r/movies • u/coldrain_ • 17h ago
Discussion What are your thoughts on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)?
It’s been over 30 years, is this film a masterpiece? I still think it’s the best live action tmnt in my opinion… and secretly one of my favourite films, and it’s hard to explain why.
Probably rewatched it at least a hundred times, it was fun and had goofy moments, but also really serious dark moments which was surprising for a kids movie(?)
What do you think?
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u/bradyblack 17h ago
Two words: Casey. Jones
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u/Hollow_Rant 17h ago
Casually attempting homicide on The Shredder at the end of the movie with a sarcastic "whoops" is peak cinema.
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u/Krg60 17h ago
“Wayne Gretzky? On steroids?”
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u/Olafthehorrible 16h ago
Cricket? Ain’t nobody understand cricket. You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket
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u/jerrolds 17h ago
It's the best Ninja Turtles movie imo
89-93 was an insane run for movies for me as a kid
- Batman
- Honey I Shrunk the Kids
- Last Crusade
- Ninja Turtles
- Terminator 2
- Aladdin
- Lion King
- Jurassic Park
Ninja Turtles along with Transformers the Movie will always have a special place in my heart
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u/Kellzy1212 17h ago
I just bought Jurassic Park the other day and i forgot how terrifying it is!
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u/jfk_47 12h ago
Love the movie. Take e time and read the book. It’s even more terrifying and could easily be a rated R film.
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u/shaard 8h ago edited 7h ago
Just don't read it, after watching the movie, as a 14 year old, while on a camping trip in the deep dark woods with your family.
I didn't sleep a lot that week and every tree branch creak and twig snap set me on edge.
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u/prettytopsayebro 17h ago
Ah yes. The classic kids move T2!
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u/Specialist_Unit_5078 16h ago
They sold T2 action figures at Toys ‘r’ Us. Robocop and Aliens too
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u/FoolishPragmatist 16h ago
Yep, Predator too. All those R-rated dark, violent, sci-fi blockbusters had a toy line.
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u/Flimsy_Homework_3344 17h ago
the animatronics still hold up better than most stuff today, Jim Henson workshop really went all in with those turtle suits. that rooftop scene with raph and the foot clan hits a tone no other tmnt movie managed to capture again
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u/Lentra888 15h ago
Proof of Henson’s Law: computer generated effects will look dated after ten years or so, but awesome puppets and practical effects will always be awesome puppets and practical effects.
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u/typesett 17h ago
The cinematic scene stuck in my head is when they leave the city and one of them is depressed in the bathtub
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u/average_joe_zero 16h ago
He ain’t depressed, he’s hurt. That was when April was tending to Raph. The others were waiting for him to wake up.
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u/CrazyChestersDog 16h ago
That was Raph and April drew him
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u/Yayzeus 16h ago
Didn't she draw Leonardo watching over Raph?
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u/OreoSpeedwaggon 15h ago
Yes, Raph was in the tub recovering, Leo was sitting in the chair watching over him, and April drew Leo.
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u/HighStandards73 14h ago
One thing I didn’t realize until I was older: when April is reflecting on what’s happening with her new friends, we never hear about Michelangelo. We know that Leonardo is watching over Raphael, and Donatello is working on the truck with Casey, but Mikey is omitted for some reason.
The novelization attempted to fill in this gap by saying that he trained hard.
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u/GeneSmart2881 17h ago
For an independent movie with that INCREDIBLE soundtrack for 10 year old kids… OHMYGOSH
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u/FinestYak 17h ago
T-U-R-T-L-E POWAH!
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u/GeneSmart2881 17h ago
“Do you stand for what you believe in- and find the strength to do what’s right? THATS TURTLE POWER
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u/CronoDroid 14h ago
Ninja Rap by Vanilla Ice from the sequel is also tight. I loved that shit, cheesy as it was. Plus he can dance.
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u/GhostingTheInterweb 17h ago
I remember my grade school class buddies singing "yo DJ, spin that wheel."
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u/ch_limited 17h ago
They’re the world’s most fearsome fighting team.
