Today's post was inspired by a cartoon I started watching again on the weekends through YouTube. I used to watch it EVERY weekend, for about 5 years or so, (well into my high school years, no shame). It has become a huge part of my life and my nerd fandom, so I thought it deserved a spot in here. Since Nickelodeon has since picked up this rebooted series as of 2012, I thought it would be fun to compare the two versions. Obviously I'll be a bit biased, but each version has it's own strong points and set backs. I give you, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
(comicsalliance.com)
Unfortunately, we won't be reviewing the original cartoon because, let's be honest, you really can't compare the original to anything. The version that I was, (and still am), mildly obsessed with in high school is the 2003 version that aired on 4Kids TV. This version was a little darker than the original with more hard lines, shadows and a comic book style look. We'll also be looking at the newest version of the cartoon, which airs on Nickelodeon as of 2012 and is currently doing extremely well. The current cartoon is CGI with some subtle anime-esq animation throughout. This one's a bit more "campy" than the 2003 version and is more along the lines of the original with nods to both the comics and the original live-action movies from the 80s.
(playmatestoys.com)
The newest version of the cartoon, (shown above), has been doing very well on it's new network. I'm personally glad that the TMNT have benefited from this resurgence of 80s nostalgia and it seems to be flourishing. This series has the voice talents of Sean Astin, (Raphael), Greg Cipes, (Michaelangelo), Seth Green, (Leonardo), and Rob Paulsen, (Donatello). You may recognize Paulsen from his earlier voice acting gigs, such as The Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron, Spike from The Land Before Time movies, plus too many more to list here. Not to mention Paulsen was the voice of the original Raphael from the 1980s cartoon series! What a legend to have on the TMNT squad! There was some backlash when Seth Green replaced Jason Biggs as the voice of Leonardo in 2014, but the series hasn't seemed to suffer since the change.
I haven't watched this series as much as others, however, I will say that they have done a great job keeping true to both the comics and the other franchises. They have made numerous references to the comic book story lines as well as the movies. They have also brought in characters from the original series, like Rocksteady and BeBop. The series is still meant for children, mainly kids within the elementary school to middle school range, so it's not dark and leans more towards the campy original version of the cartoon. I enjoy the back-and-forth banter between the brothers, (say THAT five times fast), and the occasional wit from Raphael or Mikey, as per usual. This series is actually pretty funny and adults will laugh if you give it a try with your kids.
What I DON'T like about this series is it's lack of seriousness. Last week's episode was the first one where I actually saw some emotion and some grit in the series. Donatello is supposed to be a genius and an inventor, but he uses garbage cans and other trash to make weapons, robots and vehicles, (that they shouldn't be driving because they are teenagers, but I digress...). I think Donny's talents are being wasted, quite frankly, compared to what other Donnys have done in the other series. This also makes me think that they modeled this cartoon off of the original because the original Donny's inventions usually didn't work correctly or at all. I think there's also a lack of character development for the brothers. They all have their own unique personalities, but I think Mikey is the only one who really shines through in this series. The others haven't been allowed to stand on their own once or twice, so we really only see them when their working as a team. I miss the banter between Raph and Leo and the tension that put on the team. Again, another reason I think this series mirrors the original the most.
I also don't really care for the Casey Jones in this series. Casey and April are way too young and Casey is basically a high school drop out. He's supposed to have motivation in order to fight the Foot Ninja as a vigilante, but I don't see that in this series, or it was never brought up. April is also a little conflicting for me because she brings her dad into this and she also has a psychic ability for some reason, (I think she's originally a clone experiment from the Krang, but still...too much). Overall, there are some key features missing from this series, which is why it hasn't grabbed me yet. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
(comicvine.com)
This is the series to which I compare all others. I LOVE this series, although there are some things I didn't like about it, it was and still is superior to the others. This series, created in 2003 and aired until 2007, was gritty, dark and driven solely by the story. It stayed true to the comic books, almost entirely, especially with the origin story. No weird mutant bats or other animals here, except for Leatherhead, (who looks SO BAD ASS in this series by the way!). This series hearkened to the comic book style like you wouldn't believe. The animation is a bit dated by our standards now, but it was so inventive back then, (I'm saying that about the early 2000s...I'm so old). LOOK at their muscles! They are supposed to be teenagers! Who cares? I don't. This is the only time I will publicly admit to having an unwarranted crush on an animated character. I love you Raph <3
What I love about this series is the obvious character development. Everyone has their own personality and it shows throughout the series. Michaelangelo is the funny guy, so he's usually the one cracking jokes and pushing everybody's buttons, (mainly Raph). Raphael is the angry, brooding one who often goes out on his own just to get above ground, away from the confinement of the lair. Donatello is the genius and the mechanic and builds some seriously awesome gadgets and vehicles to propel the turtles through hard times. Leonardo is the definite leader, which sometimes pisses Raph off, but ultimately makes sense to the group. Leo actually goes through trials for this position, which you don't see really play out in the newer series. Each turtle has it's own voice and is differentiated from the others by variations in their green colors, which I find completely amazing, considering they already have masks, right? These guys bring teamwork to a whole new level.
