Since the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made their debut via a 1984 comic book of the same name created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the heroes-in-a-half-shell have starred in an increasing number of movies, some of which exist in the same continuity and some of which don’t. These movies include live-action films such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, as well as animated tales like TMNT and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
But if you’re a complete newbie to the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where do you start if you want to watch all the films? There are a whole heap of movies to work your way through, and without a few pointers to help you out, traversing the Turtles movie landscape can be pretty daunting, right?!
Well, don’t worry, because help is at hand. This post takes a look at ALL the TMNT movies, divides them up into categories, and answers the all-important question: What is the best order to watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies?
Below you will find details about each movie to help guide you through. From the live-action movies through to the animated tales, as well as a docu-film, all the information should get you up to speed in no time!
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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The first entry in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie series is 1990’s cinematic adventure, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The live-action movie, which included costume designs from Jim Henson, was a dark and gritty tale that focused on the origin of the Turtles, their initial encounter with allies April O’Neil and Casey Jones, and their battle against fearsome foe, the Shredder. (93 mins)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Due to the incredible success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a sequel was quickly put into production arriving in 1991 under the title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. The film was a slightly lighter offering than its predecessor, and saw the Turtles face the Shredder once again, while also doing battle with his mutant henchmen Tokka and Rahzar. (88 mins)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
With the Turtles remaining popular with audiences, a third live-action film made its cinematic debut in 1993. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III was devised as a time-travelling adventure, with lead heroes Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael sent back in time to ancient Japan. (96 mins)
TMNT (2007)
Following the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, the Turtles film series went on hiatus for 14 years before returning in 2007 in the form of a CGI animated movie called TMNT. Devised as a loose sequel to the three previous live-action movies, the film saw the Turtles face a new threat in the shape of businessman, Max Winters. (87 mins)
Turtles Forever (2009)
Breaking away from the four previous Turtles movies, the next offering in the film saw the Turtles pop up in the direct-to-television animated movie, Turtles Forever. Created as a spin-off to the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series (aka Turtles 2K3), Turtles Forever was a multiverse adventure which saw the Turtles join forces with their counterparts from alternate universes. (90 mins)
Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
In 2014, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the direct-to-video documentary Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released. The docu-film took a look back at three decades of TMNT action, focusing on the success of the brand, covering movies, television shows, toys and more. (98 mins)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
In addition to the documentary film (see above), the 30th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also ushered in a big screen reboot of the movie series. This reboot – simply titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – was a live-action adventure picture, which reintroduced the Turtles for a new generation. (101 mins)
Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past (2015)
Moving away from the big screen and back onto television now, and in 2015 the Turtles appeared in a mini-movie special which aired on Nickelodeon. The short film, Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past, was aimed at young audiences and was designed as a loose spin-off of the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. (44 mins)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Back on the big screen, and with 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles proving to be a box-office success, a sequel soon followed. This sequel – titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – saw Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael team up with vigilante, Casey Jones, in order to square off against villains Shredder, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Baxter Stockman. (112 mins)
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Back to animation, and in 2019 the Turtles appeared in the comic book adventure film, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The film was released direct-to-video and saw Batman join forces with the Turtles to take on Shredder and the Foot Clan. (87 mins)
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022)
Continuing with animation, and in 2022 the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles popped up in yet another animated offering. The film – Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie – made its debut on Netflix as a spin-off of the television show of the same name, and saw the Turtles fight to save the future from an alien invasion. (82 mins)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
In 2023, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles jumped back onto the big screen for another reboot of the movie series. The film – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – was a computer-generated animated movie which retold the origin of the Turtles for a third time, and introduced various mutants including Mondo Gecko, Leatherhead, Wingnut, and Superfly. (99 mins)
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies in production order
Should you wish to watch all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies in production order, then use the following list:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
- TMNT (2007)
- Turtles Forever (2009)
- Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
- Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past (2015)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
- Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
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Are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies part of the same series?
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies are divided into various different collections. The collections are as follows:
The original movie series
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
- TMNT (2007)
The first three entries on this list are live-action films, while the fourth entry is a belated animated sequel.
The Turtles 2K3 spin-off movie
- Turtles Forever (2009)
A stand-alone spin-off movie, connected to the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
The 30th anniversary documentary film
- Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
A documentary movie released to celebrate the TMNT franchise.
The live-action reboot movie series
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Two directly connected live-action movies, which rebooted the Turtles movie series in 2014 for a new generation.
The Turtles 2012 spin-off movie
- Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past (2015)
A stand-alone spin-off movie, connected to the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
The Batman crossover movie
- Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
A stand-alone movie combining the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie series with comic book hero, Batman.
The Rise of the TMNT spin-off movie
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022)
A stand-alone spin-off movie, connected to The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
The animated reboot movie series
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
An animated movie rebooting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie series for the 2020s.
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Who are the cast of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies?
Notable names amongst the cast of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie series include Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais, Brian Tochi, Corey Feldman, Robbie Rist, Kevin Clash, James Saito, Sam Rockwell, Paige Turco, David Warner, Ernie Reyes Jr., Stuart Wilson, John Aylward, James Murray, Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chris Evans, Kevin Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Mako, Nolan North, John DiMaggio, Kevin Michael Richardson, Sam Riegel, Veronica Taylor, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Alan Ritchson, Johnny Knoxville, Tony Shalhoub, Whoopi Goldberg, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, Tyler Perry, Brian Tee, Sheamus, Gary Anthony Williams, Greg Cipes, Sean Astin, Seth Green, Rob Paulsen, Kate Mulgrew, Ben Schwartz, Haley Joel Osment, Maya Rudolph, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Paul Rudd, Jackie Chan, Giancarlo Esposito, Ice Cube, Hannibal Buress, Post Malone, John Cena, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon.
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Are the TMNT films the work of the same director?
In terms of the directors, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies are the work of the following:
- Steve Barron directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990
- Michael Pressman directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
- Stuart Gillard directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
- Kevin Munroe directed TMNT
- Roy Burdine and Lloyd Goldfine directed Turtles Forever
- Randall Lobb directed Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Jonathan Liebesman directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014
- Glen Murakami directed Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past
- Dave Green directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
- Jake Castorena directed Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Andy Suriano and Ant Ward directed Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
- Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
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