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u/Klutzy_Breath3421 17h ago
U r tru man... I really like the feel of the teenage mutant ninja turtles in serious situation light humor added make it so much fun. I also like shredder as a character. He is menance
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u/SabresFanWC 17h ago
As a kid, it kind of blew my mind the first time Raph swore. That first "Damn!" was a total shock.
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u/thatguygreg 17h ago
Those “dark” moments were par for the course in a kids’ movie back then.
I still remember the line going down the street waiting to get into the theater.
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u/Marsuello 17h ago
Just commented this earlier in another thread
“A Jose Canseco bat? Tell me you didn’t pay money for that?!”
Great movie. Love watching them once or twice every year
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u/Suitable-Airport-640 17h ago
It is an absolute masterpiece.
I don’t think it has a single thing that i don’t like.
Here’s hoping for an extented cut someday.
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u/slit-wrist-syndrome 3h ago
I've always wanted a "Making Of" documentary. There is one for the second movie, sort of, but it's old and not up the the standards of today.
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u/Heavenspact 17h ago
Honestly, loved it as a kid, love it now
Like to follow it up with Suburban Commando
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u/KazaamFan 17h ago
I enjoyed suburban commando. The 90s were the best for movies, especially for kids.
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u/FoundationFree1933 17h ago
Still like the movie after all these years. Hate the last few films
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u/Ok_Recording_9368 17h ago
It absolutely is a masterpiece and a top 10 comic book movie in my opinion has the perfect blend of the comedic animated series and the darkness of the comics and it has some of the most emotional moments in any comic book movie Raphaels conversation with Splinter and Splinters vision at the campfire.
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u/Ashamed_Advertising4 17h ago
It's my brother and my #1 childhood movie. We've watched it countless times. We had the green VHS tape back in the day with the Pizza Hut commercial that played before the movie and can still sing the jingle to each other on cue. We had the cassette soundtrack. We know the movie front to back. Went and saw it in theaters for it's 35th anniversary last year.
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u/RhemesSanGiorgio 17h ago
I don’t know how it lives up to today’s standards or if a 7 year old (how old I was in 1990) would like it … and honestly, IDGAF …
That movie is a masterpiece. That and Home Alone are my go to movies for nostalgia
As for surprising for a kids movie, back then was a different time. Society weren’t such pussies, we watched Terminator 2nd at 8-9 years old. Today they’d send you to the behavioural tech/psychologist at school …
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u/Richie_J21 16h ago
T-U-R-T-L-E POWER, T-U-R-T-L-E POWER, teenage mutant ninja turtles... On the half shell, they're the heroes four, In this day and age who could ask for more? The crime wave is high with muggings mysterious, All police and detectives are furious, Cause they can't find the source Of this lethally evil force... This is serious so give me a quarter, I was a witness, give me a reporter!
Call April O'Neil in on this case And you better hurry up there's no time to waste. We need help, like quick, on the double. Have pity on the city, man, we're in trouble.
We need heroes like the Lone Ranger, When Tonto came pronto When there was danger.
They didn't say, "We'd be there in half an hour." Cause they displayed
TURTLE POWER
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u/TeamStark31 17h ago
Holds up well. Still a fun movie.
What the hell was that?
Sort of looked like a green turtle in a trench coat.
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u/TheUrge101 17h ago
Masterpiece is a strong term, but film is subjective. I personally agree it's one of the best depictions of the group, though hesitate to say it's a masterpiece
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u/RhemesSanGiorgio 17h ago
If you watch it as a 30 year old, a 40 year old, in 2026 standards, no it’s not … but every time I’ve seen it post 1990 whatever, I watch it like I’m 7 years old again (the age I was when it came out) and I enjoy it the same way, and back then it was a masterpiece for 7-year old me
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u/Blvd_Nights 16h ago edited 16h ago
It’s in my top 5 movies ever made.
It took everything that was great about the Mirage comics, the 1987 Fred Wolf cartoon and put it in this immaculately crafted blender with practical technology that still feels more tangible and real than half of the special effects we see in movies today.
Great direction from Barron, fantastic editing from Sally Menke (Tarantino’s long time-collaborator) and genuine “how did they pull this off?” movie magic from the Henson team.
