Created to cap off the current 25th Shell-ebration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, fans will find plenty to love about Turtles Forever. While I'm sure it may not hit the right notes for everyone, the film makes every attempt to ensure nearly all aspects of the franchise are acknowledged, and it does a solid job at doing so.
After a great pre-credit teaser sequence, we’re quickly introduced to our heroes and the story unrolls thusly. It doesn’t take too long for the “2003 Ninja Turtles” to meet the beloved “1988 Ninja Turtles” (as they’re referred to in the end credits) and, as one can expect, hilarity ensues. Thankfully, none of it is too strained, with the movie managing to play up the differences between these two interpretations of our favorite terrapins quite nicely. Nearly every jokes manages to hit its mark, particularly Raphael’s “five Mikeys” comment, though there is the odd misfire. The inherent goofiness of the original Ninja Turtles cartoon is really played up, overbearingly so on occasion. I understand there’s a stark contrast between the old cartoon series and the most recent one, but sometimes the Laird pushes his hatred of the campy 80's turtles a little too much, as we see the “2003 Ninja Turtles” become increasingly annoyed with the older goofy takes on the Turtles. Still, you can’t help but hop on the nostalgia wave, completely enjoying every little frame with the classic Turtles characters, even if they are so badly maligned in the movie.
To the benefit of viewers, everyone gets a moment here. Whether it’s Splinter just dishing it out, Bebop and Rocksteady getting a truly hilarious moment during the big climactic battle that feels like it’s straight from the old 1980’s series, the clever appearance of the “1984 Shredder,” or the constant shout-outs for the eagle-eyed viewers, everyone gets time in the sun. Even Tokka and Rahzar, making their animated debut here, get a cool little moment when they attempt to smash open the Party Wagon. Hun’s mutation into an evil Turtle is particularly well-handed and nicely designed. There’s one sequence in particular that fans will not want to miss, as the evil Utrom Shredder looks over the vast multi-verse from the Technodrome, viewing the many different interpretations of the Ninja Turtles. It’s truly a treasure trove of cameos that I won’t spoil, but be prepared to re-watch that particular scene over and over again. The creative team really constructed this movie with the fans in mind, a point hard to miss in the film’s closing minutes.
The quality of the film is hard to ignore, especially in beautiful widescreen. The animation is really spectacular, particularly the attention to detail given to the coloring of the different “Cowabunga cousins.” The production crew set out to make sure that each different version of the Turtles stand apart from the other, and they succeed in spades here. Just look at any scene where the “2003 Ninja Turtles” stand aside the “1988 Ninja Turtles,” and the different shading techniques being used become quite apparent and pretty impressive. And then, when the original 1984 versions are tossed into the mix later on in the film, it looks all the more impressive. In fact, this is probably the best animated Ninja Turtles product since the earlier seasons of the 2003 series. The stellar animation and enjoyable story really do result in a solid final product that fans will find hard to dismiss.
Sure, the plot itself isn’t the most complex or original, but it is undeniably fun and fits quite nicely in the film’s nearly 81 minutes run time. As Mikey says about the 1980’s Turtles, “How can you not love these guys?” That’s the overall vibe I get from the movie itself. While it never tries to be rise above the concept of getting these different interpretations of the Ninja Turtles together, and it works swimmingly in that respect, it also successfully acts on a different level for long-time fans. The movie ends in such a satisfying way that it not only brings the 2003 animated series to a satisfying close, but also the 25th anniversary celebration of these characters and it’s now pre-Viacom International ownership days. This movie truly feels like the end of an era for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, turning off the lights on everything the franchise stood for from 1984 to 2009. As I said,
Overall, Turtles Forever can definitely be considered a success. While some jokes don’t really fly and there are some groan-worthy one-liners here and there, the unabashed fun of this movie is hard to dismiss. The simplistic plot only helps to really show what this movie is all about – giving the fans one last Mirage-laced adventure before the next Turtles tales are released courtesy of Viacom International. It’ll be an absolute crime if Turtles Forever is not released on DVD or Blu-ray, as this is one movie that all Ninja Turtles fans will definitely want to add to their library. In fact, I could see this being a huge seller whenever the DVD release finally comes about due to the broad audience the film can reach. The creative team really put it all out there, and the proof is on the screen. The animation is sharp, the directing is solid, the writing is good, and the film never stalls, never becomes boring. It’s the end of an era in animated form, but it’s a fun one, one that I have no doubt fans will really sink their teeth into. If you’re looking for a shell of a good time, then look no further than Turtles Forever.
Final verdict, though slightly flawed the animation and the pure nostalgia of seeing the various adaptations of Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the same screen together easily makes this a must see 4/5.