Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Mar 11, 2026
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Steve Barron/Michael Pressman/Stuart Gillard

Release Date(s)

1990/1991/1993 (December 16, 2025)

Studio(s)

Golden Harvest/New Line Cinema (Arrow Video)

Film/Program Grade: See Below
Video Grade: See Below
Audio Grade: See Below
Extras Grade: B+
Overall Grade: A-

arrowvideo.com

Review

For younger comic book fans who weren’t around at the time, it’s difficult to imagine the impact that the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films had on young minds. The success of the cartoon iteration and subsequent toy line made it almost a guarantee that some producing entity would eventually tackle a big screen adaptation to cash in on the franchise’s popularity. One year prior to the film’s release, we had seen a serious blockbuster take on Batman, hailed as one of the biggest films of the decade and re-introducing audiences to the character in a way that was closer to the downbeat comics of the era. Its massive success had a ripple effect that echoes into today, wherein everybody who owned a comic book property was eager to try and replicate it. But for a fledgling franchise like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1990, that kind of success was much less of a certainty.

It’s hard to imagine that even newer generations aren’t familiar with the exploits of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but let’s have a refresher course and an overview of the first film just in case.

In the sewers below New York City lives a group of mutated animals, four turtles and a rat, all of whom were exposed to a radioactive substance leaking from a broken lab canister underground. Upon exposure, they eventually begin to grow, walking and speaking intelligently. The rat, Splinter (Kevin Clash), becomes their father and mentor, training them in the art of ninjutsu. He acquired these skills from his former master, shadow warrior Hamato Yoshi, who kept him as a pet, but was killed by a jealous rival, Oroku Saki, which forced Splinter to flee.

The four turtles, Leonardo (David Forman/Brian Tochi), Michelangelo (Michelan Sisti/Robbie Rist), Donatello (Leif Tilden/Corey Feldman), and Raphael (Josh Pais), live as teenagers below the city streets, occasionally slipping out to thwart small crimes, but remaining in the shadows. They struggle with their existence, with Raphael being the most angry of the group, enraged at the world around him and even scrapping with a local vigilante, Casey Jones (Elias Koteas).

On a fateful day, Channel 3 news reporter April O’Neil (Judith Hoag) is saved by one of the turtles during a mugging, subsequently becoming their close friend and ally. Above the streets, a secret gang of ninja thieves known as The Foot, primarily made up of wayward teenagers, is doing the bidding of the Shredder (James Saito/David McCharen), a deadly master ninja who uses them to carry out his criminal plans. The turtles soon find themselves up against the Shredder and The Foot after they kidnap Splinter, forcing them to work as a team to save their master. The rest of the main cast includes Toshishiro Obata, Michael McConnohie, Michael Turney, Raymond Serra, and Jay Patterson. Stuntmen for the turtles and Casey Jones include Reginald Barnes Jr., Ernie Reyes Jr., Kenn Scott, Chi Wai Chiang, Choi-Nam Yip, Mo Yuen, and Paul Beahm.

Like many comic book fantasies in their larval stages, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is ludicrous on paper. Initially created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as a joke, they soon found value in their creation and started the independently-owned Mirage Studios, whereupon the first black-and-white comics were released. Their popularity was potent enough that it was eventually licensed and developed into a smash hit cartoon show, a highly successful toy line, and a series of video games and merchandise. With all of this attention, it was only inevitable that a film adaptation would occur.

1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced independently at North Carolina Film Studios, financed primarily by the Hong Kong film company Golden Harvest Entertainment. With the help of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, who utilized recently-developed animatronic puppetry technologies for films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, as well as the Storyteller television series, the turtles were brought to life with actors, puppeteers, stuntpeople, and voice actors. Steve Barron, who had directed Electric Dreams and the music videos for Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, A-ha’s Take on Me, and Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing, helmed the project. After a disagreement over distribution in which he innocently brought the project to a Hollywood studio without Golden Harvest’s approval, he was fired once the picture wrapped and not involved in the final edit, which was carried out by future Quentin Tarantino collaborator Sally Menke.

