Nickelodeon’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Makes Me Say Booyakasha

Posted 8 years ago by Television

TMNT

I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about a new cartoon as I’ve been about Nickelodeon’s new TMNT show, and that’s saying a lot. I’ve been pumped about it for months and it finally premiered this Saturday morning with the one-hour Rise of the Turtles. What did I think of it?

I thought it was awesome, and I’m really excited to see where it goes this season.

How’s it Stack Up?

I arrange the Turtles in order of awesomeness like this: The first movie, the 80’s cartoon, the Mirage Comics, the 2007 CG movie, the second and third movies, the 2002 cartoon, and then everything else. I’m not hardcore about the comics or anything in particular, I just love the Turtles, so for me this show is a perfect blend of everything I love about them with some new stuff thrown in.

Nickelodeon’s TMNT is a great blend of the original comics and the 80’s cartoon. It’s got enough of a serious tone without coming off as overly dark, and at the same time it has some of the campy aspects of the 80’s show thrown in. I never cared for the Utrom in any incarnation of the Turtles, because I was always thinking That’s not Krang. With Nick’s TMNT, they found a happy medium. The Utrom are now The Kraang. I can live with that.

The mutagen is simple. Touch it and you mutate into something awesome based on the last (living?) thing you touched. I can’t wait to see some of the ‘monsters of the week’ they come up with for the Turtles to fight based on that old-school principle.

The writing was witty and not annoying, which was my biggest concern. The style is awesome, and the fact that my biggest complaint is that Splinter looks a bit too much like a badger is probably a good thing. I can’t think of anything else I didn’t like about the show. I love the intro, I love the character design, I love that they made April younger and aren’t objectifying her, and I loved seeing the Turtles have their first encounter with pizza. That was cool.

The Future

We already know some characters from the old show are being ported over. Metalhead, Leatherhead, the Rat King, and more are all jumping ship to Nick’s TMNT and joining the ranks of new characters like Dogpound and Fishface. I think that’s awesome. It’ll keep fans my age interested but not alienate all the kids who are going to make this cartoon their first TMNT experience.

Speaking of that, I kidnapped my four-and-a-half year old nephew Brady to watch the premiere with me this weekend and he loved it. He had a passing understanding of the Turtles just from seeing them everywhere at my house, but he seemed to really enjoy the new show. He kept asking where The Sharp Guy was, and I told him Shredder would probably be in the next episode.

After the show was over, I took him to the store and got him his first Ninja Turtle action figures. He really wanted The Blue Guy, but he was sold out, so he settled for The Red Guy and The Purple Guy. I don’t know if he’ll remember me buying him his first Turtles, but I know I always will.

To steal some thunder from another show I love, Community, I’ll say this. Six seasons and a movie!

  • I’m sure you already know this because I’ve been tweeting incessantly and in general cluttering up the internet with my opinions about it, but I am SO in love with these new Turtles, and it sounds like the majority of viewers are too. Mikey in particular stole my heart, and he’s usually my least-favorite Turtle–Nick is doing a lot of things right. The big news today was that there’s already going to be a 2nd season, and that Nick’s TMNT is currently the #1 kid’s show.

    I had a similar bonding experience with my boyfriend’s daughter and her cousins this past weekend. We all watched (actually I should say re-watched…it was like the 3rd time for me) the 2-part premiere together and I busted out my 11″ Nick Turtles action figures for them to play with. They went crazy over the toys and now they all want Turtles for Christmas.Here’s hoping that a full-on TURTLEMANIA PART 2 is upon us!

    • Awesome!

      I still need to get those 11″ figures, are they awesome?

      • The awesomest. I love them even more than the basic figs.

  • Cody Mix

    I am very pleased with the new toon it hits all the right sweet spots. I feel like its the 80’s again with how the new comic series leads up to the new toys which lead to the new cartoon. I look forward to more from Nick and give them big props for doing the TMNT franchise justice.

    Good on you Tommy for introducing the TMNT to your nephew, wish my niece was a bit older I would have done the same thing. Great sign that he liked the show as well, I want a new generation of turtle power representing out there!

    • Yeah I hope he stays a fan. I tried getting his older brother into TMNT when the CG movie came out but that didn’t stick.

      • Cody Mix

        Can’t win em all!

  • I forgot to mention — our Turtle hierarchies of awesomeness are strikingly similar. Not that I’m surprised.

  • “I don’t know if he’ll remember me buying him his first Turtles, but I know I always will.” I am not kidding even a little bit when I say I teared up just a tiny little twinge when I read that line (I mean, not full on sobs or anything… but I misted. I misted, man). I have two little boys of my own and I am working hard to convert them to the TMNT cult. Just randomly clicked on this link from one of your other posts. Awesome. Just awesome. I also concur with your graded scale of TMNT love.