10 Best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movies & TV Shows, Ranked (2024)

When someone hears the words "ninja" and "turtles," what usually springs to mind is the silly, comical team of reptilian brothers known worldwide as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These brothers -- Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo -- came to the minds of creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman in 1983. Drawing inspiration from ninja characters they had seen in Frank Miller comics such as Daredevil and Ronin, Laird and Eastman sketched various images of ninja turtles. Soon after the TMNT comics came out, they became a huge success.

With the success of the comic came the original animated Saturday morning cartoon in 1987, which gave voices to the characters. Likewise, the success of this TV series led to the first live-action movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in 1990, a box office smash hit. Since then, there has been a myriad of TMNT movies and TV series that each attempted to capture the massive success of these turtle brothers from the 1980s and 1990s. Some held the audience in rapture, while others could've improved a bit to be more successful. Regardless, these TMNT movies rank among the best and are all worth checking out.

10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014 Movie)

The 2014 Film Used Modern Design with Motion-Capture Technology

In the early 2010s, famous film director and producer Michael Bay was basking in the success of his live-action adaptation of The Transformers cartoon series from the 1980s. Looking to bring his magical touch to yet another much-loved Saturday morning cartoon, Bay decided to give the TMNT another shot on the big screen. Instead of using actors in turtle suits, he used motion-capture technology to bring the turtles to life in this movie. The film was a retelling of the original 1990 movie, where the brothers meet with April O'Neal (played by Megan Fox) and have to defeat the Shredder (played by Tohoru Masamune) and his Foot Clan to save New York City.

This movie adaptation did hit the mark for some fans, but not so much for others. Viewers could see that Bay was trying to turn the TMNT into more of an action-based film with the storyline and action sequences. It got fans interested, but the way the ninja turtles were designed may have turned off some fans. Everyone is used to the classic look where the face is just a mouth and eyes. Instead, in the 2014 film, it looks almost like the turtles became these very tall hybrids of humans and turtles. Adding nostrils, different-colored eyes, and overly-enhanced muscles to their bodies just made them look too different. Regardless, the movie had great action and a decent story, but the turtles' visual appearance lands this film at the bottom of this list.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 2014 reboot of the classic superhero franchise by director Jonathan Liebesman. When Channel 6 reporter April O'Neil begins to track the activity of the elusive and dangerous Foot clan, she stumbles upon four humanoid turtles who fight to protect the city from the shadows.

Director

Jonathan Liebesman

Release Date

August 8, 2014

Cast

Megan Fox , Will Arnett , Jeremy Howard , Johnny Knoxville , Alan Ritchson , Noel Fisher , Tony Shalhoub , Tohoru Masamune , Minae Noji

Writers

Josh Appelbaum , André Nemec , Evan Daugherty

Runtime

101 Minutes

Studio(s)

Nickelodeon Movies , Platinum Dunes , Gama Entertainment , Mednick Productions , Heavy Metal

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

Sequel(s)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Franchise(s)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

9 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016 movie)

Out of the Shadows Was Semi-Succesful Sequel to the 2014 Film

A few years after the success of the 2014 movie, Michael Bay came back to produce a sequel called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. This film took everything from the original title two years prior and moved the story further. In addition to the TNMT and April O'Neal (again played by Megan Fox), they were joined by Casey Jones (played by Arrow's Stephen Amell). Joining Shredder (played by Brian Tee) are his two mutant henchmen, Bebop (played by Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (played by Stephen Farrelly).

The storyline made this movie a little bit better than the first film. The writers and producers returned to the source comics and cartoon series when they added the characters of Bebop, Rocksteady, Casey Jones, Baxter Stockman (played by Tyler Perry), and Krang (voiced by Brad Garrett). Fans were pleased to see these characters show up on the silver screen. But despite that, the film unfortunately did not do as well as the first film at the box office. It could have done better if this film had introduced fewer new characters and simplified the storyline. Ironically, these two films are now experiencing a resurgence in popularity on Netflix.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

PG-13

Adventure

Comedy

Action

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is the follow-up to the Michael Bay-produced Ninja Turtles reboot. This time,Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael have a rematch with Shredder, who has enlisted the help ofRocksteady and Bebop, along with the alien Krang to take down his enemies. The film was released in 2016 and directed by Dave Green.

