History Film / TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles

%%
%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1656027365089195600
%% Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ea8e2251_1407_4349_bdc3_50a5dccfea43.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[TagLine Hey, dude,]] [[LiveActionAdaptation this is NO cartoon!]] ]]
%%
->''"Dudes and dudettes, major league butt-kicking is back in town!"''
-->-- '''Michelangelo'''

''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is the 1990 feature adaptation of [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles everyone's favorite heroes in a half-shell]]. It was directed by Steve Barron, with the screenplay by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck and the story by Herbeck. Produced by Creator/GoldenHarvest, it was released by Creator/NewLineCinema on March 30, 1990.

The Shredder (James Saito, with voice dubbed by David [=McCharen=]) is building an army. With his Foot Clan, a group of misguided teenagers trained in the art of ninjitsu, he is responsible for a crime wave the likes of which New York City has never seen. The worst thing is that they're ninjas. How do you catch someone so quick? So silent?

Enter four reptilian hominids: Leonardo (David Forman, with voice dubbed by Brian Tochi), Donatello (Leif Tilden, with voice dubbed by Creator/CoreyFeldman), Michelangelo (Michelin Sisti, with voice dubbed by Creator/RobbieRist), and Raphael (Josh Pais), given a humanoid shape through a dip in a broken canister full of mutagen. Trained by a similarly mutated rat named Splinter (Kevin Clash) in the art of ninjitsu as well, along with moral support in investigative reporter April O'Neil (Creator/JudithHoag) and extra muscle in street vigilante Casey Jones (Creator/EliasKoteas), these Ninja Turtles must save the Big Apple from the clutches of the Foot.

Financially the most successful of the movies made thus far, the first was mostly an adaptation of [[Comicbook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Eastman and Laird's original comic]], although it did take some elements from the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 popular '80s cartoon]], such as the turtles' love of pizza and their differently colored headbands, and April's job as an investigative reporter. The costumes provided for the eponymous heroes, as well as puppetry for Splinter and the turtles as young mutants, were provided by Creator/JimHenson.

The film was followed up by [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze two]] [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII sequels]] and an [[WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}} animated continuation]] in 2007. [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014 A completely different movie]] was released in 2014, which also received its [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows own sequel]] in 2016.

----
!! These films provide examples of:

* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Averted; the Turtles are clearly using storm drains to travel (with Splinter explicitly stating that he found the book he used to name them in one) and their home is located in an abandoned control station (in the sequel they move into what appears to be an old pneumatic transit station). The sewer pipes are separated from the canals, and while real storm drains aren't ''quite'' that large, the New York system is large enough for a man to stand in.
* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: The whole farmhouse subplot.
* AdaptationAmalgamation: TMNT movies of the TheNineties (especially the first one) were primarily adapted from the original 1984 Mirage comics (the first movie was primarily based on the first issue, along with plot points taken from the ''Raphael'' and ''Leonardo'' one-shots, the Exile arc, and the Return to New York arc) but also included elements of the 1987 animated show (the logo, the show's LighterAndSofter approach, the [[{{ColorCodedCharacters}} color-coding]] of the turtles, their love for pizza, their CatchPhrase "Cowabunga", and April being a reporter, as well as April being rescued by the Turtles from street punks).
* AdaptationDistillation:
** The movie keeps Hamato Yoshi's rivalry with another man for the love of Tang Shen, but there's no reference to Oroku Saki's brother Oroku Nagi, and Saki himself becomes the rival. (This is not the case in the shooting script or the comic adaptation, which adapted the Oroku Nagi plot word-for-word.)
** Raph is the one who gets ambushed by the Foot instead of Leo, as in the original comics. This brings Casey, who at this point had only met Raph, back into the story.
** Likewise, with Raph out of commission, Don is the one Casey develops a friendship with.
* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: In the version of the origin story recounted in the comics, Splinter got the turtles' names from a book on Renaissance art that had washed down a storm drain. This isn't brought up in the movie, so exactly why these turtles raised by a Japanese rat all have Italian names is never explained. Although this ''was'' mentioned in the sequel.
* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: Like in the comics, Shredder is stronger than all the Turtles one-on-one. Unlike the comics, he's able to bait Leo into making a critical error, and holds him hostage to force the others to throw their weapons away. The Turtles would have lost if Splinter hadn't shown up to bail them out.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: This version of Raphael is portrayed as a much more {{troubled teen}} than the versions before him (and indeed, after him). His temper is treated as a serious problem [[TheAloner that he thinks he has to deal with alone]]. When Splinter lectures him about it, assuring him that he and his brothers will always be there when he needs them, he is seen quietly weeping.
* AdaptationalBadass:
** Splinter in the comics raised the Turtles to settle his blood feud with Shredder, saying in the first issue that he was too old to defeat his old nemesis. In the movie, Splinter beats Shredder with a flick of the wrist.
** Shredder in the movie is depicted as an unstoppable [[TheJuggernaut Juggernaut]], as opposed to being an easily defeated StarterVillain in the comics and an IneffectualSympatheticVillain in the cartoon series.
* AdaptationalComicRelief:
** This version of Donatello is a lot less serious than other incarnations, being more of a slacker who spends his time goofing around with Michaelangelo.
** You could even argue that Michelangelo is this compared to the Mirage comics. Sure, he ''was'' probably the most lighthearted Turtle in the comic, but he wasn't outrageously goofy like he is here. It ''is'' in line with his cartoon incarnation, though.
** Even Leonardo is more lighthearted and more prone to joking around, something he rarely did in either comic or cartoon. Although, once Splinter gets abducted, he immediately stops joking around and becomes much more like his comic book counterpart, even angrily telling Don to "put those away", when he jokingly pulls out some marshmallows when they are about to make contact with Splinter via meditation.
* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: Donatello's intelligence is expressed more subtly here than in most other adaptations; limited mostly to making nerdy or esoteric references when attempting to join his brothers in being TotallyRadical and fixing a truck with Casey (and ''somebody'' patched the payphone in the lair). Outside of these instances, [[ThoseTwoGuys he spends most of his screentime screwing around with Mikey]].
* AnAesop: The movie has one about fatherhood and family, with the good example (Splinter and the Turtles), the abusive/dysfunctional example (Shredder and the Foot) and the one stuck in the middle (Charles and Danny Pennington). Both Splinter and Shredder identify themselves as fathers, and, of course, Charles is Danny's father.
* AesopAmnesia: It might not be intentional on the scriptwriters' behalf, but the Turtles almost immediately forget Splinter's "final lesson" about how they can achieve anything when they work together as a team -- when they confront the Shredder, they immediately attack him one by one, and get their butts kicked. Never once does it occur to them to attack him as a team (even if he specifically dares them to), and only Leo gets a good hit on him before Splinter shows up and defeats Shredder himself.
* AmplifiedAnimalAptitude: Even before he became a mutant, Splinter was remarkably intelligent for a rat. He could mimic Yoshi's movements to the level that he became just as good a martial artist as him after mutating, and he could use tools, herding the baby turtles into a coffee can using a spoon.
* AnchoviesAreAbhorrent: At the beginning of the film, Michelangelo is ordering pizza. He angrily threatens the person on the other end of the line about what would happen if they put anchovies on it, but is cut off before he can elaborate.
* AnswerCut: After Raphael goes off by himself, April asks the other Turtles where he's gone. Cut to Raphael being waylaid by Foot Ninjas.
* ArtShift: Splinter's flashbacks are shot differently from the rest of the film with a grainier, almost FilmNoir look to them.
* AsideGlance: Splinter gives one in reaction to Michelangelo accidentally dropping a slice of pizza on his head.
-->'''Splinter:''' Kids.
* AtomicFBomb: Actually, it's more like an Atomic D-Bomb, but considering how frustrated Raphael sounds when Casey Jones bests him in their initial scuffle, and the fact that we only hear Raph's voice echoing over a wide shot of the city, it sure fits the trope.
-->'''Raphael''': '''"DAAAAAAAAAAMN!!"'''
* BadNewsInAGoodWay: When April says she has to go to a neighbor's house four miles away to call Charles, Casey responds, "Hey, you just saved yourself an eight-mile round tripper. You were fired." April doesn't take it well—either the news or Casey's attempt at "sensitivity."
* BadassFamily: The Turtles and Splinter, of course.
* BadassInDistress: Splinter spends most of the film held prisoner by The Shredder. [[spoiler:Then he beats Shredder with a flick of his wrist.]]
* BadassNormal: The Shredder and Casey Jones. The Turtles and Splinter ''kinda'' count, if you consider that, outside of being mutants, they have no other special or enhanced powers
* BashBrothers: All four of the Turtles, which is even {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the battle of April's apartment as they're not used to fighting with a man down.
* BatterUp: Casey does this with two different baseball bats... and a ''cricket'' bat!
* BattleAmongstTheFlames: The climax of the Apartment Fight.
* BattleDiscretionShot: During TheTeaser, April gets saved by [[spoiler:the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]] who turn off the lights before they beat a group of thieves up.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Casey and April. So much so that Donatello lampshades it at one point.
-->'''Donatello:''' Gosh. It's kinda like ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'', isn't it?
* BerserkButton: Raphael:
-->'''Casey Jones''': So long, freak, I've got work to do!
-->'''Raphael''': Freak!? ''FREAK!?''
** Leonardo during Shredder's KickTheDog moment at the end of the film.
-->'''Raphael''': Where's Splinter...?
-->'''Shredder''': Oh, the rat? So it has a name.... it ''had'' a name.
-->'''Leonardo''': ''(angrily shoves past the others)'' YOU LIE!!!
-->'''Shredder''': Do I?
** Don't tell Chief Sterns how to do his job.
** Casey hates the sound of grunts. Becomes a brick joke when he confronts Tatsu.
* BigDamnHeroes: Raph does this for April, and Casey does it for the Turtles later. Then Splinter does this for the Turtles in the climax.
* TheBigDamnKiss: April and Casey at the end. Followed by the Turtles watching and cheering them on.
* BigNo:
** When it appears Shredder is going to kill Leo.
** Earlier, Raph lets one out when the Turtles find their home ransacked and Splinter missing, though it's more an inchoate scream of rage than anything.
* BizarreDreamRationalization: April O'Neil is absolutely horrified when she wakes up and sees the Turtles, instantly assuming she's dead. She briefly calms herself down by rationalizing that she's dreaming. She explains away Splinter as being representative of the rat she saw earlier in the parking lot before she got jumped by the muggers from the beginning of the movie.
* BlindedByRage: Shredder uses this to his advantage by mocking the Turtles, claiming that [[HeHadAName he killed Splinter]]. Leo proceeds to recklessly charge Shredder in absolute rage... and is easily disarmed and pinned down. Then, a moment later, Splinter arrives and makes Shredder angry enough to charge at him recklessly, giving Splinter the opening he needs to quickly defeat Shredder.
* BlindIdiotTranslation: The British DVD release for the film did not do a good job with the subtitles, as it was clear they did not know the Japanese terms. The two most glaring mistakes were calling a 'sai' a 'scythe' (when Raphael exclaims to Splinter that he lost one), and spelling 'katana' as 'cattana' (when Splinter tells his back-story to Danny).
* BloodlessCarnage: Averted. We see blood on the dead bodies of Master Yoshi and his lover Tang Shen, and Shredder bleeds from some of the wounds inflicted by Splinter in the flashback and Leonardo in the final fight.
* BloodKnight: All the turtles to some degree, as seen in the climactic showdown. Even Donatello is disappointed when Mike gets to face the Shredder before he does.
* BondOneLiner: After Casey defeats Tatsu with a golf club, he quips, "I'll never call golf a dull game again."
