret of the Oooze.
But if there’s any moment in the film that has stayed with me all these years later, it’s when one of the street kids that fell in with the Foot Clan named Danny, meets a captive Splinter. Asking the boy if he has anyone who might be worried about him, Danny replies that his father couldn’t care less about him. Splinter dismisses this, assuring Danny that “all fathers care for their sons.” Could there be a more fitting line in a movie that I dragged my father, in the pouring rain, on a Saturday morning, to take me to see? All I could do was look up at my dad and smile, and I have to imagine the dozens of other kids in that audience had that same moment of awareness during that scene. To paraphrase one of Donatello’s lines from the film, “It was a Kodak moment.”
When all was said and done, the film made $135 million dollars, domestically, on a $13 million dollar budget, and was the highest-grossing independent film ever at the time of its release. Critics may have been mixed on the film, and the sequels definitely suffered from the studio feeling the pressure of sensitive parents, but being a kid and watching that first movie in the theater, there’s no beating that experience.
(And raise your hand if you had that soundtrack on cassette, because that joint slapped from beginning to end! Were you lucky enough to have Partners In Kryme perform “Turtle Power!” at your elementary school?! ’Cause I was!)