Where to Watch

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Director

Dave Green

Release Date

June 3, 2016

Cast

Stephen Amell , Megan Fox , Tyler Perry , Will Arnett , Laura Linney , Noel Fisher , Jeremy Howard , Pete Ploszek , Alan Ritchson , Brian Tee , Stephen Farrelly , Gary Anthony Williams , Brad Garrett , Tony Shalhoub

Writers

Josh Appelbaum , André Nemec

Runtime

88 Minutes

Budget

$135 Million

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures , Nickelodeon Movies

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

prequel(s)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Franchise(s)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

See Also

'Maaran' Ending, & Journey, Explained: Is Shwetha Alive? Does Maaran Save Her?Raayan Movie Review: Dhanush underplays heroism valiantly,even as writing falter

8 Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (TV series 1997-1998)

The Brothers Discover a Mutant Turtle Sister

In 1997, production company Saban Entertainment decided to take a shot at creating a similar live-action TV series called Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. In this Fox Kids adaptation of the comic characters, the producers added a brand-new fifth turtle character: a female named Venus de Milo. Along with Splinter and Venus' mentor Chung I, the series begins with all of them fighting off Shredder and his Foot Clan. The villainy goes further when a new bad guy named Dragon Lord and his soldiers called The Rank, escape an enchanted mirror and try to take over the Earth.

Saban Entertainment did try to go in a more progressive direction by creating a new female ninja turtle character. For the first time in the franchise's history, this gave little girls a female turtle character to look up to. But like most fans of long-standing entertainment franchises, this change was not received well. Viewers may have been happier in a story that would have gone deeper into the history of the brothers and Splinter. Similarly, creating the Dragon Lord as a new villain didn't help matters either. Sadly, this all led to Ninja Turtles being just a one-season series that could have lasted longer if some changes were not made to the source material.

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

TV-Y7

Action

Adventure

Comedy

The "heroes in a half-shell" return to stop the evil Dragon Lord with help from their newest member, Venus De Milo.

Release Date

September 12, 1997

Cast

Jarred Blancard , Richard Yee , Nicole Parker , Gabe Khouth

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

1

Creator

Dan Clark, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird

Producer

Haim Saban, Lance H. Robbins

Production Company

Saban Entertainment, Mirage Studios

Number of Episodes

26 Episodes

7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993 Movie Sequel)

A Magical Scepter Sends Turtles to the Past

In the 1990s, film production company New Line Cinema hit gold when it decided to make a live-action movie based on the turtle brothers. Little did they know that this would become such a huge success that it would spawn two sequels. In 1993, they released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, the third and final film in this series. In this movie, the Ninja Turtles are given an old mystical scepter by April O'Neal (played by Paige Turco) that they think is just an old lamp. When they try to use it, the scepter sends them and April back in time to feudal Japan. Once there, they discover the tyrannical warlord Norinaga (played by Sab Shimono) and get outwitted by Whit (played by Elias Koteas).

This was a good movie to end this particular film trilogy. This original story allowed the turtles to trace their ninja fighting style back to its Japanese roots in feudal times. It was also nice to see the return of Turco and Koteas for a second TMNT film for both of them. But what hindered this movie from being as big a hit as the previous titles was primarily the storyline. This is a situation where reaching too far can hurt a film. The movie could have been even more successful if the producers had kept this film in New York City as a setting and created a storyline, sourcing the comics or original cartoon series. Regardless, seeing the TMNT and the rest of the cast one last time in this film style was a great way to say goodbye and is still worth watching.

6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze (1991 Movie Sequel)

The Turtles Learn about Their Mutant Origin

This first sequel to the original 1990 live-action movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, details how the turtles became mutants. In this movie, the audience learns about the mutagen (or ooze) that transformed the turtles into the much larger, more human form they are currently in. At this point, the turtles and Splinter are living with April O'Neal while they look for a new place to live. While on a story assignment, April covers a global research company called TGRI. Splinter then reveals the truth that this company is responsible for the mutagen that transformed him and his sons. From there begins the race between the turtles and Shredder to obtain the ooze.