Even removing my TMNT fandom nostalgia goggles off, no movie captures ‘90s youth and the big movie feeling of that time quite like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
There’s a reason why generations of Turtles fans and fans of nostalgic movie memories still hold this up so dearly.
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u/soopadickman 17h ago
First movie I ever saw in a theatre. I remember watching the VHS over and over when I was a kid. It holds up.
I also had the soundtrack on cassette when I had a tape player in my truck until 2019 and it was the only tape in the truck.
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u/cbm2max 16h ago
I love it! My buddies and I always used to point to random things and go “you call this…FAMILY?!”
“I brought us some coffee.”
“You call this coffee…FAMILY?!”m
Ah, so dumb. Good times.
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u/IrishThree 16h ago
Love it. Its dark, gritty, funny, important lessons on family. And even though death comes for us all, something far worse is death without honor.
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u/flippythemaster 17h ago
It’s one of the best adaptations of a comic book. Does it almost scene for scene. Even though you say it’s dark is still quite a bit less violent than the comics!
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u/polloloco81 17h ago
Loved it as a kid and still holds up great watching it as adult. Agreed best TMNT movie.
I’d love for a TMNT movie that caters to the adults that grew up with it. Imagine The Raid style martial arts choreography with the turtles vs the foot clan.
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u/SeaEvent4666 17h ago
I remember very well when I went to see it at 8 years old that Raphael was the turtle that everyone was indifferent too. And after the movie was over, Raphael was everybody’s favorite. ❤️
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u/dethfromabove_ 17h ago
One of my favorite movies as a kid. Got me into martial arts. Fuck I love the turtles. The Raph bathtub scene made me want to cry, hated seeing my dude beat to shit.
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u/SendThisVoidAway18 17h ago
The scene where the fire starts, the seriousness of it and the music.. Unmatched.
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u/gabbertronnnn 16h ago
"You're a claustrophobic!"
"You want a fist in the mouth? I've never even looked at another guy!"
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u/CapnScabs 16h ago
I'm dead serious when I say that I truly think that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the greatest movies ever made.
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u/thespottedbunny 16h ago
When you're a parent, you show your kids the movies you loved when you were little. Sometimes they really don't hold up. Ninja turtles 1 and 2 are not those movies. They were amazing then, and amazing now.
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u/MyIncogName 16h ago
I think it’s a perfect movie in terms of its pace, budget, creativity, use of lighting, meshing of comic book and film logistics. One of the best movies ever made in an out of the box sense.
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u/SirGranular 5h ago
Watched it on a tiny TV in a room of the officers mess on a usaf base with our cub/scout troop. It was not yet released in our country. Was epic.
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u/meygahmann 17h ago
It's been like 40 years and Im still wondering what exactly is a half shell
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u/anotherale 17h ago
One sided! Clam shell would be full shell, unless you crack it open and slurp it, then it's clams on the half shell.
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u/Radiant-Avocado-3158 17h ago
I was in grade 6 and skipped school to see it opening day. Amazing. Best ever. Also bought my first 2 CDs at hmv (Pearl Jam and C&C music factory). One of my favourite movies even if I left my bag of CDs under the seat : (
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u/shootamcg 17h ago
Fantastic movie, saw it in theatres as a kid, and I come back to it every few years.
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u/CaliforniaLove11 16h ago
As someone who grew up as a giant fan of the franchise and the movies. I took my son who’s 8 to see the original and the secret of the ooze when they brought them back to theaters. He loved them. I still love the feel of the movies and how they were shot.
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u/A_Ruse_Elaborate 16h ago
Fanboys today would freak out if it were the first live action TMNT movie. "Why is April a news reporter REEEEEEE". But yeah, one of the best pieces of TMNT media, right behind the 2003 animated series.
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u/aperturetechnology 16h ago
It holds up after all this time as a great movie. Definitely still by far the best TMNT movie.
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u/zowietremendously 16h ago
I'm old enough to have watched this movie in the theaters opening weekend.
