From being transported to 16th-century Japan to teaming up with their classic cartoon counterparts to two Shredders, who doesn’t love a watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in action? Okay, you’re right… since the mid-’90s there aren’t too many worth discussing, but given how significant the world’s most fearsome fighting team has been, we decided to rank each of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies anyways, from our least favorite to the GOAT! We also included two unreleased animated films near the top but they’ll remain unranked until their release.
“Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.” ~ Michelangelo
In celebration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ 29th anniversary, here is our official ranking of the greatest TMNT movies of all-time. Enjoy!
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Synopsis: Batman and his allies team up with the turtles to battle Shredder, Ra’s Al Ghul, and The League of Assassins.
Cast: Darren Criss, Rachel Bloom, Troy Baker, Tara Strong, Kyle Mooney, Tom Kenny, Cas Anvar, John DiMaggio, Baron Vaughn, Carlos Alazraqui, Brian George, Keith Ferguson, Eric Bauza, Jim Meskimen, Ben Giroux, and Andrew Kishino
Directed by: Jake Castorena
Runtime: N/A
Release date: May 14, 2019 (Digital), June 4, 2019 (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD)
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Synopsis: An official synopsis is unavailable at this point, but we do know the feature film is based on the 2D-animated television series of the same name. Netflix announced the upcoming movie began production on February 5, 2019.
Cast: N/A
Directed by: N/A
Runtime: N/A
Release date: N/A
(more details to come)
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
Synopsis: Reporter April O’Neil (Paige Turco) purchases an ancient Japanese scepter that can cause those simultaneously holding it in different centuries to switch places in time. When she is transported to 16th-century Japan, her crime-fighting pals, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, pursue her. After landing in the past, the Turtles learn April has been captured by the villainous Lord Norinaga (Sab Shimono). To rescue her, they must team up with rebel leader Misu (Vivian Wu).
Cast: Paige Turco, Elias Koteas, Corey Feldman, Stuart Wilson, Mark Caso, Vivian Wu, Sab Shimono, Matt Hill, Jim Raposa, Robbie Rist, Brian Tochi, David Fraser, Henry Hayashi, John Aylward, Tim Kelleher, and James Murray
Directed by: Stuart Gillard
Runtime: 96 minutes
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Synopsis: Spawned from a lab experiment gone awry, teenage terrapins Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael live in the sewers beneath New York. Although their rodent sensei, Splinter, advises against showing themselves above ground, the justice-loving, pizza-eating brothers can’t stand idly by while evil Shredder and his minions terrorize the city. With help from intrepid reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) and her cameraman (Will Arnett), the Turtles set out to save New York.
Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Noel Fisher, Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Tony Shalhoub, William Fichtner, Johnny Knoxville, Minae Noji, Danny Woodburn, Whoopi Goldberg, Tohoru Masamune, Malina Weissman, and Abby Elliott
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
Runtime: 101 minutes
6. Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Synopsis: The history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise.
Cast: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Mark Askwith, Richard Rosenbaum, Steve Lavigne, Jim Lawson, Ryan Brown, Michael Dooney, Mark Freedman, John Handy, Karl Aaronian, Fred Wolf, David Wise, Steve Varner, and more
Directed by: Randeall Lobb
Runtime: 98 minutes
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Synopsis: The turtles face a new challenge when Shredder escapes from custody and joins forces with Baxter Stockman, a mad scientist who plans to use a serum to take over the world. Along for the ride are Bebop and Rocksteady, two dimwitted henchmen who provide plenty of muscle. Luckily, the turtles have their own allies in April O’Neil, Vernon Fenwick and Casey Jones, a hockey-masked vigilante. As the pizza-loving heroes prepare for battle, the notorious Krang also emerges to pose an even greater threat.
Cast: Stephen Amell, Megan Fox, Tyler Perry, Sheamus, Gary Anthony Williams, Noel Fisher, Alan Ritchson, Brian Tee, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Tony Shalhoub, Laura Linney, Brad Garrett, Johnny Knoxville, Brittany Ishibashi, and Danny Woodburn,
Directed by: Dave Green
Runtime: 112 minutes
4. TMNT (2007)
Synopsis: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet their match — Literally! The modern, gritty Ninja Turtles must team up with their classic cartoon counterparts to stop two Shredders and their plans of multi-dimensional scale.
Cast: Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Stewart, Nolan North, James Arnold Taylor, Mako Iwamatsu, Mikey Kelley, Zhang Ziyi, Mitchell Whitfield, Laurence Fishburne, John DiMaggio, Kevin Smith, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Fred Tatasciore
Directed by: Kevin Munroe
Runtime: 87 minutes
3. Turtles Forever (2009)
Synopsis: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet their match — Literally! The modern, gritty Ninja Turtles must team up with their classic cartoon counterparts to stop two Shredders and their plans of multi-dimensional scale.
Cast: Michael Sinterniklaas, Sam Riegel, Wayne Grayson, Veronica Taylor, Greg Abbey, Darren Dunstan, Marc Thompson, Scottie Ray, Karen Neil, David Wills, and Sebastian Arcelus
Directed by: Roy Burdine & Lloyd Goldfine
Runtime: 81-73 minutes (depending on cut)
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Synopsis: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mark Caso, Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden, Kenn Troum) again battle their archenemy, the rogue ninja Shredder (Francois Chau). Shredder attempts revenge by obtaining the same radioactive ooze that created the Turtles and unleashing two new monstrous mutants: Tokka, an oversized snapping turtle, and Rahzar, a fearsome wolf-like creature. When Shredder plans to use the remaining ooze on himself, the Turtles must harness their ninja fighting skills to stop him.
Cast: Paige Turco,
Directed by: Steve Barron, Josh Pais, Robbie Rist, Michelan Sisti, Robbie Rist, Ernie Reyes Jr., Michael Pressman, Kevin Clash, Leif Tilden, Toshishiro Obata, Kenn Scott, David McCharen, Kevin Nash, Mark Caso, François Chau, David Warner, and Vanilla Ice
Runtime: 88 minutes
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Synopsis: In New York, mysterious radioactive ooze has mutated four sewer turtles into talking, upright-walking, crime-fighting ninjas. The intrepid heroes — Michelangelo (Robbie Rist), Donatello (Corey Feldman), Raphael (Josh Pais) and Leonardo (Brian Tochi) — are trained in the Ninjutsu arts by their rat sensei, Splinter. When a villainous rogue ninja, who is a former pupil of Splinter, arrives and spreads lawlessness throughout the city, it’s up to the plucky turtles to stop him.
Cast: Elias Koteas, Judith Hoag, Corey Feldman, Josh Pais, Robbie Rist, Michelan Sisti, Brian Tochi, Kevin Clash, James Saito, Leif Tilden, Toshishiro Obata, Michael Turney, David McCharen, Michael McConnohie David Forman, and Sam Rockwell
Directed by: Steve Barron
Runtime: 93 minutes
