TMNT (film)

Last updated

TMNT
TMNTposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kevin Munroe
Written byKevin Munroe
Based on Characters created
by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman
Produced by
  • Thomas K. Gray
  • Galen Walker
  • Paul Wang
Starring
CinematographySteve Lumley
Edited byJohn Damien Ryan
Music by Klaus Badelt
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • March 17, 2007 (2007-03-17)(Grauman's Chinese Theatre) [2]
  • March 23, 2007 (2007-03-23)(United States)
  • March 29, 2007 (2007-03-29)(Hong Kong)
Running time
87 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Hong Kong
LanguageEnglish
Budget$34 million [3] [4]
Box office$95.6 million [5]

TMNT (abbreviated from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is a 2007 animated superhero film written and directed by Kevin Munroe in his feature directorial debut and based on the characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. The first animated film in the franchise, [6] it features the voices of James Arnold Taylor, Nolan North, Mitchell Whitfield, Mikey Kelly, Mako, Chris Evans, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, with narration by Laurence Fishburne. In the film, after having grown apart following the final defeat of their arch-enemy, the Shredder, the four Turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo are set to reunite and overcome their faults to save the world from evil ancient creatures.

Contents

Development and pre-production for TMNT began in June 2005 at Imagi's Los Angeles facility and the animation was produced in Hong Kong, followed by post-production in Hollywood. Munroe chose to produce the film in CGI animation as opposed to live-action like the prior Turtles films, in an effort to make it easier for audiences to suspend their beliefs. When writing the film, Munroe wanted to divert away from the lighthearted elements of the franchise and put a heavier emphasis on the darker tone of the original comics. The animators that worked on the fight sequences were inspired by Hong Kong action films.

TMNT was released theatrically in the United States on March 23, 2007, by Warner Bros. Pictures, and internationally released with The Weinstein Company and in Hong Kong, on March 29 by Golden Scene. The film was a commercial success, grossing $95.6 million worldwide against a budget of $34 million. However, it received mixed reviews from critics. Planned sequels were cancelled after Nickelodeon acquired the franchise in 2009, rebooting the film series with the live-action film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2014.

Plot

In ancient times, a warlord named Yaotl opens a portal into a parallel universe that grants him immortality and petrifies his four generals. The portal also releases thirteen immortal monsters that destroy his army and his enemies while becoming famous mythical monsters as centuries pass.

In the present, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles grow apart after defeating the Shredder. For training, Master Splinter sends Leonardo to Central America, where he becomes the protector of a village, to which the villagers refer to him as the "Ghost of the Jungle". Donatello works as an IT specialist, Michelangelo works as a birthday party entertainer named "Cowabunga Carl", and Raphael continues to fight crime as a masked vigilante known as the "Nightwatcher", which he keeps a secret. The Turtles' old friend April O'Neil now operates a shipping company that acquires relics for collectors, assisted by her boyfriend, Casey Jones.

After traveling to Central America for work, April tells Leo his brothers have drifted apart. She then returns to New York City with a statue for wealthy tycoon Max Winters. Winters hires Shredder's former second-in-command, Karai and her ninja Foot Clan to search the city for the thirteen monsters before the portal opens again. Casey figures out Raph's double identity and joins him in hunting criminals. Winters, who is actually Yaotl, reanimates his four stone generals using technology created by his company.

Leo returns to the Turtles' sewer lair, reuniting with his family. Splinter forbids them from fighting crime until they can act as a team again. While training, the Turtles encounter one of the thirteen beasts, Bigfoot. They engage Bigfoot, disobeying Splinter's orders, and come into conflict with the Foot Clan in the process. While the Turtles and ninja fight, a fleeing Bigfoot is captured by the generals. The next day, Splinter admonishes his sons for their disobedience. The Foot and the generals patrol the city and manage to capture ten of the monsters. Raphael later visits Casey, and they encounter the Vampire Succubor, another one of the monsters. They witness its capture by the Foot and the generals, but are spotted. Despite a successful escape, Raph is rendered unconscious. Casey and April take care of Raph and call the other Turtles for help. Together, they figure out the identities of Yaotl and his generals. After being revived, Raph suggests they pursue Yaotl, but Leonardo refuses to act until Splinter gives his permission. Raph decides to investigate alone.