* {{Bowdlerise}}: In the TMNT film soundtrack, references to drug use ("I smoke the mic like weed" and "This hypes you up like speed") are removed from the Hi Tek 3/Ya Kid K rap "Spin That Wheel".
* CallBack: When she first meets the Turtles and Splinter and assume she's dreaming, April attempts to explain away Splinter as the rat she saw in the parking lot at the start of the movie.
* CallingMeALogarithm: Casey Jones gets offended when Donatello calls him a claustrophobic, apparently thinking he called him gay. April has to explain to him what it means.
* TheCameo: The Turtles' actors (their in-costume actors, not their voice actors[[note]]Though Josh Pais was both for Raphael[[/note]]) appear unmasked (David Forman - Leonardo costume - is a gang member in the warehouse when Casey Jones defeats Tatsu, Josh Pais - Raphael - is a passenger in a taxicab, Leif Tilden - Donatello - plays the Foot Messenger that meets April in the subway station, and Michelan Sisti - Michelangelo - plays the pizza delivery man)
** But then, Leif Tilden doesn't really appear unmasked...
*** Well, there's the scene where Donnie laughs and you can see his face. Although that's a blooper rather than a cameo, it DOES mean his face appears onscreen.
* CanonForeigner: Tatsu, Charles and Danny Pennington.
* CanonImmigrant: Charles Pennington, April's boss, stands out as the only film character to make it to the Mirage comics.
* CatchphraseSpoutingDuo: Donatello and Michelangelo.
-->'''Donatello:''' Bossa Nova! ''*{{beat}}*'' Chevy Nova? Excellent!
* ChekhovsGag: Casey's claustrophobia is treated as a minor gag, as he refuses to admit it and initially thought Donatello was calling him gay. However, it's because he opted to sleep in the truck instead of the lair that he saw Danny sneak off back to Foot headquarters. As a result, Casey is able to help both rescue Splinter and talk some sense into the runaways.
* {{Claustrophobia}}: Why Casey hates the idea of staying in the sewer and would rather sleep in the truck.
* CombatPragmatist: True to form, Casey Jones. Anything is a weapon for him, from a cricket bat to a garbage truck.
* ComedicWorkSeriousScene: After an overnight stay at April's apartment (during which we see Michelangelo doing a few impressions and April managing to crack an ActuallyPrettyFunny one involving Splinter), the turtles return home, only to find their den ransacked and Splinter missing. Raphael ends up taking it the hardest, realizing that his earlier rescue of April is what lead Splinter's abductors to their home.
* TheComicallySerious: Splinter, who finally learns how to crack wise at the end of the movie. Fittingly, he becomes so delighted at this that he quips: "I made a funny! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
* CompositeCharacter:
** Oroku Saki and Oroku Nagi. In the film, Saki, instead of Nagi, is the one who's Hamato Yoshi's rival and in love with Tang Shen. (Though a complete origin with Nagi was featured in the script and found its way into the novel and comic adaptations.)
* ConservationOfNinjitsu: Averted. While the Turtles are able to defeat individual Foot ninjas with ease (and Raph takes out a small group at once thanks to the element of surprise), a large group of them at once beats Raph nearly to death and forces the other three to retreat. Played straight later where the Turtles defeat an entire army of ninjas but then have trouble against The Shredder alone. Although with Shredder, it's played with: [[JustifiedTrope The Foot ninjas were intentionally leading the Turtles to the rooftop where he was waiting and partially tired them out so he could take them on fresh. He stepped in after his ninja were beaten and fights defensively using minimal movements and turning the Turtles' aggression against them, making him the freshest and most conservative fighter]]. But as the fight drags on, this approach starts to fail him; he is fighting four skilled opponents half his age, as ''Leonardo'' draws first blood, something that we never saw Shredder do to the Turtles. Shredder admits the Turtles might have won eventually with only the loss of one of them. If anything, the trope is inverted in the climactic showdown, as the Turtles continually try to rush him one at a time, and by the time Shredder himself points out they had a chance at taking him down together, he's already gotten them to disarm and leave themselves at his mercy.
* CoolestClubEver: Kind of like a downplayed BadGuyBar, but the Foot Clan nightclub is where young teens play pool, card games, skateboarding games, and arcade versions of ''Blades of Steel'' and ''VideoGame/{{NARC}}'', and also offer cigarettes. All while songs like Music/MCHammer's "This Is What We Do" and Hi Tek 3's "Spin That Wheel" play in the background while teens dance in raves... with the real danger being the training lair behind the nightclub.
* CurbStompBattle: Shredder completely dominates the Turtles at the end of the movie... [[spoiler: Then Splinter shows up and takes out Shredder with a flick of the wrist.]]
** Shredder vs. Leonardo [[CurbStompCushion wasn't necessarily a complete curb-stomp]], though. While Shredder was able to fight off Don, Raph, and Mikey with ease, Leo was able to hold his own and was able to actually WOUND the Shredder in a few places before he was finally fought off. ...Until Shredder pushes his BerserkButton, and proceeds to take down Leonardo in ''seconds''.
* DaChief: Chief Sterns
* DanceBattler: All of the Turtles, in addition to using real martial arts, incorporate moves inspired by modern breakdancing.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to the '80s cartoon. Justified as it was inspired more by the original Volume I comics by Mirage. The second and third movies [[LighterAndSofter reverse this]], with the fourth film striking a satisfying balance between the two.
* DarkestHour: The Turtles are forced to cope with their first real defeat when their confrontation with the Foot at April's apartment ends in them being forced to retreat to Northampton. If that weren't enough, Raph's in a coma, April's lost her home ''and'' her job, the Foot Clan continues to tyrannize New York unopposed, and the Turtles are barely any closer to finding Splinter, who remains a prisoner of the Foot.
* DeadpanSnarker: Splinter without a doubt. Also Donatello.
** April actually has a little game she plays where she asks a cameraman to time her and see how long she can snark at Chief Sterns until he becomes so angry he throws her out of his office. The record is one minute and seven seconds.