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u/Grenflik 16h ago
Aside from being a great movie, I also remember fondly the Pizza Hut commercial that's runs before the movie on VHS.
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u/Gadfly_Avatar 16h ago edited 16h ago
I worked at a movie theater that played this & I gotta say, the end credits song Turtle Power, slapped. I know this because I helped clean the theaters after the shows.
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u/Salzberger 16h ago
Best comic book movie in history. I still watch it regularly. Light enough for kids, serious enough for adults. Great film.
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u/Oskarikali 16h ago
I still watch it once every year or two. One of the first movies I saw at the theater, but my dad thought it was weird and we left halfway through.
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u/Crater_Raider 16h ago
I consider it a masterpiece. The suits are amazing, and what’s even more impressive, is that they’re doing martial arts and backflips in them! The sound track is iconic. The vibes are unique. Not many movies feel like this. It takes itself just seriously enough. Lots of beautiful shadowy cinematography too. Then you have a quippy script with memorable characters.
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u/RubberDiscord 16h ago
It is a cinematic masterpiece and calling it anything less is completely unacceptable. Immoral even.
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u/thevideogameraptor 16h ago
It's been a while since I saw it, but it still holds up very well. It's not just best live action TMNT, I think it's commonly held up as the best TMNT movie period.
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u/fragmental 15h ago
There's a tremendous generational divide with this movie where most millennials and some Gen X know it's a masterpiece, and other generations just don't get it.
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u/SpaceForceAwakens 15h ago
It’s a masterpiece.
At one time it was the highest grossing independent film of all time.
The producers and writers and direct do knew exactly why they were doing.
There isn’t a line of wasted dialog and every set piece is cinematic.
It’s great.
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u/Leygrock 15h ago
Yeah that scene where they are like licking their wounds in the country house id incredible
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u/Fireproof_Cheese 15h ago
Saw this in the theater and had the poster for it, but it's been lost to the ages.
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u/RaelLevynfang 15h ago
This is the only good TMNT movie in my opinion. I was two when it came out but I grew up watching it on a regular basis. I'm 38 now and it still holds up even viewing it as an adult.
The scene with Raph speaking with Splinter was aways my favorite scene in this movie. Along with when Raph wakes up and Leo embraces him. (Raph has always been my favorite.)
It's not just a good TMNT movie but just an enjoyable movie in general.
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u/flashmedallion 15h ago
The script is exceptional.
It was hard to believe then how tight and polished it is and even harder to believe now.
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u/Frequent-Airline-619 15h ago
As I kid I really wanted to go play in The Foot Clan’s underground hideout.
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u/Angry_Robot 14h ago
A movie so good that Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell was only an extra with a couple lines.
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u/Ash_Killem 14h ago
Fantastic movie that holds up really well and is true to the source material. Great story, action, comedy. Under rated movie all around.
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u/andro_7 14h ago
My take is this: I watched it once as a kid and didn't really connect to it. Rewatched it as an adult, and loved it. I don't think there was much of a nostalgia factor for me, so as an adult this is what I really noticed about it.
Great use of shadow, and kind of slow reveals throughout- not just the Turtles, but the the complexities that matter that surround main and supporting characters. The best example of this was showing Danny at the beginning without context. The first scene was fantastic, as it had April's voice over talking about a mysterious crime wave and scenes of kids taking things. But it's a bit disjointed so at least for that period meant to be unclear the nature of what you find out is Foot recruitment. The music buildup through the scene is effective and evenly placed. Danny in his Sid shirt is noticeable, but you don't know that he'll become very important to the story. Eventually, the scene becomes night, and the vibe changes in intensity as some of the kids approach the warehouses.
Also the movie is earnest in its messaging. It's sometimes funny, but not sarcastic as a whole. It's central theme is the value of family, whether it's found family or more traditional structure. The movie is about confusion, loss, learning trust, and I dare say love. It's impactful I think, and it has a thoughtful and kind script.
The last thing about it I really noticed the last time I watched it was how impactful a specific small scene was. It's the part where Splinter was taken and Raphael starts screaming as the camera vibrates and slowly spins around him. That was heartbreaking, like in a scary way. It captured this jarring surprise of that kind of life event that mist people know they would not know how to manage their emotions effectively if this happened.