Donatello discovers the next portal will open over Winters' tower, and Splinter tells Leonardo they need Raphael. Meanwhile, Yaotl reveals that he wishes to turn his generals back into humans and break the curse that keeps them alive. Seeing how soft their leader has grown, the generals conspire to betray Yaotl, wanting to remain immortal. As the Nightwatcher, Raph patrols the city and has an encounter with one of the remaining monsters, the Jersey Devil, which he manages to feud off. Leo, not recognizing his brother, pursues the Nightwatcher, believing him to be just a regular thug. In the ensuing fight, Leo discovers that the Nightwatcher's identity was Raphael all along. The two argue and fight, resulting in Raph destroying Leo's swords with his sais and almost killing his brother. Raph flees, guilt-ridden over what he did to Leo. The generals, having recently captured the Jersey Devil, seize a weakened Leo, intending to substitute him for the thirteenth beast, and Raph decides to make amends by rescuing Leo. As the portal opens, Yaotl discovers his generals' treachery, while Splinter and the Turtles, accompanied by Casey and April, fight their way through a Foot Clan cordon and breach the tower. They then learn the truth behind Yaotl's actions.

Refusing to betray Yaotl, Karai and the Foot Clan work together with April and Casey, searching for the final monster, the Sea Monster, while the Turtles fight the generals. Splinter and Yaotl fight off numerous monsters emerging from the portal. April, Casey, and Karai arrive at the tower with the Sea Monster, which crashes into the generals while Yaotl pushes the Turtles out of the way, dragging them into the portal and turning them human again before it closes. Karai warns them to enjoy their victory while it lasts, cryptically saying they will soon contend with faces from their past (which foreshadows the return of the Shredder) before vanishing. A now-mortal Yaotl thanks the heroes for fulfilling his wish and dissipates into the afterlife. Yaotl's helmet is then added to Splinter's trophy collection along with Raph's Nightwatcher helmet and Mikey's Cowabunga Carl mask. As they return to their roles as the shadowy guardians of New York City, Raph says that the Turtles will always be brothers.

Voice cast

Production

Development

An animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film was first announced in 2000, with John Woo supposedly directing, but the project languished in development hell, and Woo ultimately moved on to other projects. [8] TMNT, executive produced by the characters' co-creator Peter Laird, departs from the previous films' live action style and is the first CG animated film in the series. Writer/director Kevin Munroe said that he wanted to do total CGI instead of live action and CGI turtles because it would be easier for the audience to "suspend disbelief for such an offbeat story" as there would be no break in the reality between CGI and live action. [9] Producer Tom Gray explained that the decision to depart from the live action series was due to escalating budgets for the three films, and with each film making less than its predecessor, a CGI film became a reality. [10] For example, the first film made $135.2 million on a budget of $13.5 million, and the third made $44 million on a budget of $21 million. [10] Orange Sky Golden Harvest's rights to the franchise had expired, and Gray said the question arose there over a CGI TMNT film in 2004. [10]

Writing

Munroe stated in terms of the story line that ideas were floated as extreme as the Turtles being in space, but eventually it just came back to New York City, and the theme of the family that had fallen apart. [10] When developing the screenplay, Munroe wanted to take on a less lighthearted tone or "less Cowabunga" and place an emphasis on dark elements as shown in the original comics to appeal to the mature audience: "I had a very specific tone because mixing that sort of action and comedy is a very specific thing. Most people were just coming and wanting to make it too funny. I think that version of the movie could do really well, but we wanted to do something where it sort of pushes the envelope a little bit more and says that animation is more than just comedic animals bumping into each other and farting!" [11]

Munroe said that in design and in the rendering of the animation, he was after the feel of a comic book. [10] Karai was one of Munroe's favorite characters from the comics and he "was the one who really pushed for Karai" to appear in the film. [12] TMNT co-creator Peter Laird stated it takes place in its own universe separate from the previous films, [13] but director Munroe says the film exists in the same continuity as the other films, which was supported by the memento wall at the end of the film. [14]

Animation

Development and pre-production for TMNT began in June 2005 [15] at Imagi's Los Angeles facility and the CGI animation was produced in Hong Kong, followed by post-production in Hollywood. [15] In designing the New York backdrop, art director/concept artist Simon Murton stylized the familiar Manhattan skyline and urban landscapes: "We began with cinematic cues from certain black-and-white films from the 1940s and '50s. I really wanted to push the lighting and the environments to create the look and feel of an alternate reality". [16]

The animators that worked on the fight sequences were inspired by Hong Kong action films. Animation director Kim Ooi explains said that because of CGI they were able to "push and stylize beyond the limits of live action." [16] Imagi used Autodesk Maya with Pixar's RenderMan for the production pipeline's back-end. [3] [17]

Casting

Jim Cummings was the only past TMNT actor to appear in this film, where he had previously contributed voice-work in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The film also features three voice actors in the Ratchet & Clank series, Mikey Kelley and Kevin Michael Richardson from the first game, and James Arnold Taylor from the others, playing Michelangelo, General Aguila, and Leonardo, respectively.

