All 10 TMNT Movies Ranked
#10: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” (1993)
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Scraping the bottom of the sewer is the end to the 90s live action trilogy. This third film wanted to cash in quickly on the Turtles’ popularity. Unfortunately, the budget was slashed and the film had an incredibly rushed production. The result was a cheap looking mess that did the main turtles dirty. To make matters worse, the low cost and hurried effort completely overshadowed the movie’s cool time travel premise. But to be fair, the cheesy dialogue and weak script didn’t help sell the plot either. Every aspect of this time-bending turtle film failed to deliver. It’s no question why the 90s live-action franchise ended its film run with this dud.
#9: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2014)
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This film got flack before release when rumors swirled that the turtles would be aliens this time around. After that plot point was walked back, fans found issues with the lackluster plot, uneven tone, and ugly designs for the heroes. And Shredder's casting opened up another can of worms. Although the villain was going to be played by William Fichtner, accusations of whitewashing the traditionally Asian character made the studio do last minute rewrites and reshoots. This caused Shredder’s backstory to be an absolute mess. Fortunately, a few decent action scenes and the mo-cap performances received praise from critics. The special effects and acting showed that there was a chance the franchise could survive this misfire.
#8: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze” (1991)
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After the phenomenal success of the first film, the second was fast tracked. But there was one major change to the tone. In order to address the concerns of angry parents, the sequel was made to be more child friendly. Raphael and Leonardo were barely allowed to use their sharp signature weapons. Additionally, two of the main villains literally had the minds of babies. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. In a very early 90’s move, Vanilla Ice sung the undeniably catchy Ninja Rap. And the film did address the mystery surrounding the quartet’s origins. If this sequel was allowed to have an edgier tone, it might’ve been a tale that was truly worthy of the turtles.
#7: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” (2016)
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“Out of the Shadows” was immediately heralded as a massive improvement over its 2014 predecessor. This sequel brought in a variety of fan favorites like Krang, Beebop, Rocksteady and the vigilante Casey Jones. It also featured a number of genuinely emotional scenes where the turtles longed to be seen as more than monsters. And the action scenes were more ambitious than ever. Unfortunately, the movie still suffered from the tonal issues, bad jokes and a confusing plot. And despite being an improvement from the first, it made almost half of what the first film did. The lackluster box receipts ensured that this particular live-action franchise would stay firmly in the shadows.
#6: “TMNT” (2007)
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Instead of going live-action, this 2007 movie broke the mold for the franchise by relying on CGI animation. It also decided to embrace a heavier tone. “TMNT” dealt with the brothers growing older and apart. But when a new threat arrives in the city, the quartet has to overcome their issues and fight together. Speaking of, this movie features gorgeous action scenes like the 1 v 1 between Raphel and Leonardo. But “TMNT” was ultimately held back a bit by a flimsy story and a sewer full of cliches. Although it was intended to launch a new trilogy, no sequels ever came to fruition. For better or worse, “TMNT” still stands as one of the franchise’s most unique entries.
#5: “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie” (2022)
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Two years after a well-received turtles series wrapped up, the story continued in an acclaimed film. In this story, turtles from the year 2044 send Casey Jones back into the past to prevent a bad future. The present day team has to work with their time traveling guest to fend off a global threat. Critics loved that the film raised the stakes higher than the series had and let the Turtles clash against an invading alien force. It also provided strong character arcs for the main quartet and beyond. As the cherry on top, the animation was bursting with energy and style. While this turtle tale does require prior knowledge to fully appreciate, the movie is still a good time.
#4: “Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2019)
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Based on the tremendously popular comic crossover, a direct to video film saw the four crime fighters come face to face with the caped crusader himself. The film managed to balance the gritty action with the camp humor that both franchises were known for to perfection. After the obligatory fight between Batman and the boys, they teamed up to take down common enemies. Just as the Turtles were a perfect pairing with Batman, their foes, Shredder, and Ra’s al Ghul were a dastardly duo. With plenty of Batman’s allies and rouge’s gallery filling out the cast, this crossover is not to be missed.
#3: “Turtles Forever” (2009)
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The 2003 “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” show was pitched as a more serious take on the characters. So, it was a fun twist to see them meet the goofier 1987 versions of themselves in a movie that marked the 25th anniversaries of the team. Although the two groups initially don’t get along that well, they have to respect each other’s styles to take down multiple Shredders. The film served as both a satisfying conclusion to the 2003 show and a stellar standalone movie. As a final trick, both teams crossed over with the gritty turtles from the original comics. Seeing twelve turtles fighting side by side was something that would make a fan of any era jump for joy.
#2: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (2023)
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Coming from the writing team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, “Mutant Mayhem” dealt with turtles who truly wanted to be accepted in society. They had to face off another group of mutants who thought the only way to fit in was to mutate everyone. Despite the heavy themes, the movie was ridiculously funny. The film also boasted a unique animation style that combined the perks of computer generated animation with hand drawn techniques. Additionally, a strong voice cast that included Ice Cube, Jackie Chan and a great quartet of young actors elevated the material. Not only is this a great TMNT film, but it’s an all around stellar animated movie.
#1: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1990)
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Adapting a number of storylines from the comics and borrowing elements from the cartoon like individually colored masks, this film set the benchmark for everything that came after. This live-action tale impressed us as soon as we saw the leads. The film combined incredible stunt performances, great voice work, and costumes from Jim Henson’s Creature shop. Its excellent story featured moments of triumph and pure sorrow. And the fight scenes really made you want to kick some shell. Aside from being a staple for anyone who grew up in the 90’s, the film became the highest grossing independent film ever made at the time. In more ways than one, this TMNT story truly cemented itself in movie history.
