Today we’re watching Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which began in 2012 and is currently still in production. The first episode is titled Rise of the Turtles: Part One, we’ll return next week for part two of this epic origin story.
Like most origins this one is a rehashing of a story you are (or should be) already familiar with, with some minor differences. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a love of the TMNT that borders on unhealthy and there isn’t much (including the third live action movie) that I don’t like. I can usually justify my way into liking some aspect of any incarnation you can toss at me.
Having said that, I genuinely like this series, without any special pleading needed. The animation style took me a minute to wrap my mind around but that was my only hurdle, and it was a small one.
Let’s get to it.
We open on all four turtles participating in a training session. They are paired off; Mikey is the first to go. From what I can tell, Leo hits him, in apparently the only part of his body his shell doesn’t protect, his groin. We get our first sample of the anime influences in the styling.
Donny is bested by Raph shortly after. This leaves Leo and Raph to square up, as always. To my surprise, Leo does not arise victorious; he is bested by Raph who is less than humble about it. Splinter quickly reminds him that while Raph may have won the skirmish, he holds the real skill and they are still children.
This opening scene gives us an introduction to the main characters, the four turtles and Splinter. It also gives a taste of their personalities, just in time for the theme song.
The theme song reminds me of a rap song from the 90’s that might have been played on Radio Disney, with some minor homage to the 80’s theme.
After the theme we return to the sewer where everyone is choking down a pile of algae and worms that Mikey has prepared. He returns to the table with a cake… made of algae and worms to celebrate their “mutation day” the fifteenth anniversary of their mutation. Mikey begs Splinter to tell the story of mutation day, he has told it many times before but Mikey won’t relent. Splinter tells the story.
The flashback is done in a black in white sort of motion comic. A man carries some turtles and witnesses some suspicious behavior. He is attacked by two strange Stepford type men, he drops the turtles, shattering their bowl. He is exposed to a strange ooze along with the turtles, this ooze mutates them and turns him into a man sized rat.
Side note- Splinter looks awesome. I think this is my favorite Splinter design. I think. My favorite may be whichever one I’m looking at, which right now is this one. He looks awesome.
The turtles insist since they are now fifteen, almost men…. Er- turtle-men, they should be able to go see the surface for themselves. Splinter refuses saying it is too dangerous and they must stay here in the sewer, where it is safe. They persist and he finally agrees to let them go. But not before handing down some very important rules including- don’t talk to strangers, look both ways before crossing the street, and pee before you leave.
They excitedly explore the city from street level but nothing is going on. They are approached by a man on a scooter who drives away terrified. Leo decides they are too exposed and they move to the rooftops where they discover… pizza. Not knowing what it is, they do what any group of friends or brothers do… test it on the dumb one. Mikey grabs a slice, tries it, and of course loves it. They all dig in, glad that they won’t have to eat algae and worms anymore.
Recently rejuvenated by the pizza they decide to parkour around town jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Just when they are about to head back home, Donny sees April for the first time and falls in love. She is walking with an older man, presumably her father and they are attacked by four men who bear a striking resemblance to those Stepford nerds from Splinters story.
The Turtles intervene but the fight goes badly due to their inability to work as a unit, after a quick battle the Stepford dudes escape with April and her father in the van. Only one of the foes remains and he chases Mikey into a deadend alleyway where Mikey uses his greatest ninja move, the flail and swing, it’s super effective. It knocks the skin off of part of the man’s face revealing a robot skeleton underneath. The robot is piloted by a creature that looks strikingly like Krang (cause it is, sort of).
Mikey escapes and tells his brothers about his encounter.
“You guys are never going to believe this, that guy… he had a brain.” Mikey
“We all have brains Mikey.” Leo
“Not all of us.” Donny.
When he takes them all back to the alley, the fiend is nowhere to be found.
They return to the sewer where Splinter scolds them for their inability to work as a team and for allowing the villains to escape. Donny insists that they must rescue those people, clearly blinded by his crush on April, but right nonetheless, and Splinter ultimately agrees. He thinks that if he appoints a leader they may be better able to work as a team. After a moment’s meditation, he chooses Leo, much to Raph’s disappointment.
They return to the surface and stake out a building that shares a logo with the suspicious van. After some time a van arrives and a man gets out. The Turtles approach him and he pulls a laser gun, hops back in the van and takes off. A throwing star is thrown at the tire and the van flips. They approach the back and a canister of ooze rolls out.
This is where this episode ends. Part two will pick up here and conclude their origin, setting the stage for the rest of the series, which like I said, is fantastic. Come back next week for part two.
To be continued…