TMNT would be Mako Iwamatsu's final acting role. Mako was announced as the voice of Splinter at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2006. He then died the next day, aged 72. [18] [19] A dedication to Mako appears at the end of the film's credits. [20] Although Mako is the only actor credited in the role, Greg Baldwin performs a substantial portion of Splinter's dialogue in the finished film; Baldwin had already mimicked Mako's voice when he took up the late actor's role as Iroh in the concurrently-produced animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender , and used this precedent to successfully lobby to join the cast of TMNT as Splinter following Mako's death. [21]

Music

Soundtrack

The licensed soundtrack TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released by Atlantic Records in 2007. [22]

Release

Marketing

At the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con, the TMNT panel screened an exclusive preview that contained a Splinter voice-over with facial tests, concept art, muscle and dynamic fight tests, and a few comedic scenes. [23] A sneak peek booklet containing storyboards, environment designs and character designs by comic artist Jeff Matsuda was also distributed at the convention. [24]

Several tie-in products were released in 2007. The McDonald's fast-food chain had the film-based toys to collect with the purchase of a Happy Meal. [25] A series of action figures based in the film's characters was released by Playmates Toys. [26] A novelization, adapted from Munroe's screenplay by Steve Murphy, was published by Simon Spotlight. [27] A five-issue prequel comic miniseries was published by Mirage Comics. [28]

Theatrical

TMNT was released theatrically in the United States on March 23, 2007, by Warner Bros. Pictures, in Hong Kong by Golden Scene, and internernationally by the Weinstein Company. [5] [29] The film was originally set for release domestically (USA and Canada) on March 30, 2007, which would have been the 17th anniversary of the release of the first TMNT film. The March 30 date was advertised in the teaser trailer [30] and early posters, but the release was moved up to March 23.

Home media

The film was released on DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray on August 7, 2007. [31] In 2009, a box set with all four TMNT films was released to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary. [32]

Reception

Box office

TMNT ranked number one at the box office on its opening weekend, beating 300 (the top film of the previous two weeks), The Last Mimzy , Shooter , Pride , The Hills Have Eyes 2 , and Reign Over Me . Weekend estimates showed that the film made $25.45 million over the weekend of March 23–25, 2007. [33] [34] The film grossed over $95.6 million worldwide, including over $54 million domestically during its 91-day run in the 3,120 North American theaters. [5]

Critical response

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 36% based on 119 reviews with an average rating of 5/10. The critical consensus states, "TMNT's art direction is splendid, but the plot is non-existent and the dialogue lacks the irony and goofy wit of the earlier TMNT movies." [35] On Metacritic the film has a score of 41 out of 100 based on reviews from 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [36] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on a scale from A+ to F. [33] [14]

Claudia Puig of USA Today gave a negative review, stating that the film "is trying for a new image. But it takes more than an awkward title attempting to sound cool to overcome its mundane plot and silly dialogue". [37] Michael Ordona of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "despite the doll-like cartoonishness of the human figures, the filmmakers seem to expect us to take this animated romp seriously. Too seriously". [38] Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe called the film "a junk-food pastry. The plot is the wrapper. The action is the oily sponge cake. And the message—family, family, family—is the processed cream filling". [39]

Todd Gilchrist of IGN gave the film a positive review, calling it "a fun, action-filled adventure that will satisfy longtime fans and generate a legion of new ones, whether it be by virtue of simple storytelling, solid CGI, carefully-choreographed action, or just the spirit and energy that only the Turtles can create". [40]

Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post felt that the film "is technically superb and quite enjoyable as long as you don't bang your head against the plot, which will cause hot flashes, premature aging and fallen arches". [41]

According to Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer , the film is "not so dark or scary as to keep most kids away" and it "has a cool, noirish sheen. There's an attention to detail in the visuals and sound design that pushes it up several notches above most kiddie fare". [42]

