You don’t need to be a turtle junkie to know that the toys-to-life series is one of the most cherished in the entire fandom. Our love for the pizza-eating ninjas knows no bounds.
Movies have had mixed reviews over the years, but what TMNT film is the best of the bunch? We’ve taken a look at all of the live-action films, from 2007 to the new Rise of the TMNT, to rank them from worst to best.
Here are all the TMNT movies:
TMNT (2007)
The first film in the 2007 reboot series is a fan favourite and has the most heart of any of the movies. It’s a silly, over-the-top popcorn flick that keeps things simple, unlike the sequels that follow. On the other hand, the story and villain are fairly generic, and the CGI is a bit dated now, but we still enjoy watching it every once in a while.
TMNT: Out of the Shadows (2016)
The sequel to the 2007 film is more of the same, but we like this movie a lot more now that we’ve had time to reflect on it. The first film took itself too seriously, but this one embraces the ridiculousness and fun of the source material. Unfortunately, it still takes itself too seriously from time to time, and the story is a bit silly, but this film is a lot of fun, and the action scenes are really good.
TMNT (2014)
We had really high hopes for this film, but it just couldn’t live up to them. The Rise of the TMNT movie is a hit with fans, and you can read our review here, but it’s still ridiculous. The 2007 film is guilty of the same thing, but it’s just better at it. This one is still fun, but the story is pretty generic and the voice acting is pretty bad. It’s still a series favourite, but it’s so silly that it’s hard to take it seriously even for a cartoon.
TMNT (2016)
The latest live-action film surprised critics by not being as bad as it looked from the trailers. It’s a shame that this movie isn’t better, because the art style and voice cast are fantastic. Mutants are the rivals in this one, not Shredder, and we like this twist, but it still feels like a missed opportunity to do something different.
TMNT (2007)
The 2007 film isn’t the best story-wise, but the action scenes are pretty cool and the voice cast is great. It’s nice to see the turtles in live action and hear them talk, but the villain is pretty forgettable.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
The 2014 film is the most recent live-action revival and unfortunately did not capture the hearts of audiences. It’s not really a bad movie – it just wasn’t special. It’s not an unentertaining movie, but it’s not memorable either. It’s just kind of there. We understand why the turtles are so popular, but this movie didn’t really do anything to prove why we should care about them.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The original live-action film from 1990 is a lot of fun, but it’s a bit dated now. It tells the usual story but feels special for fans. It’s more of a classic movie that people love to watch and quote from time to time.
TMNT (2007)
The first film in the 2007 reboot series is a fan favourite and has the most heart of any of the movies. It’s a silly, over-the-top popcorn flick that keeps things simple, unlike the sequels that follow. On the other hand, the story and villain are fairly generic, and the CGI is a bit dated now, but we still enjoy watching it every once in a while.
TMNT: The Movie (1990)
The first TMNT movie is a pretty good adaptation of the Mirage comics, but it’s very different from the series. The villains are different, and the turtles are far more heroic. We still think it’s worth a watch if you’re a fan of the series and can appreciate it for what it is.
TMNT (2014)
The 2014 film is the most recent live-action revival and unfortunately did not capture the hearts of audiences. It’s not really a bad movie – it just wasn’t special. It’s not an unentertaining movie, but it’s not memorable either. It’s just kind of there. We understand why the turtles are so popular, but this movie didn’t really do anything to prove why we should care about them.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
The sequel to the 2007 film is more of the same, but we like this movie a lot more now that we’ve had time to reflect on it. The first film took itself too seriously, but this one embraces the ridiculousness and fun of the source material. Unfortunately, it still takes itself too seriously from time to time, and the story is a bit silly, but this film is a lot of fun, and the action scenes are really good.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The original live-action film from 1990 is a lot of fun, but it’s a bit dated now. It tells the usual story but feels special for fans. It’s more of a classic movie that people love to watch and quote from time to time.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
We had really high hopes for this film, but it just couldn’t live up to them. The Rise of the TMNT movie is a hit with fans, and you can read our review here, but it’s still ridiculous. The 2007 film is guilty of the same thing, but it’s just better at it. This one is still fun, but the story is pretty generic and the voice acting is pretty bad. It’s still a series favourite, but it’s so silly that it’s hard to take it seriously even for a cartoon.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2007)
The 2007 film isn’t the best story-wise, but the action scenes are pretty cool and the voice cast is great. It’s nice to see the turtles in live action and hear them talk, but the villain is pretty forgettable.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
The 2014 film is the most recent live-action revival and unfortunately did not capture the hearts of audiences. It’s not really a bad movie – it just wasn’t special. It’s not an unentertaining movie, but it’s not memorable either. It’s just kind of there. We understand why the turtles are so popular, but this movie didn’t really do anything to prove why we should care about them.
The Rise of the TMNT movie is a hit with fans, and you can read our review here.
Check out the best Super Mario games if you’re a fan of the plumber brothers.