Did I mention this series was hilarious? I usually find myself laughing to myself every time I watch an episode. Much like the newer series, this series makes constant nods to the comic books, movies and other nerdy fandoms, (at one point they reference Star Wars). The wit in this series is unparalleled and the wise-cracking is insane. You really feel like you're there with them, going through what they're going through, which is a lot actually. They start the series with one of the comic arcs which includes Dr. Stockman's famous Mouser robots, (in the comics) and goes through their relocation process and the beginning of their adventures with The Shredder. The story lines are so good! They cover everything about their origins, meeting April and Casey, going galactic and everything in between. I actually watched every weekend just to see where the story went. I was addicted.
(turtlepedia.wikia.com)
I love the classic comic book style animation, I love the grit and the wit, but I especially like this April/Casey combo. They are ADULTS, first of all, and second, they both have a true purpose. April worked for Baxter Stockman before bumping into the turtles and becoming their first human ally. Casey shows up a few episodes after that, running into Raph after he almost bludgeons Mikey with a metal pipe, (See? It's really heavy guys). Casey and Raph butt heads until it's time to team up and they become BFFs. This Casey is great and very goal-oriented. His father's store was attacked by the Purple Dragon Gang when he was a kid, so he becomes the masked vigilante to make them pay. No one ever kills anyone though. Heck, they even make a note to practice restraint on more than one occasion, but this series has real emotion behind it. They have complicated lives and it shows in the story. Watching the romance bud between Casey and April is both hilarious and awkward at the same time, but watching them get married at the end of it all makes it worth while.
This series takes you on adventures. First you're in NYC battling Oroku Saki, then you're transported to another dimension, back in time, alternate universes, outer space, and beyond. Renett, the Time Lord's assistant, makes her appearance in both this series and the newer series, as well as in the comic books. I loved meeting new characters along the way, like Usagi, the rabbit ninja the turtles meet during the Tribunal in the alternate dimension. Seriously guys, go watch this series.
There were things I didn't like in this series, although not as much as the other one. First there's something I liked AND didn't like at the same time. It was one episode that's titled, "Same as it Never Was" and it focused on Donny as he traveled to an alternate timeline, (due to interference from an evil sorcerer). Donny lands in the future, having disappeared for many years, and bumps into future Michaelangelo, missing an arm and fighting off an attack from the Foot Clan, who have taken over the world thanks to The Shredder. Mikey explains that, after Donny disappeared, the team fell apart and split up, so Mikey stayed behind. Through careful manipulation, Donny is able to get Raph and Leo to meet up and make amends. They had cut ties over a disagreement about how they handled the passing of Splinter, who was killed protecting them. Donny gets everyone to team up again, minus Casey, who was also killed in a previous attempt to overthrow The Shredder. In the ensuing battle, Donny prevails, but at the cost of his brothers. April promises to keep Donny's memory alive as he disappears and returns to his own timeline, happily reuniting with the other turtles who are not dead. This episode is ALL the feels, especially if you've been watching this series for years like I had. It was awful to watch and at the same time I'm glad the producers took this chance at a gritty and terrible alternate timeline. This episode was not for the faint of heart, but I appreciated the effort to make this series really great.
(youtube.com)
Another thing I didn't particularly like about this series was seasons 6 and 7, the last two they made. This would be TMNT "Fast Forward," where they get transported in time to the future and meet Casey and April's grandson, and also "Back to the Sewer," where they return from the future. These two seasons I didn't watch as much because it was terrible. The animation changed drastically and the story became too extreme for my tastes. A lot was happening and it all seemed too far-fetched for the series as a whole, so I abandoned ship. I did watch the TV movie special they did toward the end where they brought back every type of turtle, (animated original comic book black and white turtles, original 80s turtles, and the 2003 turtles. This was a great special and showed just how much the turtles have changed in the last couple decades. It was still weird and the animation was terrible, but it was worth watching for nostalgia purposes.
That's all I have for the turtles, then and now. I don't necessarily want people to become swayed by my opinion alone, so make it for yourself. I know way too much about the TMNT for my own good, so if you are a proclaimed turtle lover, such as myself, then do yourself a favor and relive your childhood! Re-watch both series, (they are both available online and I've been watching the 2003 version on YouTube), and see what you think. You will enjoy yourself either way. Which version do you like the best? Are you still aching for 80s turtle nostalgia? What about the live-action movies or the newer ones? Let me know what you think in the comments! Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
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