Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy 4K UHD Review
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy is totally tubular.
It’s hard to state just how impactful the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy was for any children of the 80s and 90s (myself included). As someone who grew up on TMNT, the trilogy (particularly the first film) was a dream come true. To see Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comic book creation come to life in live-action form on the big screen was a real treat. Sure, there was the beloved 80s animated series, but the films were more mature than the animated counterpart.
1990’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” remains the gold standard of TMNT films. The story concerns Shredder and his Foot Clan embarking on a crime spree that threatens New York. Only reporter April O’Neil, the 4 Ninja Turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello) under the tutelage of Master Splinter, and vigilante Casey Jones (superbly played by Elias Koteas) stand in their way. Director Steve Barron and writers Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck created a comic film that has a good balance of drama and humor. It tailors to both fans and people who may have no idea what TMNT is. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop truly brought the turtles to life. Seeing the costumes/suits is something the more recent films lack. Yes, you can do more with CGI/motion-capture creations, but the physical suits just work better.
At the time of its release, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze” went over like gangbusters. It was a bigger budget movie than its predecessor with Shredder, the Foot Clan, and 2 new mutants (Tokka and Rahzar) wreaking havoc on the Turtles. Despite the lack of Casey Jones and several recasts, this is a satisfying albeit goofier entry. The comedic stylings play to its advantage though with everything from the Tokka and Rahzar dynamics to Vanilla Ice’s “Ninja Rap” number bringing the laughs. The presence of David Warner and Ernie Reyes, Jr. doesn’t hirt either.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3” was always the weak link of the three, but it has grown on me a little over time. This time around the Turtles and April travel back in time to Feudal Japan while a Prince (Kenshin) winds up in New York where he is being looked after by Casey Jones. The third entry lacks a proper villain (the scenery chewing merc Walker is no Shredder) and it’s a bummer to see Casey Jones basically sidelined, but it’s nice to have a change of pace story wise even if it doesn’t quite hold together under scrutiny.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p With Dolby Vision. How do the films look? Each of the 3 films have been given 4K restorations. The first two films maintain their grain (which can be heavy in the print), but the image quality and colors are noticeably sharper. The third film fares the best here. Not only are the colors vastly richer than the first 2 films, but the exterior scenes are downright stunning.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos for the first film and 5.1 DTS-HD MA for the second and third films. How do they sound? The Atmos track on TMNT is layered, but not without its faults. The first film also features two LPCM 2.0 tracks with one bearing the name warrior mix. Both tracks sounded surprisingly lively. As for the 5.1 DTS tracks for the other 2 films, the tracks deliver crisp audio. The two LPCM tracks are also fine options as well.
Extras:
* Commentary on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” by director Steve Barron and another track by comic book expert Dave Baxter.
* 4 new separate interviews on the first film with director Steve Barron, actors Robbie Rist, Brian Tochi, Ernie Reyes Jr. and Kenn Scott (these 4 together), actress Judith Hoag, and producer Simon Fields.
* “Beneath The Shell”- A new bonus feature about the Henson Creature Shop work.
* “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turf”- A new featurette on the shooting locations of the first film.
* Alternate UK version of the first film.
* Alternate ending and alternate Korean footage.
* US and UK theatrical trailers, UK teaser, and UK re-release trailer for the first film.
* Image gallery for all 3 films
* New commentary on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze” by director Michael Pressman and moderator Gillian Wallace Horvat.
* 3 new separate interviews on ‘Ooze’ with composer John Du Prez, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop mould shop supervisor Kenny Wilson, and editor Steve Mirkovich.
* A vintage behind-the-scenes “Behind The Shells” making of.
* Theatrical trailer for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.”
* Commentary on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3” by director Stuart Gillard.
* Alternate UK opening for the third film.
* 2 new interviews on the third film by actor Vivian Wu and actor Sab Shimono.
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