* DeathGlare: After Tatsu's attack on April's apartment fails to eliminate the turtles, Shredder gives one of these to him. Shredder doesn't say a single word, the glare itself is enough to let Tatsu know that he is ''deeply'' displeased.
* DemotedToComicRelief: Donatello and Michelangelo. Leonardo and Raphael both move the plot forward on several occasions, but Donatello and Michelangelo... don't really do much in this movie apart from cracking a ton of jokes. They participate in group battles (during which they spend just as much time swapping one-liners as they do fighting), but the story itself would have played out pretty much the exact same without them -- even if the movie ''would'' have lost some of its funniest scenes.
* {{Determinator}}: April.
-->'''April:''' Are you denying such organization known as the Foot exist?\\
'''Sterns:''' I'm not denying anything. Again Ms. O'Neil, you're putting words into my mouth!\\
'''April:''' I'm sorry, but I feel somebody ''ought to.''
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Shredder's last-ditch attempt to kill Splinter in the climax. Even if ''had'' worked, the rat was literally the only thing keeping him from falling over the side of a building. Killing Splinter would've just killed himself in the bargain. Justified, though, as Shredder's consumed with rage (at realizing he's fighting his old rival's legacy) and not thinking rationally.]]
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Shredder]], as revealed in the second movie.
* DisneyVillainDeath: Splinter drops Shredder off an apartment building and into a garbage truck, which Casey Jones activates the compactor on to finish the job. [[spoiler:As the above trope indicates, the sequel reveals that Shredder survived.]]
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: To one of the greatest degrees ever. Not only were the Turtles' conflicting personalities pushed further than they've ever gone but each Turtle has a unique and distinctive look and body type that would make them recognizable even without their differently-colored masks. Leonardo is slim and athletic, Raphael is muscular with some tough-guy scars, Donny is a little chubby, and Mikey is short. The fourth movie mainly keeps these intact (although Donny's slimmed down a bit) and gives Mikey InnocentBlueEyes to help show off his youth and innocence further.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In keeping with the whole "family" motif -- as well as the portrayal of the Foot as a dysfunctional family -- Tatsu taking Shredder's disappointment in him out on a hapless Foot recruit is reminiscent of a {{Domestic Abuse}}r who, fresh from a bad day at work, [[TheChainOfHarm goes home to beat up his wife and kids]].
* TheDragon: Tatsu serves as the Shredder's right-hand man in the first two movies.
* DressingAsTheEnemy: Casey mugs a Foot soldier for a disguise while he's at their hideout.
* DudeNotFunny: The jocular mood comes to an awkward halt when April suggests Mike's "dirty rat" impression is Splinter's favorite. Mike, Leo and Donnie laugh it off, though... except [[DeathGlare Raphael clearly takes offense]].
* DullSurprise: Oroku Saki takes the fact he’s been feuding with his dead rival’s pet rat in his stride, judging by his face when he unmasks himself. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], however, as he is aware of the existence of the Turtles and Splinter (whom he also has been violently interrogating) since the first half of the movie, in fact, when he first mentions punishing said turtles, he sounds baffled by the mere existence of Mutant ninja turtles and later also mentions he finds their [[FightingFingerprint fighting style familiar]] and it reminds him of "something from the past". So when Splinter reveals who he is, everything makes sense to him.
* EarAche: Shredder chopped off one of Splinter's ears many years ago.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: After threatening to kill Leo if the other Turtles don't surrender, Shredder mocks them for complying instead of sacrificing Leo to gang up on him in an unfair fight.
* EvilCounterpart: Shredder and the Foot are this to Splinter and the Turtles. Both groups identify themselves as a family, with Shredder and Splinter as their respective fathers. However, whereas the Turtles and Splinter, whatever their differences, are a loving family that stick together, the Foot is a dysfunctional family, which serves Shredder's selfish goals.
* TheFagin: Shredder essentially ran the Foot Clan this way. The Foot Clan was made up of teenage orphans and runaways who instigated a massive New York crime wave.
* FailedASpotCheck: When Raphael rescues April from getting jumped by The Foot in the subway and brings her to the lair, he neglected to double-check if there were any followers after him. Sure enough, after he continues on his way home, a Foot soldier is shown to be hiding in the shadows and following after him. It's because of this that he blames himself for the home invasion and Splinter getting captured.
* FamilyUnfriendlyViolence: The movie is pretty loaded with this, as it's more of an adaptation of the comic rather than the cartoon. In particular are the scenes where Raphael is mercilessly beaten to near-death, the entire fight in April's apartment (where a Foot ninja accidentally hits a power main with his axe and ''[[NightmareFuel starts jerking around and smoking]]''), Tatsu's beating of Shinsho to near-death (or actual death if you go by the original script), Tatsu's beating of Casey Jones, and the Shredder being crushed inside the compactor of a garbage truck. It shocked so many people that in the second movie the Turtles [[LighterAndSofter barely even touch their weapons, let alone use them against people]]. The third movie, for all its problems, attempted to fix this.
* FauxAffablyEvil: The Shredder. He compliments the Turtles for their fighting prowess during the rooftop fight -- then he taunts them with supposedly killing Splinter.
* FeudEpisode: Leo and Raph get into a fight due to Raph's impatience over finding Splinter and Leo's aggravation over Raph's attitude. It's not a big deal for Don and Mikey, as this sort of thing always happens.
-->'''April:''' Hasn't Raph been gone a long time?\\
'''Don:''' Nah, he does it all the time. He likes it. He'll probably be back any minute now.
* FightingFingerprint: After the battle Tatsu led against the turtles in April's antique shop, Shredder ruminates on Tatsu's report of the fight, causing Tatsu to ask what the issue is. Shredder clearly had this trope in mind when he answers "Something about the way you describe their fighting. Something familiar. Something... from the past." He would later find out the turtles were taught by the former pet rat of his arch nemesis Hamato Yoshi.