What makes this movie so great is how the idea of the mutagen was handled. It was unique to see Shredder obtain some of the ooze and use it to transform his pet snapping turtle and wolf into their mutant forms that he named Tokka and Rahzar, respectively. This becomes the first major battle the turtles encounter on their way to overcoming Shredder's evil plan. Once they find him and the turtles think they defeated him, he uses the ooze on himself, becoming ultra-powerful Super Shredder. Super Shredder goes on a rampage all over the dock they are fighting on, and it falls on him. The storyline and the classic comedic slang used by the turtles throughout the film make this one of the fan-favorites.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze

PG

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Sci-Fi

Itfollows the titular heroes as they investigate the origins of the mysterious ooze that transformed them into mutants. The turtles, aided by their ally April O'Neil, face new threats from the villainous Shredder and his minions. Released in 1991, this sequel continues the adventures of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael in their fight to protect New York City.

Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Release Date

March 22, 1991

Cast

Michelan Sisti , Leif Tilden , Kenn Scott , Mark Caso , Robbie Rist , Brian Tochi

Main Genre

Action

Director

Michael Pressman

Writers

Kevin Eastman , Peter Laird , Todd W. Langen

Runtime

88 Minutes

5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV Series 2012-2017)

New Computer Animation Style Captures Interest

In 2012, Nickelodeon Animation Studios decided to take a slightly different direction with a brand-new animated series based on the TMNT. Keeping the same standard title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new show was a computer-animated adventure. The producers also borrowed concepts for the story from earlier TV series but changed things around a bit. In this version, April is a younger girl, and the Foot Clan ninjas are robots with brains in their stomachs called The Kraang. But the turtles are still fighting off Shredder as the evil villain. Another significant change was that Michelangelo's well-known catchphrase of "cowabunga" was changed to "booyakasha."

This revamped version of the cartoon series was an instant hit for Nickelodeon. It lasted five seasons, airing from 2012 to 2017. The new computer animation, more angular features for the characters, and the twist in the story caught the attention of the young viewers. It was almost similar to how popular the original animated series was in the late 1980s. This series even led to the creation of merchandise, including two video games and some LEGO sets. This was definitely the first TMNT animated series of the new millennium that caught the younger generation's attention, but it wouldn't be the last.

4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV Series 1987-1996)

The Turtles Get Animated For the First Time

The heroes in a half-shell made their original animated TV debut in 1987. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles blasted onto TV screens with their addicting theme song as part of the Saturday morning lineup and blew the minds of all the young children watching. This series that became one of the best 80s cartoons introduced the world to the four turtle brothers and all the friends they met along the way as they fought evil villains like Shredder and Kraang. It lasted 10 seasons, proving how much of an impact this show had on viewers.

This series was a mega blockbuster on Saturday mornings. It became a part of pop culture's zeitgeist in the 1980s and 1990s. This animated series alone created massive amounts of merchandise, from T-shirts to action figures to video games. Every year, kids would ask their parents for TMNT toys as gifts for their birthdays or the holidays. This show even invaded the English language with Michelangelo's "cowabunga" catchphrase being uttered all the time by children in that era. This animated series also became the basis of the storylines of all future TV series and movies. Everything about this original cartoon ranks it among the best of all the TMNT TV series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

TV-Y7

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Superhero

Four anthropomorphic turtles, trained in ninjutsu by their rat sensei, battle criminal forces in New York City, including a notorious villain known as Shredder. The turtles, who live in the sewers, fight crime while struggling to remain hidden from the public eye.

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Release Date

December 14, 1987

Cast

Cam Clarke , Barry Gordon , townsend coleman , Peter Renaday , Renae Jacobs , Rob Paulsen , Pat Fraley , James Avery , Tony Jay , Bumper Robinson , Michael Gough , Bill Martin , Jennifer Darling , Jim Cummings , Tress MacNeille

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

10

Creator

Production Company

Story By

Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird

Writers

Kevin Eastman , Peter Laird , David Wise

Number of Episodes

Network

Nickelodeon

Franchise(s)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Directors

Bill Wolf

Character(s)

Leonardo , Donatello , Michaelangelo , Splinter , April O'Neil , Raphael , Krang , Shredder , Dregg , Carter , Irma , Leatherhead

3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023 Movie)

Turtles and Friends Make a Massive Big Screen Return

It had been about seven years since The Lean Green Fighting Machines last had a movie released in theaters, so Nickelodeon Movies decided to give it a go. This time, fans saw the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in 2023. The producers used the latest computer animation to bring this movie to life. The film does another retelling of the turtle brothers as they come out of the sewers for the first time. The turtles are a little bit younger than in the past stories as they are only 15 years old and long to go to school like normal teenagers. While out getting supplies, the brothers run into teenage journalist April O'Neal after her moped is stolen. After explaining their origins with the mutagen (or ooze), they find out that another mutant named Superfly is up to no good with other mutants created by the mutagen.

