Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Movie, 1993, The live-action films, Set in Feudal Japan
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is #4 of 16 in release order and #4 of 16 in chronological order in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The story
The four turtles travel back in time to the days of the legendary and deadly samurai in ancient Japan, where they train to perfect the art of becoming one. The turtles also assist a small village in an uprising.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III recap
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) sends the brothers back to 1603 Japan after a magic scepter swaps April O'Neil with a young prince. Stuart Gillard writes and directs the last film of the original live-action trilogy. A year after the Foot's second defeat, April (Paige Turco) buys the scepter at a flea market for Splinter (James Murray), and it trades her place in time with Kenshin (Henry Hayashi), son of the warlord Lord Norinaga (Sab Shimono). Donatello (Corey Feldman) works out that they have 60 hours before it loses power, so Leonardo (Brian Tochi), Raphael (Tim Kelleher), Michelangelo (Robbie Rist) and Donatello follow her, leaving Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) to watch Kenshin and four confused honor guards. In the past they rescue April and Whit, a Casey lookalike, while Michelangelo is captured by Mitsu (Vivian Wu), who leads villagers against Norinaga and his English arms dealer Walker (Stuart Wilson). The village hides the scepter so the Turtles will stay and fight, and Whit betrays them. It follows The Secret of the Ooze; TMNT (2007) later continues the same timeline.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III ending explained
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III ends with the Turtles storming Norinaga's palace, where Leonardo beats Norinaga in a sword duel; at the docks a repentant Whit knocks Walker into the river with a flaming boulder. Michelangelo and Raphael consider staying in a past where they feel valued, but Kenshin has to go home. The brothers swap back just before the scepter runs out, with the last honor guard trading places with a stranded Michelangelo at the final moment, and in the present Splinter cheers Mikey up with an Elvis impression. Co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird asked that the Shredder, killed in the previous film, stay dead.
Post-credits scenes
No. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 4.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 19%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, before Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.
- Chronological order: after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, before Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.
What to watch before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
In release order, the essentials before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991).
Cast
- Brian Tochi as Leonardo (voice)
- Tim Kelleher as Raphael (voice)
- Corey Feldman as Donatello (voice)
- Robbie Rist as Michelangelo (voice)
- Paige Turco as April O'Neil
- Elias Koteas as Casey Jones / Whit
- James Murray as Splinter
- Sab Shimono as Lord Norinaga
- Stuart Wilson as Walker
- Vivian Wu as Mitsu
- Eidan Hanzei as Kenshin
- John Aylward as Niles
Directed by Stuart Gillard.