Every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie, Ranked

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The 1990s were a heyday for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but the final film in the 90s trilogy totally lost steam. The movie is a departure from its predecessors’ setting; it sends the Turtles through time and space, from 90s New York City to feudal Japan.

The film set out to tell an ambitious story that would be the biggest yet for the franchise. Unfortunately, the movie’s budget was slashed. The production had to cut corners, so they parted ways with the master creature puppeteers at the Jim Henson Creature Shop in favor of a cheaper solution.

The result was cringe-worthy. The bizarre expressions, atrocious lip sync, and cheap-looking skin made the Turtles off-putting. Coupled with a script that plucked the Turtles from their iconic digs and omitted all of their comic book villains, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III became the most disappointing film in the franchise.

Totally bogus, bro.

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If Michael Bay and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seem like an odd pairing to you, you’re not alone. Paramount and Nickelodeon set out to relaunch the Ninja Turtles with a live-action reboot that was bigger, louder, and grittier than ever.

That led them to CGI Ninja Turtles which were bigger, louder, and weirder than ever.

The character designs are recognizable, but way off the traditional course, and not in a particularly charming way. The movie is full of the Bayhem audiences have come to expect from the filmmaker, making it a noisy and overwrought take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It strays a little too far from the baseline.

Bummer, dude.

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The sequel to Michael Bay’s 2014 reboot, Out of the Shadows makes some subtle improvements to the reimagined Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Megan Fox and Will Arnett return for the follow-up, with Bay moving to a producer role and Earth to Echo director Dave Green helming the project. 

Out of the Shadows seems to be having a little more fun than the first entry in the reboot. It is still full of enormous action and explosions, but Bay moving out of the director’s chair toned it down just enough to let a little more clarity through. It also adds fan-favorite bad boys Bebop and Rocksteady.

Though it is an improvement on its predecessor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows still misses the mark on what Turtles fans really crave. Gettin’ warmer, man.

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After Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, the sewer-dwelling brothers stayed off the big screen for 14 years. They returned triumphantly with TMNT, trading in puppets and costumes of computer animation that blew the manhole cover off the limitations imposed by live action.

The movie is a kinda-sorta sequel to the 90s films, depending on who you ask. It picks up with the Turtles after they have all gone their separate ways. Of course, a new threat in town gets the gang back together, and the brothers get a nice story about the importance of family.

While it is not a perfect movie, with its antagonist falling way short of the likes of Shredder, it may be the most emotionally engaging Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles outing to ever hit theaters. And emotions are rad!

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What happens when a low-budget film adaptation of goofy comic book superheroes turns into a box-office smash? You make another one, of course! And production company Golden Harvest did not waste any time, pushing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze into theaters just one year after the first one released.

This sequel is not quite as gritty or grungy as the original, ramping up the silly factor quite a bit. In doing so, it also has a ton of fun. The movie delivers iconic dialogue, an opening sequence devoted to the love of pizza, Vanilla Ice’s “Ninja Rap,” and a killer beef-up for the villainous Shredder.

It also delves into the origins of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, causing a mini-existential crisis for its beloved heroes. The Secret of the Ooze has its flaws, but there is a lot to love in this slimy sequel. No anchovies on this one!

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1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shells out the goods in a major way. It was the first time the Turtles had appeared as more than drawings, and it was all accomplished on a meager $13.5 million budget.

Though it was a modest production, the film was full of passion and ingenuity that resonated with audiences to the tune of more than $200 million at the box office. The impressive run made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the highest-grossing independent film ever released up to that point.

The film is all-time. It is the definitive take on the Ninja Turtles for so many fans. Its puppet wizardry, exciting stunts and fight choreography, comedy, and heart all harmonize to create a unique and genuine experience.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will never not be a little bit silly. The franchise is at its best when it recognizes that, but doesn’t let it stand in the way of telling a great story with real characters, stakes, and high-flying action. 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles does all that and more, making the first cinematic outing for the heroes in a half shell their very best.

Cowabunga!