The movie did everything right regarding its desire to capture the audience's attention. The one factor that the producers seemed to recognize was that a large segment of TMNT fans are now adults who have children who are fans as well. As a result, they made sure there were moments that appealed to both segments of fans. For the adults who were super-fans, the producers created a lot of Easter eggs, which included the massive number of characters shown in this movie that were sourced from the original TV series. This movie ended up becoming a box office hit. From this animation style to the story to throwbacks from previous iterations of the movies and TV series, the film adaptation had what it takes to rank toward the top of many lists.

9

10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Animation

Adventure

Action

The film follows the Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants.

Where to Watch

• stream
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*Availability in US

Director

Jeff Rowe , Kyle Spears

Release Date

August 2, 2023

Cast

Rose Byrne , Seth Rogen , Jackie Chan , Giancarlo Esposito , Paul Rudd

Main Genre

Animation

2 Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV Series 2024 - Present)

The Mutant Mayhem Continues on TV

The 2023 animated TMNT movie was such a huge success, Nickelodeon Animation Studio decided to continue the story in an animated TV series. This show premiered on Aug. 9, 2024, on the Paramount+ streaming media app. All 12 episodes have received rave reviews from critics and fans. This series takes place two months after the Mutant Mayhem film, chronicles the lives of the four turtle brothers as they try to survive as both teenagers and heroes. Like in previous TV iterations, every episode has the turtles encountering different roadblocks in life and figuring out how to overcome them.

With all 12 episodes now available for viewing, everyone has their favorite TMNT episodes. Regardless, this series continues what the 2023 movie started with, grabbing the audience's attention no matter their age. The producers successfully adapted the animation style from computer animation to a more 2D style. Staying true to the animation style helped ease fans into the series. Keeping the storylines full of action and comedy gives the audience something to look forward to with each episode. All these factors make this the top TV series in the entire franchise. So far, there is no word of a second season being greenlit by Paramount+, but there are rumors that the story may be picked up in a sequel movie for the big screen. Fans will have to wait to see what happens next for the heroes in a half-shell.

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Y-7

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

2024-00-00

Cast

Brady Noon , Nicolas Cantu , Micah Abbey , Shamon Brown Jr.

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Movie 1990)

The Turtles Shredded the Box Office

In 1990, the TMNT Saturday morning cartoon became a worldwide success, leading to the first live-action movie being made. This was also when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit movie theaters for the first time. In the film, TV news reporter April O'Neal is rescued by the mutant brothers when she is hurt during a robbery after work. After learning about their origins, the turtles and April learn about how the evil Shredder is luring teenagers into joining his clan of Foot Soldiers. Shortly afterward, their mentor, Splinter, is kidnapped by them. The brothers then join April and Casey Jones to bring down the Shredder once and for all.

The movie ranks the best of all TMNT movies for many reasons. First, the story was told wonderfully, with great respect to the comic and the original animated series. The actors also portrayed the characters brilliantly. The combination of actors wearing turtle suits with puppet heads, and the technological advancements of the time helped bring the turtles to life. The script being peppered with classic 1980s and 1990s catchphrases every so often, made it fun to watch. But the best part of the film had to be the action sequences.

Every time there was a battle, the choreography made it believable. The music playing in the background also added to the intensity which kept the audience on the edge of their seats. The movie ended perfectly with the cliffhanger teasing Shredder's survival while the brothers shouted, "Cowabunga!" The final song, "Turtle Power" by Partners in Kryme ties an awesome bow to what was already a perfect movie. This original film adaptation is one fans can watch over and over again multiple times and never get tired of, which is why it is the best movie version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

PG

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Where to Watch

• stream
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*Availability in US

Director

Steve Barron

Release Date

March 30, 1990

Cast

judith hoag , Elias Koteas , Brian Tochi , Leif Tilden

Runtime

93 minutes

Main Genre

Adventure