Despite being dated by its setting (the World Trade Center can be seen in the opening shot) and containing references to pop culture items of the late 1980s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles holds up as not only the best on-screen adaptation of the franchise, but also one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Long before Marvel and DC dominated the market, TMNT managed to take elements mostly from the original comics while mixing in elements from the cartoon series, but giving the characters some gravitas and creating stakes. TMNT is a dark and violent film at times, one that could only have been made without the bank roll of a major Hollywood studio looking to exclusively please the younger members of the audience. It also gives dimension to its characters with not just surface-level traits, but emotional depth. Despite any behind-the-scenes issues, the resulting film was, for its time, the most successful independent production ever made, released by New Line Cinema in the United States and Golden Harvest elsewhere in the world.

In the rushed 1991 sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, the crime-fighting foursome find themselves in hiding at April’s (now played by Paige Turco) apartment. Meanwhile, The Foot are regrouping and the Shredder is looking for some old-fashioned revenge, kidnapping TGRI (altered from TCRI in the comics) scientist Professor Perry (David Warner) and forcing him to use the same radioactive substance, now referred to as “ooze,” to create overgrown monsters to destroy the turtles. The turtles are portrayed by Mark Caso and Brian Tochi (Leonardo), Michelan Sisti and Robbie Rist (Michelangelo), Leif Tilden and Adam Carl (Donatello), and Kevin Scott and Laurie Faso (Raphael). Kevin Clash returns as Splinter, while François Chau and David McCharen portray the Shredder (with Kevin Nash taking over in the climax as “Super Shredder”). The rest of the cast includes Ernie Reyes Jr. (graduating to lead actor from the first film), Toshishiro Obata, Raymond Serra, Mark Doer, Vanilla Ice, and Earthquake. Stuntmen for the turtles and Tokka and Rahzar include Larry Lam, Nick Palma, Steven Ho, Ho-Sung Pak, Tom DeWier, Curtis Evans, Hoyoung Pak, David Wald, Hamilton Perkins, and David Rowden.

In response to the dark tone and more overt violence of the original film, the producers of The Secret of the Ooze received complaints from angry parents and chose to lighten things up, making the sequel’s violence a little more cartoon-ish. The turtles don’t always use their weapons, and when they do, it isn’t always to strike somebody or defend themselves. Raphael is much less angry, even offering some occasional wisecracks, which to some degree makes sense due to his character’s arc being essential over at the end of the first film. On top of it all, a song and dance number was incorporated into the film performed by Vanilla Ice, Ninja Rap, which subsequently became a hit single. While the first film featured songs by the likes of M.C. Hammer, Hi Tek 3 featuring Ya Kid K, and Partners in Kryme (the latter performing the hit title song Turtle Power), the second film doubled down on more kid-friendly rap and dance numbers for its soundtrack, featuring artists like Dan Hartman, Magnificent VII, Cathy Dennis featuring David Morales, and of course, Vanilla Ice.

Not only were grown up fans not pleased with this direction, but it also makes the second film the most dated of the three original films, filled to the brim with early 90s music and references. The villains, including the Shredder, are completely neutered and pose little to no threat outside of a scene in which the turtles are captured and nearly dropped onto a bed of spikes before Splinter intervenes. Casey Jones is missing entirely, replaced by Keno, a young pizza delivery guy who studies martial arts that happens to stumble onto discovering the turtles, befriending and aiding them in the process. It’s not necessarily a fair trade-off. Matters aren’t helped by the new characters of Tokha and Rahzar, two larger mutants created by the Shredder that turn out to be young and “stupid.” One of the worst moments in any of these films comes from the Shredder’s discovery of this and exclaiming “Babies! They’re babies!” It’s a low point, for sure, but also disheartening since none of the other villains from the comics or the cartoons were ever utilized for these films, including Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang, Baxter Stockman, Rat King, Leatherhead, Slash, Mechaturtle, and the Triceratons. The sequel basically retroactively makes the Shredder’s death at the end of the original film meaningless, bringing him back for one more go, even though in the comics he was killed in the first issue.

Despite everything going against it, The Secret of the Ooze could not be stopped. “Turtle mania” was at an all-time high and kids lined up in droves to see it (myself among them). Today, those grown up kids have a nostalgic appreciation for the film, while some continue to condemn it for its lesser qualities, and others still are somewhere in between, which is where I find myself, personally. It has some fine sequences and comedic moments, but it fizzles out by the end (not to mention a severe lack of Casey Jones). It also never fully explores the how and why of the turtles, which is set up early on, but never paid off in any meaningful way. We discover the source of the ooze and why it wound up where it did, but as Donatello correctly asserts, “There’s just got to be more to it.” Nevertheless, most long-time fans still appreciate and even love The Secret of the Ooze, especially in regards to what came next.

