Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Movie, 1990, The live-action films, Set in New York
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is #2 of 16 in release order and #2 of 16 in chronological order in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The story
A quartet of humanoid turtles, trained by their mentor in Ninjutsu, must learn to work together to face the menace of Shredder and the Foot Clan.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles recap
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) follows four mutant turtle brothers and their rat master Splinter into a war with the Foot Clan. Steve Barron directs, with Jim Henson's Creature Shop building the turtle suits. Channel 3 reporter April O'Neil (Judith Hoag) is attacked while chasing a crime wave and rescued by Leonardo (Brian Tochi), Raphael (Josh Pais), Donatello (Corey Feldman) and Michelangelo (Robbie Rist). The Foot, a ring of runaway teenage thieves run by the Shredder (James Saito), raids the lair and kidnaps Splinter (Kevin Clash). Raphael clashes with Leonardo, is ambushed on a rooftop, and hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) helps the group escape to April's family farm upstate. There the brothers recover, reach Splinter through meditation and head back to the city. Danny Pennington, the son of April's boss, hears from the captive Splinter how Oroku Saki murdered his master Hamato Yoshi. The original live-action trilogy starts here and continues with The Secret of the Ooze (1991).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ending explained
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) ends with a rooftop duel in which the Shredder overpowers the brothers until Splinter appears and names him as Oroku Saki. Splinter catches Saki's spear with Michelangelo's nunchaku and lets him drop into a garbage truck, and Casey switches on the compactor. The police round up the Foot, Danny goes home to his father, April gets her job back and kisses Casey, and the Turtles celebrate with Splinter. The Secret of the Ooze picks up shortly after. The story adapts the early Mirage comics, including Splinter as Yoshi's pet rat, while borrowing some lighter touches from the cartoon then on air.
Post-credits scenes
No. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 46%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.
- Chronological order: after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.
What to watch before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) continues.
Cast
- Brian Tochi as Leonardo (voice)
- Josh Pais as Raphael (voice) / Passenger In Cab
- Corey Feldman as Donatello (voice)
- Robbie Rist as Michelangelo (voice)
- Judith Hoag as April O'Neil
- Elias Koteas as Casey Jones
- Kevin Clash as Splinter (voice)
- David McCharen as The Shredder / Oroku Saki (voice)
- David Forman as Leonardo / Gang Member
- Martin P. Robinson as Leonardo
- David Greenaway as Raphael
- Kenn Scott as Raphael
Directed by Steve Barron.