* FiringDay: Charles fires April when she won't give up her story on the Foot. Unfortunately, he leaves a message on her answering machine which Casey hears and has to break the news to her. Thankfully, she's re-hired by the end of the movie.
* FiveSecondForeshadowing: During the FloorboardFailure from the top floor of April's apartment to the second-hand store, a Foot Ninja can be glimpsed in the foreground of the storeroom. Viewers who catch this detail therefore won't be surprised when [[ZergRush more Foot Ninjas]] swarm April and the Turtles on the lower level.
* {{Flashback}}: Splinter narrates two. The first is when he explains to April how he and the Turtles were mutated. The second is when he talks to Danny about Hamato Yoshi.
* FloorboardFailure: This occur in the middle of a fight between the Turtles and the Foot clan on the second floor of April's apartment. Given that the floor had been hacked at with ninja axes and the number of people in the room at the time, this was inevitable. Donatello even tries to warn the Foot.
--> '''Donatello:''' Uh, guys, I'm not so sure if this is, structurally speaking... such a good time for your buddies to drop in.
--> ''[Foot soldiers drop in through the skylight; seconds later epic floorboard failure occurs]''
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Early in the movie, Donnie ponders on what life would be like without Splinter. Guess what happens on the night that Raphael saves April?
** Donnie discusses his concerns with Mikey, who [[StepfordSmiler hides his own worries behind a joke]]. But during the campfire scene, Mikey is shown to have been hit the hardest by the loss of Splinter[[note]]During the early time on the farm, we see April talking about how Leo and Don are dealing with things, but not Mikey. A deleted scene (but still present in the comic adaptation) shows Mikey obsessively training all day[[/note]].
** When questioned by Tatsu about his obsession with finding the Turtles, the Shredder says something about the descriptions of their fighting styles makes him think of something from the past. Later, Splinter talks to Danny about Hamato Yoshi, copying his fighting style, and witnessing his death at the hands of the Shredder.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: If you can follow Mikey's phone call to the pizza place while Splinter is giving his opening speech they clearly get tired with his list of toppings and ask if he just wants ''everything'' on it, setting up his [[HoldTheUnsolicitedIngredient anchovies line.]]
* GenreRefugee: This version of Casey Jones wouldn't look out of place in an R-rated vigilante action movie.
* GolfClubbing: Casey uses a driver to nasty effect against Tatsu. He heavily hints to do this on the teens should they try to attack him next.
* GoshDangItToHeck: Averted, which is a PragmaticAdaptation of the cartoon and comic book (where swearing was much more common).
* GroinAttack: Tatsu delivers one to Casey during their fight.
* GutPunch: [[spoiler: The Turtles return home after a fun night hanging out with April to find their home is demolished and Splinter is missing, possibly dead.]]
** Shredder delivers another one later in the film:
--->'''Shredder''': And the rat? [[spoiler: Kill it.]]
* HandbagOfHurt: In the subway, after having the Sai weapon knocked out of her hand (and it lands near where Raphael is waiting), April uses her purse for attack and holds up her own against the Foot until she is knocked out with a punch to the face.
* HeHadAName: Invoked by Shredder just to taunt the Turtles:
-->'''Shredder:''' It ''had'' a name...
* HesBack: After seeing Splinter speak to them, the Turtles decide they, along with April and Casey, should return to New York.
-->'''Shredder:''' ''[seeing the drawing of Leo]'' They're back!
* HeadphonesEqualIsolation: Charles Pennington makes comments to this effect regarding his son, Danny.
-->'''Charles:''' See? That's what he does when he wants to ignore me. Sticks his head in those things.
* HiddenDepths: Casey Jones is initially presented as a crude, violent vigilante. April describes him as "a 9-year-old trapped in a man's body." However...
** One of the jokes he makes about the farm references the film version of ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath,'' which is rather surprising from a supposedly dumb hockey player.
** While it can be attributed to his general sports obsession, the fact that he knows how friggin' ''[[UsefulNotes/CricketRules Cricket]]'' is played speaks volumes about his intelligence.
** Due to some shuffling in adapting the plot from the comic, Casey ends up bonding with ''Donatello'', the most intelligent Turtle, rather than the hotheaded Raphael. In the scene where they fix the truck they are playing a version of the Alphabet Game where each insult begins with the next letter of the alphabet in sequence (Atomic Mouth -> Buffaroonie -> Camel lips -> Dome head -> Etc.).
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The Shredder. Splinter shows up to [[BigDamnHeroes save his sons]] and delivers a ShutUpHannibal speech that drives The Shredder into [[VillainousBreakdown into a murderous rage]], charging at him with his spear. Splinter uses Shredder's own momentum (and an assist from one of Mikey's discarded nunchaku) to fling him over the edge of the rooftop and leaves the villain holding onto the spear for dear life.
-->'''Splinter''': Death comes for us all, Oroku Saki! But something ''[[FateWorseThanDeath much worse]]'' comes for you.
-->''[Shredder slowly pulls a hidden knife from his belt]''
-->'''Splinter''': For when you die, it will be- ''[Shredder flings the knife at Splinter's face... [[ArrowCatch which Splinter immediately catches]], releasing his grip on the nunchaku and leaving Shredder to fall to his [[DisneyVillainDeath death]]]'' -without honor.
* HoldTheUnsolicitedIngredient: Michelangelo orders a pizza near the beginning of the movie as Splinter talks about the "art of invisibility". As Splinter is finishing up his speech, Mikey is just about to finish the order, and he says, "Oh, but no anchovies, and I mean no anchovies. You put anchovies on this thing and you're in big trouble, okay?" right before Splinter throws a book at his head.