By 1993, the fan base and the public were starting to grow tired of having the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in every aspect of their media. The cartoon series was in its sixth season and the turtles had been part of a live music stage show called Coming Out of Our Shells, which was released as an album in conjunction with Pizza Hut. Needless to say, the turtles were overexposed. That didn’t stop producers from releasing a third film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, semi-subtitled Turtles in Time for its home video release (interestingly enough, it had nothing to do with the hit arcade game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time).

This time around, they’re accidentally transported through time via a magic scepter that April (Paige Turco) discovers at a flea market, winding up in the past where they must also go to rescue her. They find themselves in feudal Japan, where Mistu (Vivian Wu) and Kenshin (Henry Hayashi) are rebelling against Kenshin’s father Lord Norinaga (Sab Shimono), who’s creating an “unjust war.” Sailing into Japan is the mercenary Walker (Stuart Wilson), who hopes to sell his guns to the daimyo, but becomes involved when the turtles arrive and are perceived to be ancient demons, upping his fee to destroy them. In present day, Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) appears to watch over Splinter and make sure that Kenshin and his father’s honor guards, who have come to the present after exchanging places with April and the turtles via the scepter, return home when the scepter re-activates in two and a half days. The turtles are portrayed by Mark Caso and Brian Tochi (Leonardo), David Fraser and Robbie Rist (Michelangelo), Jim Raposa and Corey Feldman (Donatello), and Matt Hill and Tim Kelleher (Raphael), with Splinter portrayed by James Murray, Lisa Sturz, and Tim Lawrence. The rest of the cast includes John Aylward, Travis A. Moon, Mak Takano, Steve Akahoshi, Kent Kim, Ken Kensei, and Tad Horino. Stuntmen for the turtles include Larry Lam, Anthony Marquez, Shishir Inocalla, Steven Ho, and Ho-Sung Pak.

Considered the least of the three TMNT films, the lesser qualities of the third film are purely evident in the design of and lighting on the turtle costumes. Jim Henson, who had passed away before the release of the second film, was no longer involved, nor was his company, As such, a different team took over with less than satisfactory results. Not only are the costumes more phony in appearance and overlit, but the designs of the faces and the execution of their puppetry is also much less believable. In the previous films, you were always aware that you were watching actors and stuntmen in costumes, but you forgot about it once the story was underway. That’s not the case here.

In the third film’s defense, it does go in a different direction with a new set of villains, leaving the Shredder dead (for certain this time) at the end of the second film. It also oddly attempts to give Michelangelo a semi-love interest in Mitsu, whom he has a newfound crush on and wants to live in the past with. It’s awkward, not to mention that his character is underserved anyway. As the franchise went on, he became so overly comedic that in some instances it borders on him being special needs. That would be fine, but his ninja skills are mostly persona non grata, especially in the third film. Censors in the UK were certainly fine with this since they had been editing these films to remove as much use of his nunchucks as possible and awkwardly replacing it with alternate footage. They did it again in the opening credits sequence of this film, but since he’s not of much use throughout the remainder, it doesn’t matter anyway. The same cartoon-ish tone is also in play in the third film, but it’s pushed over the edge as the turtles make one wisecrack after another, even at and especially during inappropriate moments. They’re also prone to making movie references on the fly, including “I’ll be back” and “Schwing!,” the latter of which occurs when April’s bare legs suddenly become visible. It’s... weird, to say the least.

As for the positives, Stuart Wilson is giving it his all as he usually does, since he was an over-the-top villainous character for many films in the 1990s, including No Escape and Lethal Weapon 3. He’s one of the more effective characters in the film by far, and a welcome breath of fresh air compared to just another bout with the Shredder. It’s also interesting to see the turtles somewhere other than New York City for a change, and feudal Japan makes a lot of sense. However, this is no Akira Kurosawa film, and we’re not going to see many beautiful landscapes or the turtles honing their ninja skills in these settings. Even John Du Prez’s score, which has been a driving backbone to the series up to this point, is lackluster by comparison.