Accolades

At the 35th Annie Awards, TMNT received a nomination for Outstanding Storyboarding in a Feature Production (Sean Song). [43] [44] It was nominated for Best Comic Book Movie at the 2007 Scream Awards. [45] [46]

Video games

Three beat'em up/action adventure game/platformer adaptations of the film were developed and released by Ubisoft in 2007 for a variety of video game consoles. A mobile game TMNT: The Power of 4 was also developed by Overloaded and released by uClick that same year. [47] In addition, characters from the film are available in Ubisoft's 2009 Wii and PlayStation 2 fighting game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up , [48] while artworks from the film are available in this game as unlockable content. [49]

Cancelled sequels

In 2007, Munroe stated that he would like to direct a possible sequel to TMNT, possibly involving the return of the Shredder. [50] Munroe planned a trilogy. TMNT 2 would have loosely adapted the Turtles’ 13-part comic book saga "City At War". Michelangelo would have felt rejected and joined the Foot Clan, while the Turtles would have traveled to Japan and would have crossed paths with Karai and Shredder. TMNT 3 would have featured the Triceratons as well as the Technodrome’s arrival from Dimension X. Munroe wanted Michael Clarke Duncan to voice the Triceraton's leader, Commander Mozar. [14] YouTube commentator RebelTaxi noted that these sequels could not materialize due to Munroe leaving Imagi, layoffs in the studio, and Astro Boy (2009) being a box office bomb that ultimately led to Imagi's bankruptcy. [51] In an interview, Laird stated he was interested in the idea of having the next film be a live-action and CGI hybrid film, with the Turtles rendered in CGI and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Chris Evans reprising their TMNT roles in live-action. [52] The live-action concept would later evolve into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , an unrelated reboot released in 2014.

Related Research Articles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, commonly abbreviated as TMNT, is a media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. The franchise encompasses printed media, television series', feature films, video games, and merchandise.

Leonardo (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional character

Leonardo, commonly nicknamed Leo, is a superhero appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and related media, and created by American comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. He is one of the four central characters of the franchise, along with his brothers, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Leonardo is the leader and strategist of the turtles.

Raphael (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional superhero

Raphael, nicknamed Raph, is a superhero and one of the four main characters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. In most iterations, he is depicted as the most aggressive of the turtle brothers, physically the strongest, and often at odds with his brother, Leonardo.

Shredder (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional supervillain in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise

The Shredder is a supervillain and the main antagonist of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media franchise created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The character debuted in the Mirage Studios comic book Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, and has since endured as the archenemy of the turtles and their Master Splinter.

Splinter (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional mutant rat and martial arts instructor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise

Splinter, often referred to as Master Splinter or Sensei by his students/sons, is a fictional character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. A mutant rat, he is the grave and stoic sage of the Turtles, their ninjutsu and martial arts instructor, and their adoptive father. The character was originally a parody of the Marvel Comics character Stick.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (2003 TV series) Animated television series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series developed by Lloyd Goldfine and based on the characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The series premiered on February 8, 2003, as part of Fox's FoxBox programming block and ended on February 28, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April O'Neil</span> Fictional character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe

April O'Neil is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. She is the first human ally of the Ninja Turtles.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Steve Barron

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American superhero film based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It is the first film adaptation of the characters and was directed by Steve Barron and written by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck from a story by Herbeck. It stars Judith Hoag and Elias Koteas with the voices of Brian Tochi, Josh Pais, Corey Feldman, and Robbie Rist. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows the Turtles on a quest to save their master, Splinter, with their new allies, April O'Neil and Casey Jones, from the Shredder and his Foot Clan.

Casey Jones (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional character

Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones is a fictional character that appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and related media. Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, he first appeared in the one-shot, Raphael: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Like the turtles, Casey Jones is a vigilante, and was created as a parody of vigilante characters that were popular in comics at the time. Casey usually has long dark hair, wears an ice hockey mask and cut-off biking gloves, and carries his weapons in a golf bag over his shoulder.