* HourglassPlot: The movie starts with Leo, Don and Mike being carefree and joking around, while Raph is the moody, angsty teen, who prefers being alone. He also ends up butting heads with Leo over his leadership skills after Splinter is abducted and questions why they don't go look for their sensei right away, while Leo tells him they should be patient and wait for April to get more information to help them out. After he is beaten to near death, Raph's attitude towards Leo changes a lot after seeing the latter's BigBrotherInstinct towards him. He lightens up enough to start enjoying with his brothers, even sitting down to play trivial pursuit with Don and Mike, while Leo grows increasingly worried for Splinter, meditating alone in the farm, when he manages to make contact with him telepathically. Later, when the Shredder [[ItIsDehumanizing insults Master Splinter]] and implies that he has him killed, Leo loses his temper and ends up attacking the Shredder.
* HuddleShot: "[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments So exactly at what point did we lose control here?]]"
* IKnowYourTrueName: "Yes, Oroku Saki, I know who you are."
* IfICantHaveYou: Oroku Saki, losing a love triangle, murders both Splinter's master and his girlfriend.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Donatello and Michelangelo are unimpressed with the [[{{Mook}} Foot soldiers']] axe-wielding skills.
-->'''Donatello:''' [[CasualDangerDialogue Good thing these guys aren't lumberjacks!]]\\
'''Michelangelo''': No joke! ''<<thwack>>'' the only thing safe in the forest ''<<thwack>>'' [[TrashTalk would be the]] ''[[TrashTalk trees]]''!
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Casey Jones, from cricket bats to hockey sticks to a ''garbage truck''.
* InformedAbility: Monumentally averted. The Shredder [[CurbStompBattle totally dominates the Turtles when they finally fight.]] They get in virtually no offense, and it's strongly implied he would have killed them one by one until [[TheCavalry Splinter appeared]].
* InternalHomage: The movie contains a recreation of ''Raphael #1'' with Raph leaving the lair to blow off steam, running into Casey and getting into a fight with him after stopping him from beating up some thugs. It also adapts ''Leonardo #1'' with one of the Turtles fighting a horde of foot while the others are in April's apartment. The lone fighter loses to the horde and crashes through the window, and after the team does their best to fight back the rest of the team is forced to make a getway, ending up at an old farm house to recover and plan a counter attack. However, in the film it is Raph, not Leo, who plays this role and gets taken down.
* InterspeciesRomance: Pretty much ''all'' of the Turtles display some level of attraction to April in the beginning. Justified in that they were mutated into being part human, so they're probably attracted as much to humans as they are to turtles, unless the mutation also mutated their brains into losing their attraction to turtles and gaining attraction to humans.
* {{Irony}}: Mikey orders a pizza from Domino's. In the original VHS release (from Family Home Entertainment), the movie was preceded by an ad from Pizza Hut.
** A possible StealthInsult. It's mentioned openly that the delivery guy was late.
* ItCameFromTheFridge: After the turtles return home from the farm, Donatello inspects the fridge. After finding a pizza, he asks Mikey "Do you like penicillin on your pizza?"
* ItIsDehumanizing: Shredder almost exclusively refers to Splinter as "it."
* [[HesBack It's Time to Go Back]]: After the boys have gotten their act back together during their time at the farmhouse.
* KickTheDog: Shredder, after thoroughly beating the Turtles, mocks them by saying that he killed Splinter. It works.
-->'''Raphael''': ''[sternly]'' ''Where's Splinter''?
-->'''Shredder''': Ah, the rat. So it has a name... [[HeHadAName It]] ''{{h|eHadAName}}ad'' [[HeHadAName a name.]]
-->''[Leonardo angrily pushes past the rest of them]''
-->'''Leonardo''': ''[[ThatLiarLies You lie!]]''
-->'''Shredder''': ''[smiling behind his mask]'' Do I?
-->''[Leonardo charges at Shredder in absolute rage]''
** He tries it again after taking down Leonardo and ordering the other Turtles to throw away their weapons and threatening to kill him if they don't. After they have done so...
--->'''Shredder''': Fools... The three of you might have been able to overpower me with the loss of but one. Now your fate... WILL BE HIS! ''[readies [[CoupDeGrace killing strike]] on Leonardo]''
* LastNoteNightmare: The end credits. After "T-U-R-T-L-E Power" and "9.95" play, it's followed by the singer screaming "Turtle Power" one more time, followed by a very sharp, loud rush of wind.
* LastSecondWordSwap:
-->'''Leonardo''': We have had our first battle, Master Splinter. They were many, but we kicked--! ''[catches himself]'' ...We fought well.
* LighterAndSofter: While DarkerAndEdgier than the 80s cartoon, the movie is still toned down compared to the original comic; most of the fights are more slapsticky, [[BloodlessCarnage there's almost no blood]] and the Turtles never kill anyone -- in the original comic, Splinter specifically raised and trained them to kill the Shredder in order to avenge his master Yoshi, but this is never so much as mentioned and Splinter's motivation seems to have been teaching his sons how to defend themselves against a world that won't understand or accept them. There's also a ''lot'' more comedy in the movie, much of it from Michelangelo and Donatello.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop:
** April is unaware that Danny was part of the Foot Clan. Or that he stole money from her wallet, so she was confused that he paid him back at the end. Neither do the Turtles.
--->'''April:''' ''(when Danny hands her a $20)'' What's this?\\
'''Danny:''' It's just something I owe you! Trust me.
** April also remains in the dark about the reason her boss fired her. He was blackmailed by Chief Stern to get April to back off in his case and he'll erase Danny's criminal record. So April doesn't completely forgive Charles, even after he rehired her.
--->'''Charles:''' April, I told you, there were circumstances!
* LoveAtFirstPunch: April and Casey; as Donatello so eloquently put it "Gosh. It's kinda like ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'', isn't it?"
* ManChild: April describes Casey as "A 9-year-old trapped in a man's body."
* MartialArtsForMundanePurposes: Leo puts his swords to use by slicing up a pizza that Mikey threw up in the air and distributing the slices. The last one ends up falling on Splinter's head.
* MeaningfulName: Tatsu means TheDragon in Japanese.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler:Nicely subverted.]]
* MistakenForGay: What Casey thinks when he hears Donatello call him a "claustrophobic". April corrects him on the meaning of the word.
