One of the greatest comic book adaptations to screen
is the 1990 TMNT film. Why this movie holds up so well, why it was so expertly
cast, and why the tone was perfect are all a result of the hard work, care and
dedication from director, Steve Baron, the actors, producers and designers.
Production on a live-action feature film of the Ninja
Turtles franchise started in 1988. Filming began in July of 1989 and went
to September. A budget of $13.5 million was granted by Golden Harvest (up to
then known for making low budget Hong Kong action movies). The film was shot
almost entirely in North Carolina at Carolco Studios (one of the largest
non-Hollywood studios in the U.S. at the time) with inserts and location shots
happening in New York City.
As an adaptation, this movie hits several marks and
blends various elements from the cartoon and comic book. The
turtles’ masks are multicolored just as in the cartoon (in the original comics
they all wear red bandannas). April is a TV news reporter, though here she
works for Channel 3 News while in the cartoon it’s Channel 6 News. The story is
constructed around several plots from the first dozen or so issues of the
Mirage comic. In the comic it is Leonardo, not Raphael, who is ambushed by the
Foot Clan. In the original comic, the farmhouse belongs to Casey Jones, not
April. The rooftop battle and Shredder’s defeat come from the end of the first
issue.
The tone is perfect for a TMNT film. It’s humorous
enough in places to be great for the kids and mirroring the then ongoing
cartoon series, but also it’s surprisingly hard edged enough to be taken
seriously by older fans and adults as well, mirroring the Mirage comic book.
The jokes and lighthearted humor mesh incredibly well with the gritty real life
drama and dark themes of street crime and gang violence. The movie juggles its disparate elements expertly and it's surprising just how "adult" the film can feel, for something that was essentially marketed to six-year-olds.
In the film, the turtles are actually actors and
martial artists in foam latex suits with animatronic puppet heads. Jim Henson
and his famed Creature Shop were responsible for designing the suits and heads.
The look of the turtles onscreen remains incredible to this day. In fact, it’s
surprising how much better these turtles look onscreen than their CGI
counterparts from the newer films.
Elias Koteas stands out in his role as the vigilante
sports nut, Casey Jones. He is the definitive Casey Jones. Judith Hoag was
charming and beautiful as April O’Neil and has defined the role for many fans, myself included. Shredder looks genuinely menacing in
his metal armor and the fight scenes and martial arts choreography are also top
notch, on par with other low budget action films of the day.
This movie would go on to become the most successful
independent feature in history (until it was unseated by The Blair Witch
Project in 1999), earning roughly $202 million worldwide when
all was said and done. The movie’s success prompted several sequels, none of
which were very good, however, the second outing, The Secret of the Ooze,
will always hold a special place in my heart.
The reputation this flick has garnered as the “best
turtle film” and as one of the greatest comic book movie adaptations is well
deserved. It’s all about the tone and the pathos of the characters as they
struggle to rescue Splinter from the clutches of the Foot Clan. Is the film
dated? Yes. The pop culture references of the time as well as a gritty late
80’s looking setting of New York definitely make it stay in a single place and
time. But, for TMNT fans there will likely never be another movie like
it. Every time I watch this I am swept away by the gritty, urban fantasy. It
remains one of my favorite films of all time and should be held up as probably the greatest adaptation in the history of the franchise.
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