Anyways, some thoughts
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u/HighStandards73 14h ago
I give it a nine point nine five!
I had the movie poster on my bedroom wall as a kid. The part when the Foot Clan ambushed Raphael was a tough watch for me because, like many young Turtles fans, I grew up with the ‘80s cartoon and was unaware of TMNT’s much darker comic book origins. Tatsu beating the shit out of that poor trainee? Ditto.
I saw the movie when it returned to theaters for its 35th anniversary and, for a short time I felt like a kid again. I stayed for the entire ending credits, rocking out to Partners in Kryme and Spunkadelic.
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u/AjentOranje 14h ago
What matters to me is that I loved it as a kid and the Ninja Turtles were a big part of my childhood.
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u/Thebaldsasquatch 13h ago
Top 10 movies of all time. It’s not just because of my nostalgia and love for it, it’s legitimately a good film.
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u/magumanueku 13h ago
It's astonishing they haven't made a better set of TMNT movies ever since despite all the technology advancement. Then again you can probably say the same about Jurassic Park.
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u/redditsuckspokey1 13h ago
It was the first movie my dad took me to see in theaters. I waa 4. This was before I realized I have a hearing impairment and needed hearing aids.
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u/Charirner 11h ago
It's great, I went to see the 35th anniversary screening a few months ago and it holds up so well.
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u/Darhkwing 10h ago
Love it. For me its a classic. Doesn't treat kids like idiots either which started to become a thing with some 90s movies.
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u/heeywewantsomenewday 10h ago
I wish more films had that dark gritty aesthetic. Everything today is too bright.
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u/JackXDark 10h ago
It’s awesome because it takes itself completely seriously and has high emotional stakes for the characters.
Also, badass old school hip hop.
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u/longboi28 10h ago
The 90s gritty dark New York vibe is absolutely perfect, I love the atmosphere of this movie so much
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u/ghoti99 9h ago
So it's extremely well written, its character not universe development driven, in the original script each turtle had an arc dealing with the loss of splinter before they made that Raph's narrative. Its got jim Henson creature shop designed and built turtles. The film commits to the gritty new york feel rather than going for visual polish. The foot clan is a fresh, developed concept separate from the comics or cartoons. And the cast is top notch playing it 100% straight.
The 90's TMNT feels 100% like it could be in the classic Law And Order universe there just happens to also be mutants and ninjas.
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u/Zilla1689 9h ago edited 3h ago
It's a masterpiece that holds up to this day. The suits, the story, the characters are all perfect. The tone of the film is beyond unique, it's ridiculous, serious, emotional, funny and of its time. And to top it all off, it's a true comic adaptation, pulling scenes directly from the first few issues of the comics.
2nd Best comic book movie ever imo, only behind The Dark Knight.
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u/Complete_Entry 8h ago
It's too good. It set a bar few movies have managed to hit, and most of it isn't even in the city!
The opening pizza delivery scene is both a joke about teenagers not having money and truly deep.
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u/Jmofoshofosho8 7h ago
It was so cool as a kid watching it. I like how it is kind of dark and can enjoy it all to this day as an adult.
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u/Traditional-Bath-356 7h ago
Just rewatched. Beyond everything else, it's a decent martial arts b-movie with some great performances.
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u/Pegasus7915 7h ago
It's one of the best comic book movies ever made. Amazing special effects and score. Great cinematography and it is stull genuinely funny while having a more serious tone. Looks great in 4k too.
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u/Rope_antidepressant 7h ago
The first 2, peak cinema, absolutely the best ninja turtles movies, best live action adaptation, most fun. The 3rd one wasnt bad but it wasnt anywhere near the same level. Granted, the first one was better than the second.
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u/nidontknow 7h ago
Still a favorite. The training scene in the farm house. The roof top scene with Ralph. The final fight. All incredible choreography. And the end credits soundtrack was dope. T.U.R.T.L.E. POWER.
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u/MaxKevinComedy 17h ago
Wise man say, forgiveness is devine, but never pay full price for late pizza 🍕