When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III was released in 1993, it only brought in about a quarter of what the original film grossed, and despite opening at number one, wasn’t a financial powerhouse. The producers finally got it that “Turtle mania” was coming to end and the original series was halted, especially in light of TV shows like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers rising in popularity and dethroning the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ dominance. A fourth animated film was eventually released in 2007, simply titled TMNT, and the series was rebooted with much lesser results in 2014 with the Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and its sequel, 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. It wasn’t until 2023 when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem would successfully reboot the franchise in animated form. However, most contend that the original era of “Turtle mania” was when the franchise and its characters were at their peak, lesser sequels and all, while the original 1990 film has never, and will likely never, be topped.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was shot by cinematographer John Fenner on 35mm film and Super 8mm film for flashback scenes with spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Arrow Video presents the film on Ultra HD for the first time with a new 4K 16-Bit scan and restoration of the original camera negative, as well as a 4K scan of an interpositive to replace the third reel, which was missing from the camera negative. The results were approved by director Steve Barron, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. These films have been in dire need of a new scan for a couple of decades, and thanks to Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and Arrow Video, that’s finally come to pass. It’s a mostly top notch presentation that’s far more detailed and sharper than before. Grain is heavy, as it’s always been, but handled well here with a maxed out bitrate that tends to sit in the 80 to 100Mbps range. Everything resolves well enough, though the 8mm footage is still inherently soft and lacking the fine detail of a 35mm camera negative. The original film was always the rawest and most stylistic of the three, and the 8mm footage is evidence of that, being a clear stylistic choice on Steve Barron’s part. It just looks how it looks, and if you’ve spent most of your life watching this film like I have, you’ll notice the boosts in detail where it counts. The HDR passes is where things can be a little more tricky. There’s a richer saturation than before, including the turtles themselves who appear more overtly green, while the scenes between Danny and Splinter have a blue overcast. (I don’t have access to a print to verify, but one wonders if these hues are more accurate to the theatrical presentation and were subsequently lost on home video.) Nevertheless, the contrast range offers the darkest scenes more detail in the shadows, and since the film is primarily set within the darkness, that’s definitely welcome. The image is mostly clean outside of the opening with a tad of speckling and some mild softness here and there, which is source-related and not a fault of the master itself. Above all, it’s a major upgrade of the film with a minor caveat or two.

Audio for TMNT is provided in three options: a new English Dolby Atmos track, the original US theatrical stereo mix via 2.0 LPCM, and an alternate “warrior” mix in 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. The new Dolby Atmos mix definitely builds upon the original Dolby Stereo theatrical mix of the film and gives it much more space without adding anything, allowing for some occasional height and John Du Prez’s fantastic score more space to breathe in. The original stereo mix features the same panning and placement, while the Atmos simply enhances it. The alternate “warrior” mix was created for the Korean theatrical release, replacing all instances of “Japan” with “Korea” and references to ninja changed to “warrior” or “combat.” This is most apparent during Splinter’s second flashback scene with Danny, where even the names of the characters have been altered. The mix itself is a little more limited sonically with some light sibilance, but it’s characteristically similar to the main stereo mix. Unfortunately, the video portion doesn’t reflect this track when in use, so it’s semi-lip service. Regardless, the Atmos and stereo mixes are the way to go, with some edge given to the Atmos track for the additional space.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze was shot by cinematographer Shelly Johnson on 35mm film using Panavision Panaflex cameras and Panavision spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Arrow Video presents the film on Ultra HD for the first time with a new 4K 16-Bit scan and restoration of an interpositive (presumably because the original camera negative is missing), which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. In the most obvious of ways, it’s a different experience than the first film. It’s a brighter picture with more even lighting and the turtle costumes are more refined without appearing overtly artificial (that would follow in the third film), but this new 4K master lacks the depth and detail of a camera negative. It’s certainly not a poor presentation by any means, but you may find yourself wanting more detail in backgrounds, darker environments, and the shadows that just isn’t there. Nevertheless, it’s a fine picture with a maxed out bitrate, often sitting in the 80 to 100Mbps range. The HDR isn’t quite as aggressive as the first film, but everything appears as it should with rich colors in the various environments, not to mention the turtles’ headbands and the Shredder’s purple clothes. Grain is fairly heavy, but everything resolves well enough with good contrast and deep blacks, at least as deep as an interpositive will allow. The image is also clean and stable from beginning to end, and in some ways more consistent compared to the previous film. It’s an obvious and most welcome upgrade, but you may have to view it a time or two to fully appreciate it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III was shot by cinematographer David Gurfinkel on 35mm film with Panavision cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Arrow Video presents the film on Ultra HD for the first time with a new 4K 16-Bit scan and restoration of an interpositive (again, presumably because the original camera negative is missing), which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. This is a much better presentation than its predecessor that looks surprisingly more detailed with a lower yield of grain. It comes close enough to the original camera negative that you may be fooled upon first glance. Detail is much higher, especially on costumes and in backgrounds, with a bitrate that sits in the 80 to 100Mbps range. It’s a consistently solid image that’s clean with lovely saturation, which the HDR fully enhances. The “Japanese” countryside foliage is lush and green, as are the turtle costumes. There’s also plenty of color to be had in the other costumes and the turtles’ lair, as well as excellent contrast with deep blacks that are far more impressive than the previous film. Despite not being sourced from the original camera negative, it’s a sharp and refined UHD presentation.

