‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ 35th Anniversary Review – A Classic Slice Of Nostalgia With Extra Cheese

Synopsis: Four baby turtles come in contact with a mysterious substance called ooze and then are transformed into human sized crime fighters. The leader of the turtles is a human sized rat who has come into contact with the same green ooze. The rat was a former pet of a ninja master and therefore uses his skills to train the four turtles in martial arts. They befriend a local journalist and with her help attempt to find the group behind a crime wave in New York City.

When was the last time you truly felt like a kid again? If it’s been a while, let’s take a trip back to the early ’90s, 1990 to be exact. Every day felt like an adventure, everyone knew their neighbors, and you’d find yourself laughing as your older sibling got busted again for sneaking cigarettes. Hell, you might’ve even been that sibling. Since the internet hadn’t made its debut yet, if you were an indoor kid, you were in the living room watching Captain Planet, Batman: The Animated Series, or your favorite programs on PBS. But more than likely, you were spending every moment you could outside riding bikes, playing hide and seek, and using your imagination. Moreover, that imagination manifested itself by way of pretending. You’d pretend to be a Jedi on a speeder bike, the Terminator on a motorcycle, and once everyone’s favorite four mutant turtles hit the big screen in March of 1990, it was nothing but cowabunga on your mind. Good times. Simple times.

“This is your family. I am your father.”

One of the greatest comic book movies of all time just turned 35, and it’s holding up better than the majority of our knees. Directed by Steve Barron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 35th Anniversary is a classic slice of nostalgia with extra cheese. I should’ve prefaced the above paragraph by saying I was two years old when TMNT was originally released in theaters. However, after I was gifted the VHS tape around the age of 4 or 5, I watched it once or twice a day for more than a year. Sorry, Mom. The crime-fighting turtles are also responsible for my affinity for pizza, and I’m sure many others, but I digress. The OG Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael, being brought back to theaters by Fathom Events, is the proper way to serve up a large order of nostalgia with none of the manufactured taste.

Over the past few years, the use of nostalgia has become oversaturated in the industry, being exploited by many films and franchises like a dealer to an addict. They don’t realize that the high quickly wears off, resulting in audiences begging for new and original films. That being said, re-releasing past projects, especially those where a large portion of their fan base never had the theater experience, is a huge win for everyone.

Finally seeing the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the way it was intended, on the big screen, felt right. Fans will feel at home as they witness our radical heroes in all their ’90s glory. It’s a return to a time of highly quotable movies, that ’90s grit, grime, and aesthetic that the era became synonymous with, and when cinematic storytelling didn’t have to sacrifice depth for fun or vice versa. There are no pulled punches and no assuming that a younger demographic can’t comprehend its heavier moments or overall message. As it embraced the darkness left by the ’80s, the film remains hard-hitting and continues to be relevant after all these years.

With the turtle’s masks being more vibrant than ever, it makes sense that they are a beacon of hope in a crime-ridden city. They are a reminder to be good for no reason other than it’s right. The jokes are still fun and incredibly cheesy. The practical costume design, effects, and set pieces make you question today’s offerings. The chemistry between the cast is electric. And while the animatronics are slightly more robotic than I remember, the feat is impressive nevertheless. Oh, and that Shredder entrance, still one of the coolest and most menacing intros ever. And let me not forget how the score elevates and intensifies every scene. It reminds you why music and moving pictures are a perfect marriage.

“Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.”

You may watch to be shell-shocked or to bring your young ones into the fold, but you stay for the complexities of two fighting families. Both are connected by loyalty rather than blood; however, their differences are distinct. One is led by Splinter, who teaches love, honor, discipline, looking out for your brothers, and protecting others. On the other hand, you have Shredder, who essentially comes from the same culture but substitutes protection for intimidation and honor for personal gain. With Splinter being our moral compass throughout, it’s no wonder that we millennials harbor such a sense of compassion and justice. Furthermore, there was no need to make a sympathetic villain out of Shredder because, yes, you could see how he was giving lost souls purpose and a place in the world; however, it was clearly wrong and very illegal.

The action sequences lacked a little contact, but are still highly entertaining as the brothers, along with Casey Jones, quip as they take out the trash. In an age where we finally acknowledge women’s empowerment, April O’Neil was ahead of her time. Yet, she was also just a reflection of strong women; those in power were and still are terrified of what they cannot control. Despite recent subpar films, excluding Mutant Mayhem, Turtle Power continues to thrive. And that is mostly due to this film and the comic books, of course, being fantastic and truly classic. Its rewatchability is high.

Oh, and there is a featurette called Turtles Unmasked that precedes the film. It features never-before-seen footage from the archives, extended scenes left to history on the cutting room floor, home-recorded behind-the-scenes footage, and 1-on-1 time and commentary with the Director Steve Barron.

Pace & Pop

While I may not have known what the pace of a movie was or meant as a kid, I think I understood. Because of its balance and how effortlessly the story flows, it remains, like it was in the 90s, something I can and often did watch back-to-back. What now pops out to me as an adult are all the little jokes and references that I would run around repeating as a kid, but now understand. Also, the sound was great. Hearing Raphael utter, “Damn!” in surround sound filled me with glee.

Legacy

Starring: Corey Feldman, Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais, James Saito, Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist

It’s amazing to think that it was once believed that this movie wouldn’t work. Now, it seems to be what almost every comic book movie since has been chasing: that real-world grit that complements the supernatural and superpowered. Moreover, the most obvious takeaway from TMNT is how much better and more authentic practical costumes are. CGI has its place for certain aspects of a film that revolves around the fantastical; however, fans always prefer realness. Marvel and DC, take notes. The turtles made us better people, and as long as the films are made with love and admiration, we’ll all continue to support them. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, forever.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 35th Anniversary is now in theaters through August 21, 2025. Stay safe and cowabunga.

Runtime: 1h 40m Rated: PG