* MoodWhiplash: The movie seems almost as funny and lighthearted as the cartoon series (it's a little bit darker, but we have to AvoidTheDreadedGRating here!), [[spoiler:until the Turtles return home to find it completely destroyed and Splinter missing]]. Watching it as a little kid, the effect is like someone punching you in the stomach.
** [[spoiler: Made slightly worse because the centerpiece of the wreckage is a pile of maroon laundry in the center of the room that, in the darkness, looks oddly gory if you don't realize what it is.]]
** The apartment fight scene starts out pretty comedic and triumphant, giving us the impression that this could be an easy win. However when they are overrun with more foot soldiers the music and the mood changes. Even the music itself is pretty much saying OhCrap. [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence And then a Foot ninja is electrocuted.]]
* MookChivalry: Inverted. The Foot have no problems ganging up on the Turtles, and this leads them to two brutal defeats. Meanwhile, the Turtles attack Shredder one at a time... [[CurbStompBattle and get their shells handed to them repeatedly.]]
* MrFanservice: Elias Koteas as Casey Jones.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Danny looks at April's apartment on fire in tears, knowing it's because he told Shredder he saw one of the Turtles there.
* MythologyGag:
** While the movie is mostly based on the original Mirage Studios comics, it had a few elements from the 80s cartoon: different-colored bandanas, their love for pizza, April being a news reporter, and Michelangelo's {{Catchphrase}} "Cowabunga".
** "Check out East Warehouse on Lairdman Island." (Reference to Eastman and Laird, of course.)
* NearMissGroinAttack: Raphael, in heated response to Donatello's teasing of him getting televised credit for saving April's life, hurls one of his sai at his brother. It lands right between the latter's legs, prompting him to quickly cease.
--> '''Don''': Hey, look! ''Nyuk Nyuk!!'' I think he's blushing!
-->'''Raph''': I am not!
-->'''Don''': I think he's actually turning red -- ''(Raph hurls his sai, landing it point-first between Donnie's legs)'' -- uh, [[VerbalBackspace maybe not.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** Raphael rescued April in the subway, but he FailedASpotCheck and accidentally revealed the lair's location to the Foot. He is clearly aware of this fact, too, which makes him feel worse.
** Looking in a mirror, Danny briefly spotted Michelangelo hiding under the table. Though Mikey managed to make himself scarce before the boy turned around, it was still enough for Danny to later tell the Shredder where the Turtles were hiding.
* NonProtagonistResolver: Other than beating a ton of Foot Clan {{Mooks}}, the Turtles don't contribute much at all to the film's climax. Casey rescues Splinter, and Splinter shows up to save the Turtles from the Shredder.
* NotHelpingYourCase: No word of the Foot or Splinter, the Turtles have to wait until April can get more info via her news reports. However, Raph is getting impatient for basically just "sitting on their butts". Leo gets frustrated with Raph's usual temper outburst and tells him it's not "helping anything". So Raph [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere just leaves]].
* NotSoAboveItAll: Straight-laced Master Splinter, at the end of the first three films, will show that he's not above making the occasional joke like the turtles.
-->'''First film''': I have always liked... "Cowabunga".
-->'''Second film''': Ten flips now! And remember... Go, ninja, go, ninja, go!
-->'''Third film, while [[LampshadeWearing wearing lampshade]]''': Yo, dude! Like Elvis in ''Blue Hawaii''!
-->'''Fourth film, [[CasualDangerDialog while kicking monster ass]]:''' [[BadassFamily We should do this more often!]] [[RetiredBadass I STILL got it!!]]
* OffhandBackhand:
** Leo fakes out another Foot ninja and kicks him offhandedly during the fight in April's apartment.
*** Later, Mike does a straightforward offhand backhand after ducking in his shell.
--> "God, I love being a turtle!!"
** Raph does it after calling Donatello a showoff after Don's skateboarding ass-kicking-montage.
* OncePerEpisode: The first three movies concluded with Splinter "making a funny."
** Also: a sequence where Raphael is separated from the rest of the group
** The Turtles saying "I love being a turtle". Mikey in the first film, all of them in the sequel, Leo in the third.
* OneOfTheBoys: April seems to be this with the turtles, and with Casey.
* OutgrowingTheChildishName: By the end of the first movie, Daniel "Danny" Pennington, after CharacterDevelopment, tells his dad, "It's just Dan now."
* OutOfFocus: Weirdly, the Turtles. Even though this is their movie, they contribute surprisingly little to the resolution of the plot. Raphael has the most plot-relevant role (though he tends to ''start'' problems rather than fixing them), and Leonardo has the moment when he discovers Splinter is alive... but the Turtles aren't involved at all in the rescue of Splinter; Casey and Danny are the ones who save him. The Turtles also don't contribute to the defeat of Shredder; they fight him and lose, and then he's taken out by Splinter and Casey. This is probably a side-effect of the movie being so closely based on the Mirage comic, which similarly also often downplayed the Turtles' roles in the story.
* ParlorGames: When Donnie and Casey are fixing the truck, they play a variation of "Alphabet" where they take turns insulting each other. ("Atomic Breath," "Barfaroni," etc.)
* PartingWordsRegret: Leo comes to regret having the last words in his and Raph's argument at April's apartment, particularly because they were rather harsh words, and because, for a time, it looks as if they might be his last words to Raph when the latter looks like he won't wake up from his injuries.
* PoliceAreUseless: Chief Sterns practically embodies this trope, refusing to take any meaningful action against the organized crime ring and refusing to hear out April's warnings as to what they are up to. Also counts as ObstructiveBureaucrat as he goes out of his way to badmouth Charles when she calls out the chief on his inaction on live television, which immediately gets her fired.
* PragmaticAdaptation: This film satisfactorily combined two very different version of the turtles into a successful whole.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Casey Jones's fight with [[TheDragon Tatsu]] was all over once Casey got knocked into a pallet of sporting goods and came up with a driver. Casey promptly delivers the obligatory line before ending the fight with one stroke.