Audio options for TMNT II and TMNT III are provided in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM. The Dolby Stereo sources serve each of the four tracks well with plenty of prioritization for the various elements, though the 5.1 tracks lack some of the punch of the original stereo mixes, albeit minorly. Panning and placement are top notch with proper volume levels for dialogue, sound effects, score, and music. It’s actually surprising that Arrow didn’t spring for an Atmos option on either of the sequels. All three films also contain optional subtitles in English SDH.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): A/A/A
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B-/B+/B+
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): C+/A-/B+

The 3-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy from Arrow Video presents each disc in a separate black Amaray case, the first featuring stickers and four character cards (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael); the second featuring a Roy’s Pizza (aka Ray’s Pizza in real life) loyalty card, two character cards (Splinter and the Shredder), and a double-sided poster with new artwork by Florey on the front and the original theatrical poster artwork on the reverse; and the third featuring two character cards (April O’Neill and Casey Jones) and a double-sided poster with new artwork on the front and the original theatrical poster artwork on the reverse. Each case also contains an insert with the same double-sided artwork. Also included is a larger-sized double-sided poster featuring the first film’s original theatrical poster artwork on one side and the ancient “Map of the Kappa Realm” Japanese demon scroll artwork of the turtles from the third film on the reverse. Alongside all of this is a 60-page booklet featuring a menu for Roy’s Pizza on the front and back, with cast and crew information, the essays Turtle Recall by John Walsh, A Faithful Comic Book Adaptation by John Torrani, Sensei/Censor by Simon Ward, restoration details, production credits, and special thanks. Everything is housed in a rigid slipcase with a thin slipcover featuring either the original theatrical poster artwork or new artwork by Florey, depending upon which release you pick up (they’re exactly the same otherwise). The following extras are included on each disc:

DISC ONE: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Audio Commentaries:
- Audio Commentary with Steve Barron
- Audio Commentary with Dave Baxter
Rising When We Fall: Directing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (HD – 14:44)
Turtle Talk: The Cast Who Brought the Turtles to Life (HD – 18:50)
O’Neil on the Beat: Judith Hoag Reporting on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (HD – 19:54)
Wet Behind the Shells: Producer Simon Fields Looks Back (HD – 11:01)
Beneath the Shell: The Puppetry of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (HD – 16:07)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turf (HD – 12:58)
Alternate UK Version (UHD w/HDR – 91:15)
Alternate Ending (SD – 2:10)
Alternate Korean Footage (SD – 1:01)
Theatrical Trailers:
- US Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:28)
- UK Teaser Trailer (SD – 1:05)
- UK Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:33)
- UK Re-Release Trailer (SD – 2:06)
Image Gallery (HD – 26 in all)

The first new audio commentary features director Steve Barron, who takes us through the experience of making the film quite adeptly. He unfortunately drops out a few times and the audio reverts to the film’s audio, but it’s ultimately a worthwhile track. The second audio commentary is also a new track, this time featuring comic book expert and podcaster Dave Baxter, who covers the history of the turtles, the franchise, and the films. It’s a very energetic and educational track.

