Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: Mar. 23, 2007

If someone had told me in 1987 that four ninja-fighting turtles would go down in cinematic history, I'd have thought they were one gene short of a full mutation. Clearly, the rest of us are working too hard. Here we are, 20 years after the first TV series, and those warriors-on-the-half-shell are still thrilling audiences. And a whole new generation at that, Dudes!

This movie, directed by Kevin Monroe, brings back the four heroes we know and love, but in a fresh CGI format. Leonardo (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) is still the leader of the pack. Michelangelo (Mikey Kelley) is a loveable party animal… uh, make that party TURTLE. Donatello (Mitchell Whitfield) is the smart one. And Raphael (Nolan North) is still searching for his true self.

After defeating their longtime enemy, Shredder, the green lads have lost their sense of purpose. They're drifting apart, and their rat mentor, Master Splinter (voiced by Mako, who died shortly after filming), is struggling to keep the group together.

But strange things are happening in New York City. Tech industrialist Max Winters (Patrick Stewart) is assembling an army of ancient monsters to take over the world. And the mysterious Foot Clan is backing his diabolical plan with their own ninja skills.

It's up to the turtles – with help from old pals April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Casey Jones (Chris Evans) – to save the world. Again.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the brainchild of Peter Laird, who's also one of the writers on this movie. They entered the world as comic book characters and morphed into TV, movies, video games, toys, you name it. If it could be worn, played with, or looked at, it probably sported a TMNT logo at one time or another.

So what is it about the green guys that keeps fans coming back for more? I think it's a combination of things: They're teenaged turtles. They're mutant warriors. And they love pizza. What else is there to know?