Growing up the TV show that was near and dear to my heart would have to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) show from 1987-1996 created by David Wise. This show was absolutely one of my favorites. I remember around the age of 5 or 7, I would wake up super early, get a bowl of Fruit Loops or Cookie Crisps and sit right in front of the TV to catch one of the newest episodes of TMNT. After watching an episode, I would run around the house trying to Karate chop everything in sight. Nothing was safe, the household dog, the sofas, or anything else in my path. I was a karate chopping machine with no worries that had an awesome TV show to get me through the day. When I found out there was a new reboot of the show on Nickelodeon, I was pretty psyched. It brought up every nostalgic moment of my childhood back in an instant. Like all TMNT shows, this one seems to be a hit. Nickelodeon’s ratings for this show were pretty high, and have some promise for the future. With close to 12 million viewers from ages 6-11; this show should be around for the time being and also have a huge toy line for this coming holiday season.
This new version of TMNT is pretty similar to the older one I used to watch back in my day. The Turtles live in the lower sewers of Manhattan, New York. Like in the original, all of the turtles are mutated into walking, talking, and fighting turtles because of some green ooze. They meet their best human friend while on the surface, April O’Neil. Their love and appetite for pizza is also accurately shown. In this version, their human owner is mutated into a rat instead of a common sewer rat, being mutated and becoming a surrogate father to the turtles. While hiding from preying human eyes, the turtles train in ninjutsu. From the sewers their names are born. Master Splinter, Leonardo (the leader), Michelangelo (the clown), Donatello (the brains), Raphael (the sarcastic rebel). These are the most iconic names from any cartoon that I can remember. Pretty much every adult from 21-35 knows or should know about TMNT. After their birthday, they are allowed to visit the surface. While visiting the streets of New York, they seem to always find a knack for trouble. This is something most TMNT fans know about.
So far this show seems to be lacking in certain little areas if you’re an adult. I would have to agree about this version in Noel Kirkpatrick’s TV review. This version of TMNT show seems a little bland at first because of a slow start and little action from what most fans associate TMNT with. It was a pilot episode, so the show should be better during the season. As for the overall animation, it will probably take a little getting used to when you are trying to watch it with your kid or by yourself. The CGI seems a little blocky, and at times, very cheesy. From a kid’s point of view, this show is amazing. You have turtles using their ninja skills to fight off hordes of bad guys, and I really doubt the kids are too worried about the animation.
TMNT has some positive morals that it teaches young kids, but at points in the show it can be a little violent at times to get that message across. Common Sense Media also agrees that the violence in the show could be a cause for some slight concern. The characters throughout the show do use hand to hand combat on each other, but with proper guidance and making sure kids do not duplicate what's in the TV show, this shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Parents should watch the show beforehand or do some research, and see if this show is right for their children. TMNT isn't right for all audiences, but around the age of 7+, this show might be suitable. There are some good messages in the show. TMNT distinguishes right from wrong and also has an underlining message of brotherhood which could offset the violence. The turtles and Splinter are good, while Shredder and The Kraang are the main villains like in the old cartoon. The group just wants to be left alone while having a good time doing that. The writers use comedy to achieve this goal. During their encounters, the turtles fiight off Shredder and his Minions, who seek world domination. Without teamwork and brotherhood, the turtles would not succeed in their mission. Hopefully after watching the show, parents will allow their kids to watch it.
This new version of TMNT is pretty similar to the older one I used to watch back in my day. The Turtles live in the lower sewers of Manhattan, New York. Like in the original, all of the turtles are mutated into walking, talking, and fighting turtles because of some green ooze. They meet their best human friend while on the surface, April O’Neil. Their love and appetite for pizza is also accurately shown. In this version, their human owner is mutated into a rat instead of a common sewer rat, being mutated and becoming a surrogate father to the turtles. While hiding from preying human eyes, the turtles train in ninjutsu. From the sewers their names are born. Master Splinter, Leonardo (the leader), Michelangelo (the clown), Donatello (the brains), Raphael (the sarcastic rebel). These are the most iconic names from any cartoon that I can remember. Pretty much every adult from 21-35 knows or should know about TMNT. After their birthday, they are allowed to visit the surface. While visiting the streets of New York, they seem to always find a knack for trouble. This is something most TMNT fans know about.
So far this show seems to be lacking in certain little areas if you’re an adult. I would have to agree about this version in Noel Kirkpatrick’s TV review. This version of TMNT show seems a little bland at first because of a slow start and little action from what most fans associate TMNT with. It was a pilot episode, so the show should be better during the season. As for the overall animation, it will probably take a little getting used to when you are trying to watch it with your kid or by yourself. The CGI seems a little blocky, and at times, very cheesy. From a kid’s point of view, this show is amazing. You have turtles using their ninja skills to fight off hordes of bad guys, and I really doubt the kids are too worried about the animation.
TMNT has some positive morals that it teaches young kids, but at points in the show it can be a little violent at times to get that message across. Common Sense Media also agrees that the violence in the show could be a cause for some slight concern. The characters throughout the show do use hand to hand combat on each other, but with proper guidance and making sure kids do not duplicate what's in the TV show, this shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Parents should watch the show beforehand or do some research, and see if this show is right for their children. TMNT isn't right for all audiences, but around the age of 7+, this show might be suitable. There are some good messages in the show. TMNT distinguishes right from wrong and also has an underlining message of brotherhood which could offset the violence. The turtles and Splinter are good, while Shredder and The Kraang are the main villains like in the old cartoon. The group just wants to be left alone while having a good time doing that. The writers use comedy to achieve this goal. During their encounters, the turtles fiight off Shredder and his Minions, who seek world domination. Without teamwork and brotherhood, the turtles would not succeed in their mission. Hopefully after watching the show, parents will allow their kids to watch it.