In Rising When We Fall, director Steve Barron discusses working concurrently with his mother as they were both finding their own ways in the film industry, working in music videos, being made aware that an adaptation of TMNT was in development at Golden Harvest, going to Jim Henson with the idea, the budget rising once pre-production was underway, fine-tuning the script with themes of family and being inspired by real-world crimes, difficulties in finding financial backing prior to New Line Cinema’s involvement, shooting on a backlot and on location, dealing with the animatronic technology and re-recording the voices later, choosing Brian Henson to shoot second unit, the reason for his being let go from the project, working with Sally Menke and meeting Quentin Tarantino, avoiding seeing the film for years after not being involved with the final cut, and his appreciation of it today. In Turtle Talk, Kenn Scott talks about getting onto the North Carolina studio lot disguised as a pizza delivery man and being chosen to play Raphael; Brian Tochi speaks about coming onto the film while it was already in production; Ernie Reyes Jr. discusses working for stunt choreographer Pat E. Johnson; Robbie Rist goes over his career before being a voice artist and becoming a part of the film; and all of them go over the more serious tone of the first film, the number of people and the hard work that it took to bring the turtles to life, the difficulties in performing additional dialogue replacement, the film being such an enormous success, and being grateful for the opportunity.

In O’Neil on the Beat, actress Judith Hoag discusses growing up as an outspoken person and being very comfortable with the role of April, receiving the script during the making of Cadillac Man, being excited for the prospects of the film’s themes, having scheduling issues with Cadillac Man, receiving support from Robin Williams, going out to dinner for the first time with the cast and crew, Steve Barron turning her loose to focus on other aspects of production, dealing with the technology of the turtles, details of the shoot, her relationship with the turtles through her eyes, working with Elias Koteas, how she feels about the film today, reflecting on not seeing Steve Barron’s lost version, being disappointed in not being brought back for the sequels, and being grateful for her fans. In Wet Behind the Shells, producer Simon Fields talks about his early career before working in commercials, being brought in by filmmaker Anthony Minghella, pitching to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, working with Steve Barron and getting Jim Henson involved, making a deal with New Line Cinema, screening the film behind Golden Harvest’s back at Disney, the multiple deals with pizza chains, the shoot, working with Jim and Brian Henson, not bneing able to get Malcolm McLaren involved in the project like he wanted, striking the right tone for the film, the positive response from critics and audiences, being pleased with the film’s success, and its lasting appeal.

Beneath the Shell speaks to chief puppeteer and second unit director Brian Henson about working in Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, as well as animatronic puppeteer Robert Tygner about getting a job on Labyrinth and working with Brian Henson. They then talk about the difficulties in creating and executing the technology needed to achieve the turtles successfully, shooting the flashbacks on Super 8mm film, dealing with radio-controlled disruptions due to planes, problems with the financial backers, how well the film turned out despite any meddling, and the film’s legacy. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turf, Michael Gingold takes us on a tour of the various filming locations.

The Alternate UK Version is also provided in Ultra HD using scans of a theatrical print for exclusive footage that was instituted to hide Michelangelo’s nunchucks on camera. It’s worth noting that this version also opens with the Golden Harvest logo since they distributed it in the UK. The Alternate Ending sees April and Danny presenting the idea of the turtles to a comic book company, who scoffs at how unbelievable the idea is as the turtles watch from outside the window. The scene is sourced from a lost VHS workprint. The Alternate Korean Footage offers moments that were re-dubbed for South Korean audiences to remove references to Japan, Japanese culture, and the word “ninja.” There’s also an alternate shot seen during Splinter’s second flashback scene. Fortunately, this footage survives as it was ironically released in Japan on LaserDisc and VHS. Last are various US and UK trailers, as well as an Image Gallery that contains 26 behind-the-scenes photos, promotional stills, and posters.

DISC TWO: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE

Audio Commentary with Michael Pressman and Gillian Wallace Horvat
John Du Prez to the Rescue (HD – 13:40)
Hard Cores: An Interview with Kenny Wilson, Former Mould Shop Supervisor at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop (HD – 8:17)
Steve Mirkovich: The Secret of the Edit (HD – 15:00)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mania: Behind the Shells (SD – 28:36)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:17)
Image Gallery (HD – 20 in all)

The new audio commentary features director Michael Pressman, who’s moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat. To be honest, it’s a bit of a clunky track as Horvat attempts to provide some information about the film as Michael Pressman interjects to give some insight when he sees something on the screen that he wants to talk about. They unfortunately don’t have a very good rapport with each other and most of the commentary is reactionary rather than educational.