Karai (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Comics character

Karai is a fictional supporting character appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and related media. She is usually a high-rank member of the Foot Clan outlaw ninja organization. She was introduced in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's comic book series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1992. Since then, she has appeared in several different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, television series, films, and video games. She is depicted as Shredder's second-in-command or adopted daughter in most versions and shares a rivalry with Leonardo and is at times considered his love interest. In one version of the comics, she is the granddaughter of the immortal Shredder, while in the 2012 series, she is Hamato Miwa, the only child of Hamato "Splinter" Yoshi and the late Tang Shen.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> action figures Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise have been produced by Playmates Toys since 1988. Staff artists at the Northampton, Massachusetts based Mirage Studios have provided conceptual designs for many of the figures, vehicles, and playsets and are credited on the packaging of the products they created.

<i>Mighty Mutanimals</i> TMNT comic book-spinoff

Mighty Mutanimals, a superhero group within the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) franchise, emerged in the comic book series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. Composed of various mutated animals, the team collaborated with the TMNT and has been featured in multiple iterations of the franchise since its inception.

The second season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originally aired between November 8, 2003 and October 2, 2004, beginning with the "Turtles in Space, Part 1: The Fugitoid" episode. The episodes were first released on DVD in eight volumes, TMNT Volume nine through Volume fourteen. The volumes were released From May 18, 2004 through January 18, 2005. The episodes were later released in 2 part season sets; part 1 was released on February 19, 2008, containing the first 12 episodes of the season, and part 2 was released on October 28, 2008 with the final 14 episodes.

The Ninja Tribunal arc was the fifth season of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.

The third season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originally aired between October 9, 2004, and April 23, 2005, beginning with the "Space Invaders, Part 1" episode. The entire season of the television series was released on DVD in seven volumes from March 15, 2005, through May 16, 2006. This is the only season of the 2003 series which has a prodcode, and included a Christmas episode under the title "The Christmas Aliens".

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a superhero team created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, have appeared in seven theatrical feature-length films since their debut. The first film was released in 1990, at the height of the franchise's popularity. Despite mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success that garnered two direct sequels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, both of which were modest successes. An animated film titled TMNT was released in 2007.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up</i> 2009 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is a 2.5D fighting game for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles featuring characters from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It was co-developed by Game Arts, Toylogic, and Y's K, and released by Ubisoft in September 2009 in celebration of the TMNT franchise's 25th anniversary.

