Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I love the teenage mutant ninja turtles. This is the cartoon that got me into the turtles. Now before we start I like the 1987 version of the turtles. They were a lot of fun especially in Season 1,2,3,6, and 7. But it seems outdated by today's standards. Now this series is based off the Mirage comics and does them justice. Most of the episodes are based stories from the comics and also show characters from them as well, while adding some new characters. While this show is based off the Mirage comics, the show has things from the 1987 cartoon such as the multi color headbands.

While the fans of the 1987 cartoon say that this show is not like the 1987 cartoon. I got news for them. It's not suppose to. I say the same thing to the fans of Batman: the Animated Series. It's suppose to be different. Imagine if every cartoon remake had the same formula as the original. It would be boring. And you couldn't tell the difference. Now on to the review. The show has good character development, stories and animation. I would say this is the best TMNT cartoon to date.

The first thing I noticed about this version of TMNT is the fact than none of the heroes in the halfshell had any pupils. To me, no pupils=no souls, just like the characters in that darkened Turtles revamp in the mid-nineties which misstepped and almost spelled the end for the series.

But I sat through a couple of episodes and was came back VERY satisfied with the new version.

I grew up watching the lean, green fighting machines fight a bunch of bumbling and stumbling bad guys, robots, aliens, mutants, oftentimes saving April O'Neill in the nick of times while ending each productive day eating pizza with some gnarly toppings (chocolate chips and anchovies, anyone?) Slapstick humor, groaner puns, and fast-paced action fortified with blood-pumping music was the order of the day, and we all seemed to like it just fine, thanyouverymuch. I still get a kick out of those episodes when I break out the old tapes.

Now, with the original comic book writer Peter Laird providing input, we have a much more serious tone. This time our heroes aren't here to solve Scooby-Doo mysteries and make pizza jokes. This series actually chronicles their day-to-day lives as they live in their underground lair with Master Splinter. The reason they live in the sewers (which should have been obvious) has been really played up this time: they are freaks, monsters. The fact that they are outcasts makes solving various crimes and getting on the six-o-clock news with April O'Neill a pretty difficult thing to accomplish (besides the fact that April is now a former lab assistant and not a news reporter as in the earlier incarnations).

So all their lives the four turtles have been honing their ninjitzu skills under their sensei, when their lives have been turned upside down by the arrival of Shredder, Splinter's arch-nemesis. The other reviewers are right, Bebob and Rocksteady would not have lasted a second under this Shredder. To take him lightly is to dig your own grave. The turtle's struggle to return to their normal lives during their confrontations with Shredder is the running drama binding these new episodes (which helps keep me interested every week since this time I know there will be a climax, instead of hearing "You miserable turtles, I'll get you next time!" after every other unrequited episode in the old series.)

Despite all this, I still would have been bored with this series if the turtles acted as serious as they looked. But to my relief, they retained much of their old personalities of the old series. Leonardo is still the leader, Donatello's still the inventive brain, Raphael is still sarcastic (and this time gruff and tough), and Michaelangelo is, well, you all know Mikey. I do really believe Mike's even more outrageous in this series than in the old one. Because they still retained their personalities, they don't come off as robotic Warriors of Virtue but as "regular" teens who find themselves caught in a bad space of time.

The way the series uses split screens, wide screens, more kick-butt action (screw the Parent Advisory Council!) and took its stories seriously also doesn't hurt the appeal. Add to this the humanity of the characters, and you have yourself a superior product on your hands.

**** out of four stars.

The new TMNT is closer to the comics, but still complete with irrevent humor and fun. The series creators have definately made the series not only an ode to the comic book source, but seem to have made many other references to the comic books that doubtlessly influences Laird and Eastman.

The animation style is somewhere between Men in Black and Batman: The Animated Series, and while not as stylized as either of the two, is functional and adaquate. The action sequences are the main draw, when they are allowed to really gain momentum.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this story, and it should appeal to fans of both the comic and 80's cartoon. The only problem I have with the series is when the cartoon takes a detour spanning 6+ episodes in the middle of a crucial storyline. Take my word for it: beware when the Turtles go into space. While chuck full of one or two Star Wars references, its frustrating to consider the forces at work for the rest of the storyline, on Earth, stopping while the Turtles are off fight outer-space triceratops.

Overall, a good show, and the current highlight of my Saturday mornings. ***1/2

After being disappointed with the outdated and overrated 80's version, this was a breath of fresh air. The turtles are way more interesting here as we see their own psychology grow and learn some valuable lessons. The tone is exactly as it should be a balance of light and darkness, though there are some disturbing moments (such as when Leonardo decapitates Shredder and Splinter's story of origin), but thankfully it's more mature. Leonardo and Michaelangelo are my favorites as they are the serious swordsman leader and comic relief respectively. What's better is that there is now a genuine plot for a big picture as the turtles have to try and do more than just thwart evil. No more silly nonsense like the 80's version had.

Thank you all creators for this masterpiece and for beautiful childhood.