Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles
Who was your favourite
Ninja Turtle? Was it Leonardo the leader? Donatello the inventor? Michelangelo
the jokester? My favourite was always Raphael; with his red bandana, matching
Sai's for weapons and his tough, street smart attitude, he was the cool one of
the group.
This movie and the
original cartoon series where what I grew up with. I would rush home from
school to watch it on TV. I would beg my parents to buy me a Ninja Turtle
action figure. I envied the kind in my class who could draw them so well at age
eight who had requests from the whole class on a weekly basis to get one drawn
for them. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are as much a part of my childhood
as school and playing sports. It’s hard to imagine my younger days without them,
and watching the original live action film (the first of three) brings back so
many fond memories, and still stands as a decent film on its own legs.
Watching the cartoon as a
kid was like a second religion for me. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were
the biggest thing in the world back in the mid to late eighties. Nothing like
it had come before, and nothing like it has come since. It combined everything
that kids loved; cartoons, action, monsters, aliens, ninjas fighting, pizza,
skateboarding and coined now classic catchphrases such as “Cowabunga” which has
entered the common lexicon. When the first movie adaptation hit screens, and it
was to be live action, kids all over the world went nuts. I was one of them.
Taking the biggest
animated show in the world, and making the Ninja Turtles look real was such a
cool concept. And the original film made the transition from cartoon to live
action pretty well. As the film opens, we see shots of New York and a string of petty thefts and robberies being
committed. It’s narrated by news reader April O’Neil, who talks about this
crime spree that’s gripping the city, with no trace of the criminals, who seem
to appear and disappear without a trace. After reading this bulletin out on TV,
April then leaves her newsroom building in the dark of night, and comes across
a bunch of burglars. They chase her, wrestling April to the ground to try and
snatch her purse, when the dim light above the alley goes out. We hear fight
moves, and in a few seconds it’s all over. The police arrive on the scene to
find the five or six criminals tied up with rope. April is okay but there is no
sign of her saviours. But from a nearby man hole, a pair of eyes peer out,
watching the aftermath of it all. We can only assume it’s a Ninja Turtle.
From here we then descend
to the sewers where four walking, talking turtles make their way through large,
underground tunnels to meet with their master, a talking rat. Every kid
watching this scene for the first time knew who that was; it was the turtle’s
old, wise leader, Splinter. He talks about their training and how it’s
important to remain hidden from the world. Then celebrating their victory,
Michelangelo orders a pizza and the turtles are clearly acting like themselves,
transitioning from cartoon to film in true turtle style.
Early on in the film,
another well known character makes the jump from cartoon to film; Casey Jones
runs into Raphael as he deals with some purse snatchers. The guy who wears the
hockey mask and uses sports equipment as weapons teachers Raph a thing or two
about combat, and pisses the turtle off. Even though they may meet as enemies,
these two vigilantes will come to be friends later down the track.
The film was made at a
time that uses what was going on in New York City in its story. This city is now one of the safest
in the world, but it wasn’t always that way. In the eighties and for much of
the early nineties it was one of the dirtiest, ugliest and most violent cities
in the world. It had a reputation as being host to the meanest, toughest and
rudest people of anywhere on the planet, where most walked over each other with
complete disregard and everyone would be a victim of a crime at some point. Now
days, thanks to more police and some hard work, New York is one of the safest
and more visited cities in the world, but back when this film was released, it
wasn’t everyone’s idea of a tourist attraction. The movie uses this as a
feature in its story, and portrays a New York that is dark, gritty and unpleasant, which makes a
suitable backdrop for the story of the film itself.
And where the cartoon was
clearly fun, humour and action, the first film adaptation of the series shows
early on, that it was darker, more dramatic and quite poignant in some of its
serious scenes. For example, when Raphael comes in from a night out angry
because he lost his fight to street vigilante Casey Jones, Splinter speaks to
him. His words are incredibly wise for a movie about turtles, and the fact he
is a rat; “Anger turned inward is an unconquerable enemy” he says, adding some
emotional weight to what could have been just a longer version of the childish
cartoon.
Still taking most of it’s
inspiration from the cartoon however, the movie focuses on its city wide crime
spree, which we learn is being orchestrated by a secret clan, know as The Foot.
The story is spearheaded by April O’Neil, but the police are convinced the clan
is just a myth. But in the darkness, a man wearing a metal helmet, with a deep,
menacing voice watches this breaking news story unfold on screen. He turns to
his side and says “Find her. Silence her”.
