Turtles Forever

Turtles Forever is a TV movie that serves as both the final adventure for the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but also to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary. In this, when the Turtles go to the surface after Master Splinter finds news footage of heroes looking like them foiling a robbery, they arrive at the Purple Dragons' base, only to see the Turtles in question, who were captured, are the 1987 Turtles. Brought to the 2003 dimension after their last battle with their Shredder caused an explosion, now the two sets of Turtles, each with different personalities and logic, must find a way to fix things, especially when 1987 Shredder has brought back the 2003 Shredder, who proceeds to take over the Techodrome and plots to eliminate all turtles and rule the multiverse.

This movie teams the more serious 2003 Turtles with the more goofy 1987 Turtles, and it shows. The 1987 Turtles are always goofy and joking about (one of the main jokes is confusing the 2003 characters with their fourth wall breaks). Also, the movie manages to put some references to the 1987 show in, as well as characters from other series.

However, while it is good, it's not perfect. The 1987 characters all have new voice actors due to 4Kids not wanting to hire the original VAs due to them being a non-union company (and located in New York City, where the VAs in question are in Los Angeles, where some are retired while the rest are even signed with the Screen Actors Guild, which means they would refuse to do this due to not being sanctioned like most of 4Kids' other works. Also, 4Kids uses their own music, making a new soundtrack for the 1987 Turtles' dimension to avoid paying licensing fees to Lionsgate (who owned the rights to the 1987 TMNT cartoon at the time). So instead of Cam Clarke as Leonardo, we get Dan Green (who never sounds like Cam, as his voice is more like his earlier 4Kids role, Yami Yugi, the transformed form of the main character of the original Yu-Gi-Oh anime 4Kids owned at the time), while Sebastin Arcelus takes over 1987 Raphael from Rob Paulson (although unlike Dan, his voice in this is almost accurate to Rob's). In fact, Sebastian and Johnny Castro, the latter voicing 1987 Michelangelo in place of Townsend Coleman, are the only two replacement VAs that sound close to the original VAs.

Despite the voice actor replacements, music issues, and even some continuity errors, this is a good way to end the 2003 series. With a good story spanning different incarnation of the franchise, some neat action, and even some good humor, Turtles Forever may not be perfect, but it's a good end to 4Kids' incarnation of the mean, green fighting machine.

I like this crossover overall, but the execution was wanting. The 80s turtles are reduced to cowardly, incompetent, childish fools, with their individual quirks and personalities stripped away. (As silly as the 87 cartoon was, the green team was certainly not comprised of "four Mikeys" as 2003 Raphael suggests). It's really aggravating. 80s Shredder and Krang are given little to do and what little seriousness they had on the original cartoon is taken away. They serve as idiotic foils for the newer villains and little else. They weren't integrated into the plot that well either. The only 87 characters given the proper treatment at all were Bebop, Rocksteady, and Splinter.

It was cool to see the Mirage turtles included (and how they knocked down the 2003 turtles a few pegs). The plot itself was interesting, and the comedy and action generally worked well. It's just hard to praise this one when one half of its crossover is so shamefully treated. Honestly, it felt more like a "hey look at how cool the 2003 turtles are!" most of the time, rather than a celebration of the franchise as a whole. It's unfortunate.

I very recently started watching feature length animated movies.. Like the Marvel and DC ones. I did some research to find some good ones, and among the ones I found, this one showed up.

And man was it entertaining. I loved it. I really enjoy the concept of the Turtles meeting versions of themselves from other dimensions. Very cool.

I'm not a die hard Turtles fan or anything, although I did like Turtles when I was a kid, but this movie just entertained the hell out of me anyway.

The story is pretty good, and the dimension-stuff is awesome. The fighting and action is very good. And maybe the best part of the whole movie is the dialogue between the turtles, and the differences between the dimensions. The movie is kind of self aware, and that's cool.

This is actually the first 9 I've given in quite a while, if I remember correctly.

Having never even heard of this film until now (mid 2014) I took a chance and gave it a whirl. What I found was a highly enjoyable film that is obviously made for fans.

The plot is actually very, very good and ties in well with the concept of dimensions heavily used in the 80's series the action moves along smoothly although the screenplay will not win any awards.

Special mention must go to the re-creation of the 80's style animation which I have to say is scarily accurate and a joy to watch again!

The only two downside to this film is that the original voice actors of the 80's cartoon not be involved because of union disputes (and the sad passing away of James Avery (Uncle Phil/Shredder) means it can never be re-dubbed!) The second downer in the film is that the 80's turtles were portrayed far too goofily. It was a goof show yes,but having rewatched it recently I can honestly say that it was never as daft as is portrayed in Turtles Forever. Not disrespectful as they do have their great moments but there is just one too many obvious and unnecessary jibes.

To end of a positive note another special mention must go to the animation and portrayal of turtles Prime. The are absolutely BAD-ASS and although no real violence was shown they had the attitude and I'll be honest....I wouldn't hate seeing a whole series done in that fashion with maybe a bit more gore and adult themes because lets face it, the child fans of the 80's like me are all grown up now and the comic on which turtles prime was based was much more violent and gritty.

I enjoyed the computer animated TMNT film but I'd say this is a better film for the fans overall and is a hidden gem that really needs more advertising.

if you can look by the borderline rude treatment and inaccurate portrayal of the 80's turtles then you will enjoy it greatly!

The 2003 Turtles discover that their '87 counterparts have been captured by Hun and his men, and after learning that it was because of the inter-dimensional portal in the Technodrome, they attempt to stop their Shredder, who goes searching for his new counterpart, not realizing what he is about to unleash. This is a bit of a love letter to the two series, and one can debate which it favors, or if it indeed chooses one. As for the old one, it certainly does make those Ninjas seem goofy, stupid and honestly, at times, downright cowardly(with that said, they do save the day on several occasions, and their ways prove to be efficient *because* of what they do, not in spite of them). They're constantly joking around and some audiences will find them obnoxious. I did love that they implemented their vehicles(if even those were mocked some), and that we visit their universe, as well. The personalities fit pretty well, albeit Leonardo is too similar to Michaelangelo, and not much of a leader(his voice is off, as well, though most of them are spot-on). Their villains are also overly useless and comical. Then again, the point could be made that they are the more fun version, and the new millennium ones are too serious(...they're man-sized, green mutant animals, after all... and *teenagers*, lest we forget), and while they are the competent martial artists, they wouldn't be as interesting to watch(and I'm with The Nostalgia Critic, why do they keep saying "what the shell" and variants on that? It's not that good a line) for the 80 or so minute duration(based on the Director's Cut). The humor isn't all silly, there are clever nods at stuff, references and just how they react to each other. This is rather action-packed, and nearly everyone you might want to see fight, do so. There may even be a tiny bit of the good guys going up against each other, and that's all I'll say. Anyway, yeah, Purple Dragons, Foot Soldiers(and a suped-up counterpart) and goo-affected monsters on the one side, and both incarnations of the four titular characters and the newer Casey Jones and April on the other, and we've got close-quarter weapons, lasers, machines and even improvisation. The pace is great, you're never bored, the well-written story(that really smartly brings all of these together, and takes the consequence of what it introduces, leading to a truly epic, badass and memorable climax) is constantly moving forward and with cool developments, building in tension and scope towards aforementioned conclusion. This is beautifully animated, with the distinct visual styles not clashing which must have been a feat, and the two are quite accurately reproduced, and the sometimes massive scenes are rendered very nicely. There is some disturbing and/or violent content in this. I recommend this to any fan of the TMNT cartoons, whether it's based on the recent one or the original one. 8/10