In John Du Prez to the Rescue, the composer talks about his earliest exposures to music and the symphony growing up in a lower class household, becoming a session musician and scoring for Monty Python, being in a successful salsa band, UHF leading to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, his process for lower budgets, having access to Chick Corea’s cadre of musicians, becoming involved with the sequel and having more time to plan the music, using leitmotifs, being involved with the creation of the soundtrack, recording a primitive drum track for the third film, his reluctance in reading scripts, and feeling lucky to have been a part of many projects that have longevity. In Hard Cores, former mould shop supervisor at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Kenny Wilson, discusses how many artists in the shop worked on these films, the process of moulding and building the turtle suits, having to make lots of copies due to how much wear and tear they would take on set, how fantastic the stuntpeople were, the animatronic elements and the issues that would arise, working with Kevin Nash, not being able to appear as an extra in the film, and looking back on the experience. In The Secret of the Edit, co-editor Steve Mirkovich talks about leaving preconceived notions out of the editing room and making the film work, working with Mark Warner, doing uncredited work on They Live, being offered the second turtles film with a very tight schedule, collaborating with John Wright on various projects, the process of two editors, working with Michael Pressman, having a smooth experience in and out of the editing room, using guide tracks for the voices, getting to know actors intimately in the editing room, having a lot of footage to work with during the Vanilla Ice sequence, worrying more about rhythms instead of match-cutting, finding “bumps” in the editing, the lack of difficulty in finding comedic rhythms in the film, retiring to Australia, seeing the finished film with an audience, and his appreciation of it.

Behind the Shells is an archival 1991 featurette about the origin of the turtles and the making of The Secret of the Ooze. Interestingly, this is the original version that’s missing the on-screen introductions of the speakers and features a brief appearance by Barbara Walters. The home video version featured the former but not the latter, likely due to rights issues. Last is the film’s trailer and an Image Gallery that contains 20 promotional stills and posters.

DISC THREE: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III

Audio Commentary with Stuart Gillard
Rebel Rebel: Vivian Wu Finds Her Inner Warrior (HD – 14:17)
Daimyos & Demons: Looking Back Lord Norinaga (HD – 10:14)
Alternate UK Opening (SD – 2:03)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:03)
Image Gallery (HD – 23 in all)

The new audio commentary features director Stuart Gillard. It’s a bit on the reactionary side, but he still manages to dole out an enormous amount of information about the making of the film and his experiences with it. It’s honestly one of the better commentaries in this set.

In Rebel Rebel, actress Vivian Wu discusses being cast in The Last Emperor when she was still in high school; accepting the lead role in Shadow of China; coming to Hollywood for the first time and staying; being aware of the TMNT films without having seen them; meeting for and getting the part for the third film; watching Japanese films like Ran and Tampopo; learning to be more introverted for the role of Mitsu; learning to ride horses; prepping for the role with martial arts and weapons training; her sympathies for the turtle stunt performers; working with Sab Shimono, Elias Koteas, Paige Turco, and Steven Ho; going horseback riding on her days off and almost getting hurt in one instance; and why she feels that the turtles work for children and families. In Daimyos & Demons, actor Sab Shimono mentions playing Toshiro Mifune’s son in The Challenge, being hesitant to do TMNT III at first and appreciating it for his exposure to young children, his theatre work, being sent to a relocation camp during World War II and keeping up with what’s going on in Japan, how great the sets were and how they helped him sink into the role, researching his role and finding his way into it, difficulties in working with the turtles without seeing the actors’ eyes, enjoying the fairy tale aspects of the production, his appreciation for how good the project was, learning to ride a horse for the role, and his final reflections on the experience.

Next is the film’s Alternate UK Opening, which replaced any footage of Michelangelo during the opening credits featuring the use of nunchucks (without changing the audio, I might add). Last is the film’s trailer and an Image Gallery that contains 23 promotional stills and posters.

This is a very substantial amount of bonus material, though there’s plenty missing. The previous German DVD and Blu-ray releases of the films feature their own exclusive audio commentaries with each of the directors, and those haven’t carried over. In addition, none of the music videos, TV and radio spots, or other advertising ephemera have been included either; not to mention the additional deleted scenes for the first film that have recently surfaced in the Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles documentary, or its expanded version, which was teased in theaters for the original film’s 2025 theatrical re-release.

The long wait for a proper special edition home video release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy is finally over. While it doesn’t have quite as many bells and whistles that fans have longed for, it does a lot of heavy lifting, and still is a fantastic 4K release with three great presentations. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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