TMNT (2007)

Director:

Kevin Munroe

Writers:

Kevin Munroe (written by)
Peter Laird (characters) ...

Release Date:

23 March 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

Raising Shell In 2007

Plot:

The continued adventures of the four adolescent mutated turtles gifted in the art of the ninja, as they attempt to stop a mysterious evil that threatens to end the world.

Plot Keywords:

Turtle | New York City | Ninja | Monster | Martial Arts

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Nolan North	...	Raphael / Nightwatcher (voice)
James Arnold Taylor	...	Leonardo (voice)
Mitchell Whitfield	...	Donatello (voice)
Mikey Kelley	...	Michelangelo (voice)
Mako	...	Splinter (voice)
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	April O'Neil (voice)
Chris Evans	...	Casey (voice)
Patrick Stewart	...	Winters (voice)
Ziyi Zhang	...	Karai (voice)
Laurence Fishburne	...	Narrator (voice)
Kevin Smith	...	Diner Cook (voice)
John Di Maggio	...	Colonel Santino (voice)
Paula Mattioli	...	General Serpiente (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	General Aguila / Additional Voices (voice)
Fred Tatasciore	...	General Gato (voice)

Also Known As:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (USA) (long title)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV (USA) (working title)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Immortal (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for animated action violence, some scary cartoon images and mild language.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Hong Kong | USA

Language:

French | English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:PG | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:6 | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:I | Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:PG (certificate #43348) | Australia:PG | Malaysia:U | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:6 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:Livre | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Denmark:7 | Sweden:7 | Norway:7 | South Korea:All | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | South Africa:PG | France:U | Portugal:M/6 | Peru:PT | New Zealand:PG

Company:

Imagi Animation Studios

Trivia:

It was the #1 film in the U.S. on its opening weekend, bringing in $25.45 million.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michelangelo enters the Turtle's lair, he throws his skateboard to the ground near the front entrance before descending down a stairway. When he goes to sit on the couch, his skateboard reappears laying on the floor by the platform but earlier shots has clearly shown it was not there before.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Four turtles. Four brothers. Genetically reborn in the sewers of New York. Named after the Renaissance masters and trained as ninjas.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

There's a Class for This

Was the fourteen year wait worth it?...

After the less-than-stellar 1993 film that was "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III", the world's favored Heroes in a Half-Shell began to take a seemingly indefinite leave from pop culture and I for one wondered if the awesome foursome would ever make a comeback.

Ten years later, a brand new animated series redefined what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were and helped everyone begin to see past the pizza-loving, child friendly characters of the 1980's cartoon, the live-action "Next Mutation" series and the second and third live-action movies. It was a step in the right direction and left many fans wanting more.

Now, in 2007, Peter Laird, Kevin Munroe and the amazingly talented folks at Imagi Animation Studios deliver what could very well be the movie that everyone has waited for for so long: A film that presents the light-hearted aspects of the 1980's cartoon, and the dark and gritty of the original comics books that started it all, while introducing a brand new story that moves at a pace that's sure to keep new viewers enthralled.

The animation on show here, while heavily stylized to emphasize the film's comic book origins, is absolutely stunning. Something I really admire about this movie is the voice acting, especially that the team working on the film went to lengths to portray ethnic authenticity with characters such as Foot Clan Leader Karai and the Turtles' mentor and father, Master Splinter.

While the story may not have a whole lot of depth to it, it really doesn't need to. Hell, this is a movie that deals with humanoid mutant turtles going around and kicking butt, ninja-style. And thats not a bad thing in the least. The soundtrack consists of a mix of orchestral tunes and the seemingly obligatory rock/pop stuff, and thankfully its a pretty healthy mix as neither one seems to outweigh the other.

All in all, I found TMNT to be a very enjoyable ride and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun time at the cinemas. In my honest opinion, the fourteen year wait for this movie was most definitely worth it.