The reporter is stalked
into the subway, where a bunch of guys in black pyjamas and ski masks tell her
to “Shut it”. The tough as nails reported fights back, but is knocked to the
ground. Lucky for her, Raphael has followed her and comes to the rescue.
Retreating into the subway with the unconscious reporter, the turtle takes her
to his home, where she awakes to see a giant rat and four talking turtles.
Splinter explains the story of their origins, and the turtles escort April back
to her apartment. She invites them up for pizza where she discovers these
mutant amphibians can play charades and crack jokes. When they leave to return
to their lair, they discover it trashed and Splinter missing. Raphael wasn’t
aware that one of the Foot Clan ninjas had followed him down there after he had
rescued April. Not knowing where to go or who to turn to, the turtles head back
to April’s apartment and figure out how to get Splinter back.
To give the movie a bit of
a subplot, April’s boss Charles, has a teenage son, called Danny. The young guy
steals things, and we soon learn, hangs out in an old abandoned warehouse
outside the city. Inside this place, hundred’s of delinquent teenagers hang out
playing pool, arcade games, poker, skateboarding, smoking and drinking. There
are no sign of any adults, save for a bald guy in black robes who just grunts
rather than talks. This hangout for kids gone bad is also the training head
quarters of the Foot Clan. Suddenly, the sound of a large symbol being smashed
echoes throughout the warehouse. Without a moment’s hesitation, every kid and
Foot Clan member assembles in a hall. Here we meet the guy with the raspy voice
who sent his warriors to attack April O’Neil.
Walking out to his legions
of followers, it’s none other than Shredder. Also making the leap from the
cartoon to the film, he is portrayed effectively here, with a large helmet,
blades on his shoulders and a long cape. He charges his followers with a new
mission; find the turtles and destroy them. Then a voice of one the youth says
“Master” and emerges to reveal himself. It’s Danny, with his had risen up. We
expect he is admitting he knows where the turtles are, as he saw them hiding
out at April’s apartment. Also in the shadows of this warehouse, lies Splinter,
chained to a wall, and looking weak and beaten.
Sure enough, the Foot Clan
show up at April’s house to surprise the turtles. Our ninja heroes put up a
good fight, but are seriously outnumbered. But Casey Jones just happens to be
walking by, and joins in on the action, disposing of a few of the ninjas in
black pyjamas and proving himself to be an ally for the turtles. Retreating to
April’s country home, the turtles regain their strength, and plan a revenge
attack against The Foot on their turf, and will take back Splinter from his
cage.
The films actually gets
better as it goes along, and as you watch it, you’ll soon forget about the
cartoon series you watched before this, as the movie shows itself to be it’s
own thing, and holds up well even today, twenty five years later. It has some
more serious moments, but they’re never over done. The characterization of the
human characters is quite real and believable, and the acting from Elias Koteas
as Casey Jones is the real standout here. But amongst the darker more brooding
moments, it also has some fun with proceedings, especially in the fight scenes.
The creation of the
turtles was sophisticated for it’s time. Sure, they obviously look like short
people in puppet-like suits today, but you start to see past that as each
turtles has it’s own mannerisms and character, expressing some real emotions
and portraying the journey of the turtles as they learn to stand on their own
without Splinter there; ultimately, drawing on their strengths as one to fight
their enemy, The Shredder, and become true ninjas.
I know that sounds kind of
deep, but the original film in this series was actually very well written and
more dramatic and emotionally focused than you’d expect. It took the whole
appeal and legend of the Ninja Turtles to a new place, and cemented their place
in pop culture as one of the most loved, popular and appealing heroes in the
entertainment world. You just have to see that the cartoon still runs
regularly, and they are making a sequel to the recent reboot. Since the
original film, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have gone on to be revisited,
reincarnated and reinvented several times, through more cartoons, action
figures, a CGI film and more recently another film version using Avatar-style
special effects. I haven’t seen that one yet, and won’t rush to. It’s funny how
we tend to prefer the things that are familiar to us.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles will always be around, passing on from one generation to the next. I
can proudly claim I was introduced to them when they were first brought to the
screen, and I’m sure the original film I’ve just reviewed here will continue to
be regarded as the best adaptation of them all, and instantly reconnects me to
my childhood. That’s why it’s made this list, and that’s why I still love this
movie today.
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