<i>Turtles Forever</i> 2009 animated superhero film

Turtles Forever is a 2009 American animated superhero film directed that is a crossover between two different incarnations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The plot follows the Turtles of the 2003 animated television series as they team up with the Turtles of the 1987 television series to save the multiverse from the wrath of Ch’Rell, the Utrom Shredder of the 2003 television series. Directed by Roy Burdine and Lloyd Goldfine and written by Goldfine, Rob David, and Matthew Drdek, it was produced in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the characters while also serving as the finale to the 2003 television series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series developed by Ciro Nieli, Joshua Sternin, and Jennifer Ventimilia for Nickelodeon, based on the characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The series begins with the Turtles emerging from their sewer home for the first time, using their ninjutsu training to fight enemies in present-day New York City. The series ran in the United States from September 28, 2012, to November 12, 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pamela McClintock (May 7, 2007). "Duo divvy up 'Ninja' world". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ "2007 – Chinese Theatres". TCL Chinese Theatre. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Joe Strike (March 23, 2007). "TMNT: The Turtles More Animated in CG". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  4. ↑ Martin A. Grove (March 31, 2007). "$35 million budget puts TMNT on road to profits". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 "TMNT (2007)". Box Office Mojo .
  6. ↑ Armstrong, Josh (August 19, 2014). "Director Kevin Munroe revisits Imagi's TMNT franchise". Animated Views. Retrieved January 5, 2023. "The memento wall was a way to try and have TMNT play in continuity with the earlier, live-action films," explains Munroe. "I probably would have done a complete reboot if presented with the idea. But Pete was pretty adamant about not doing a reboot while not necessarily having TMNT play with the rest of the franchise. So, I just took a stand and said, 'Yes, TMNT exists with the other films.'"
  7. ↑ Topel, Fred (January 14, 2007). "Smith's 15 Seconds of "TMNT" Fame". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  8. ↑ Brian Linder (June 30, 2001). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Real Deal". IGN . News Corporation . Retrieved March 11, 2007.
  9. ↑ Anthony Breznican (December 20, 2006). "Slow to return, teen Turtles are back!". USA Today. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Heather Newgen (January 25, 2007). "TMNT Studio Visit!". Super Hero Hype. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  11. ↑ Martin A. Grove (March 20, 2007). "Turtles live again in CGI spinoff TMNT". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 26, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  12. ↑ Davis, Erik. (March 23, 2007) Interview: 'TMNT' Director Kevin Munroe – The Moviefone Blog Archived 2012-07-09 at archive.today . Blog.moviefone.com. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Peter Laird's TMNT blog: Blast from the Past #654: April 1, 2005: Re: first pass and 2 other things". Peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot.com. June 28, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 Armstrong, Josh (August 19, 2014). "Director Kevin Munroe revisits Imagi's TMNT franchise". Animated Views. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Imagi Media Kit" (PDF). Imagi.com.hk. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  16. 1 2 "TMNT Production Notes" (PDF). MovieWeb. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
  17. ↑ 'TMNT': The Turtles More Animated in CG
  18. ↑ "More Sign Up for "Ninja Turtles"". WorstPreviews. December 22, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
  19. ↑ Fox, Margalit (July 25, 2006). "Mako, 72, Actor Who Extended Asian-American Roles, Dies". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ Anne Neumann (March 6, 2007). "Kevin Munroe on TMNT". Super Hero Hype. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  21. ↑ "Baldwin implicitly confirms his role as Splinter while answering fans' questions at an Avatar forum". Distanthorizons.proboards.com. October 18, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  22. ↑ "iTunes – Music – TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Music from the Motion Picture by Various Artists". Itunes.apple.com. March 13, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  23. ↑ Omar Aviles (July 25, 2006). "CON: WB Animation". Joblo. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  24. ↑ "TMNT Sneak Peek #1". Searchlightcomics.com. January 7, 2013. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Mcdonalds Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo Toy 2007: Toys". Amazon. February 19, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Playmates Toys. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  27. ↑ TMNT Movie Novelization by Kevin Munroe (Screenwriter), Steve Murphy (Adapted by) – New, Rare & Used Books Online at Alibris Marketplace. Alibris.com. March 30, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  28. ↑ "TMNT Movie Prequel (Mirage comic book) – 5 issues". Comicvine.com. March 1, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Imagi International Holdings Limited". www.imagi.com.hk. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  30. ↑ "TMNT Teaser Trailer". Trailer Addict. March 23, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  31. ↑ "TMNT Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Film Collection : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  33. 1 2 Brandon Gray (March 26, 2007). "'TMNT' Sees Green on Crowded Weekend". Box Office Mojo . The grade from moviegoer pollster CinemaScore was "A-."
  34. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Top Box Office With $25.45M Debut". Fox News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  35. ↑ "TMNT (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 5, 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  36. ↑ "TMNT". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  37. ↑ Puig, Claudia (March 23, 2007). "'Turtle' chortle, 'Mimzy' whimsy". USA Today . Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  38. ↑ Ordona, Michael (March 23, 2007). "Ninja Turtles get seriously animated". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  39. ↑ Morris, Wesley (March 23, 2007). "'TMNT' has style, lacks substance". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  40. ↑ Gilchrist, Todd. "TMNT". IGN . News Corporation . Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  41. ↑ Hunter, Stephen (March 23, 2007). "'TMNT': Testudinal Fortitude". The Washington Post . Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  42. ↑ Rea, Steven (March 23, 2007). "Turtles, a little soft in the shell, get back in the soup". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Nominees for the 35th Annual Annie Awards". Variety . December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  44. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (February 9, 2008). "Ratatouille wins big at Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  45. ↑ Turek, Ryan (September 5, 2007). "Scream Award Nominees Announced". ComingSoon.net . Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  46. ↑ Ball, Ryan (October 22, 2007). "Transformers, 300 Score Scream Awards". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  47. ↑ Levi Buchanan (March 13, 2007). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Power of 4 Review". IGN . Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  48. ↑ Ubisoft. "Official Site | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up™ | Ubisoft". Tmntgame.us.ubi.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  49. ↑ "TMNT: Smash-Up Cheats, Codes, Unlockables – PlayStation 2". IGN . Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  50. ↑ Billington, Alex (March 4, 2007). "TMNT Sequel Planned, Could We See Shredder?". FirstShowing. Retrieved March 11, 2007.
  51. ↑ Rebel Taxi (October 3, 2019). "TMNT 2007 That CG Ninja Turtles Movie (@RebelTaxi)". Youtube. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  52. ↑ Benjamin Ong Pang Kean (June 10, 2008). "TMNT Celebrates 25 Years, III – Peter Laird". Newsarama . Retrieved October 20, 2018.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.