Everyone knows the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but do you know which are the best TMNT movies of all time?
Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo are all household names in 2022 thanks to their fantastic TV series, games, and films.
Not to mention that they’re all named after incredible artists, but that’s not the point right now.
The heroes in a half shell were my heroes during the 90s. And they always seemed to be eating pizza like me, so we had a lot in common.
Over the years, the Turtles have hit the big screen in films of their own, some great, some too bad to even be flushed into the sewers. Even if you own all the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys, you still can’t deny that some of these movies should be shredder by Shredder.
There are 8 TMNT movies in total; let’s find out how they rank, shall we?
Table of Contents
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles In Time (1993)
6. TMNT: The Movie (2007)
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze (1991)
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (2016)
2. Batman Vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
1. Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022)
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
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First up on our list of the best TMNT movies of all time is arguably the worst film of the bunch; the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.
Listen, there’s nothing inherently terrible about this movie, it’s just that there’s nothing good about it either.
To watch, it’s pretty dull. Megan Fox does her best to hold the show together, but it’s all a bit of a damp squib from the get go.
In this movie, the turtles reveal themselves to the world when Shredder begins to terrorise New York.
Should they have stayed underground like Splinter advised?
Probably so, then the movie wouldn’t have happened…
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles In Time (1993)
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles In Time get’s a hard rap. Ok, so it’s by no means brilliant, in fact it’s pretty poor.
Bu, the time travelling elements are fun, and any link to the epic Turtles in Time arcade game will always rank highly in my book.
Apart from this case, where it’s ranking 7th…
Compared to the 2014 movie above, the plot in this movie is so much more interesting. After April O’Neil purchases a Japanese sceptre that transports her through time, the the Turtles follow her.
That’s right; the half-shell heroes are heading to 16th Century Japan!
Can they save her from the dreaded clutches of Lord Norinaga?
I hope so, otherwise Channel 5 News is about to get much more boring!
6. TMNT: The Movie (2007)
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Next up on our list of the best TMNT movies is the aptly titled TMNT: The Movie.
Unfortunately, we’re back to having a plot that is so wafer thin you could tear it with a tiny breath. Still, the one thing that saves TMT from ranking last in this article is the artistic features of the film.
Ok, so it’s never going to be shown at Cannes Film Festival, but it is a good looking movie with some exciting graphics and artwork for Turtles fans to soak up.
The main premise here is that the TMNT heroes have drifted apart.
Hey, it happens sometimes, especially when all your family does is fight crime. Now, they have to come back together and work through their differences if they’re ever going to save New York City.
Like I said, the plot is poor and has been done to death, but just give the film a chance. It’s well worth a watch!
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze (1991)
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Jokey dialogue with a little slapstick violence thrown in; sounds like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze.
To be honest, that could have summed up the 90s in general and not just this movie…
Shredder is back once again as the main antagonist, and he’s causing more havoc with mutants.
This time, the same ooze that created the Turtles has been used to make some evil enemies. Not only that, but Shredder wants to use the ooze on himself to make himself even more powerful.
How can a Turtle stand idly by in a situation like this? The team head up to the city to stop Shredder once more and save the day!
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
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We can’t have a list of the best TMNT movies without the very first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, can we!
If you’re a fan of stand up comedians that use one-liners and cheesy puns, then this film will be right up your street.
I remember this film being everything when I was a kid, and it still made me laugh when I recently watched it again in my 30s.
Ok, so it’s probably a little grating for anyone who doesn’t like the turtles and maybe didn’t watch it when they were younger. But I don’t know any of those people, so it’s all good.
This is the first time we hear about the ooze that turns four normal sewer turtles into bad-ass ninjas. We meet Splinter who teaches them the arts of Ninjitsu, and also Splinter’s pupil-gone-rogue, the evil Shredder!
This move is an absolute blast from the past and one that all Turtles fans need to see. If you’ve just read our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge review, then go back and see the whole gang from the very beginning!
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (2016)
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Megan must have succinctly put her point across about how bad the previous Turtles movie was, because the sequel to the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is much more exciting.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows isn’t as wacky or as zany as The Secret of the Ooze, for example, which probably means that more adult and non-turtles lovers will be able to get on board with it.
Visually, it’s impressive, but controversially it’s that lack of humour that stops this film from ranking any higher.
If they could have taken more of a leaf out of the first Turtles movie ‘s book and made it more comedy and less a comedy of errors like Fox’s first Turtles outing, then it could have swapped Bronze for a Silver medal in our list today.
Shredder is runing amok with his henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady, as well as a mad scientist with a powerful serum.
Why are all scientists mad in these films? Why can’t we have some good scientists just going about their business for once?
Can the Turtles stop Shredder and beat back Krang with the help of their friends?
If they can’t, then it’s going to be a bit of a terrible ending. Turtle soup, anyone?
2. Batman Vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
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How many of you have just said ‘I never knew there was a Batman Vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie’?
Yes, the Dark Knight and the world’s most fearsome fighting team hit the streets together in this movie, and it’s pure gold.
We’re talking DC comic characters and Turtles all in one movie as the heroes fight off against Shredder, Ra’s Al Ghul, and The League of Assassins.
It’s a comic book nerd’s dream come true!
The artwork in this film is incredible too, a visual feast for the eyes that you just can’t get enough of. The action scenes are superbly planned, the pace is fast, and there’s just enough humour to break the tension every now and again.
All in all, a fun movie that everyone can enjoy!
1. Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022)
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The results are in, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is officially the best TMNT movie!
Yes, a movie that came out in 2022 has immediately topped the list of the best TMNT movies of all time, but that’s just how good it is!
Arguably, it has got the might of the TV series behind it already, with the film continuing the stellar work and epic stories already released. Still, the graphics, the voice acting, the humour we loved from the comics; it’s all here by the bucket load.
When Casey Jones arrives from the future to tell the Turtles that the Krang is on its way, the turtles have to grow up fast.
I don’t mean how tall are the Ninja Turtles… I mean grow as in mature and not bicker like annoying teenagers.
This is a powerful and emotional journey for both the Turtles and the viewer. The plot line is superb, there’s nothing too gory, and it’s a slick family-friendly title that anyone of any age or knowledge of the turtles can watch with ease.
Which is your favourite TMNT movie? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!