-->'''Casey Jones:''' [[GolfClubbing FORE!!!!!!!!]]
* PrecisionFStrike: Raph actually says "bitchin'" near the end of the film.
** After he fails to defeat the turtles the first time, Tatsu drops a low-key "''[[BilingualBonus Kuso!]]''"[[note]]Shit![[/note]]
%% The multiple uses of "damn" don't really qualify as "precision", given it was used at least 4 times by 2 different characters.
* ProductPlacement: Domino's Pizza, whom Michelangelo gleefully shorts for arriving late.
-->'''Michelangelo:''' Wise man say: "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
** In the beginning, one of the runaways helping The Foot unload their stolen merchandise has eaten a Burger King meal.
* [[PutDownYourGunAndStepAway Put Down Your Weapons and Step Away]]: Played painfully straight, and then [[spoiler:Shredder tells them how stupid it was]].
* RansackedRoom: After visiting April at her apartment, the Turtles come home to find their lair trashed and Splinter gone.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Charles Pennington is competent in doing his job as Channel 3's news editor and genuinely cares for the well-being of April ''and'' Danny.
* RevengeBeforeReason: Shredder, when faced with the dilemma of taking revenge for [[EvilIsPetty some scars on his face]] against the mutant rat that is the only thing preventing him from falling to his death and, well, not falling to his death, Shredder chooses the first option. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard It goes even more poorly than you might expect.]]
* RevisedEnding: [[WhatCouldHaveBeen The original ending]] for the film had April quitting her reporter's job in order to pitch the story of their adventures to a comic book company while the Turtles listen in outside the window. When the editor [[ItWillNeverCatchOn rejects her idea as being too unrealistic]], [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Mikey falls off the building]]. This scene is still in the real-life comic adaptation.
* RodentsOfUnusualSize: Master Splinter.
* RooftopConfrontation: Raphael heads to the roof after a spat with Leonardo and gets jumped by a butt-load of Foot ninjas. He holds his own for a while, but after some time they kick his ass and throw him through ceiling and proceed to fight the rest of the Turtles.
** The final confrontation with Shredder also takes place on a roof.
* RunningGag: The Turtles say things like "awesome" and "wicked," while Don says something lame like "Bossa Nova" or "A Capella." The last one makes it funnier, because the music cuts out when the Turtles stare at him at how lame it is.
** Whenever pizza's mentioned by a non-Turtle in their [[TriggerPhrase presence]], [[HellIsThatNoise a weird sound]] is played in the background which prompts one of the turtles (usually Mikey) to gain cartoon-like superspeed before heading off for the nearest pizza.
* SayMyName: "The Turtles are four once again. And yet, still not whole. A lingering doubt remains. An unknown which they can't face. Their greatest fear..."
-->'''Raph[[note]]or Mikey in the original scene[[/note]]:''' SPLINTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
* ScarsAreForever: Raphael has a scar on his cheek from some unexplained injury, while Shredder has scars on his cheek from a pre-mutation Splinter.
** If you look closely in the first two movies all of the turtles have little nicks and dings all over their shells, probably from a lifetime of ninja training.
* ScreamingWarrior: Raphael when they find their home trashed and Splinter gone.
** A better example would be his rescue of April from the Foot in the subway when he gets his missing sai back.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
** After having a fight with Leonardo, Raphael leaves to blow off some steam doing martial art moves on the rooftop. Unfortunately, it is on the rooftop where he gets ambushed by the Foot.
** Even before the argument, Donatello and Michelangelo see exactly where this is going and rush into the kitchen. The way they talk so casually about it makes it clear this happens a lot.
* SecondaryAdaptation: The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' franchise, which had begun as [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage a comic book series]], had a [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 successful western cartoon]], so Creator/NewLineCinema made this live-action film {{trilogy}} starting in 1990, incorporating elements from both previous mediums.
* SecretKeeper: Besides April and Casey, there's also Danny.
** Also, Splinter and Casey are apparently the only ones who know that Danny was a member of the Foot. It's unclear if April and the Turtles ever found out, and April was confused when Danny gave her $20 he owed her (which he stole from April's wallet earlier in the film).
* SeenItAll: The cabbie, especially compared to his fare.
--> ''[Raphael somersaults over the hood of the cab]''
--> '''Passenger''': What the hell was that?!
--> '''Cabbie''': Looked like sort of a big turtle, in a trench coat. You're goin' to [=LaGuardia=], right?
* ShipperOnDeck: Despite his crush on April, Raphael ships April and Casey together as he cheers along with his brothers on the rooftop when the two kiss.
* ShipToShipCombat: In-universe. While working on a truck, Casey expresses certainty that Mary Ann from ''Series/GilligansIsland'' ended up with the Professor, but Donatello insists she ended up with Gilligan. As they're so rigid in their positions, they actively insult each other for being wrong about Mary Anne's true love.
* ShootTheTelevision: Shredder is introduced watching a wall of TV screens. When April appears on the news and indicates that [[HeKnowsTooMuch she knows too much]] about the Foot Clan, Shredder throws a knife at her face on the TV screen. (There are several televisions sporting various cracks and dings, indicating that this happens quite often.)
-->'''The Shredder:''' Find her. SILENCE her!
* ShoutOut: Mikey's quoting of famous movie lines at April's apartment... including ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'' and Creator/JamesCagney.
-->'''Mikey:''' "Maybe I'll fight Apollo, maybe I won't. What do you think? Adrian!!!"
** April gives a nod to ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'' in her opening news report.
-->'''April:''' Crimes without criminals? An invisible gang? ''Who we gonna call?''
** During the bar scene, you can see some kids play the arcade version of ''Blades of Steel'' and ''VideoGame/{{NARC}}'' (the one where they are battling Mr. Big's skull form).
* ShutUpHannibal: Delivered by Splinter and Casey to the Foot members still identifying Shredder as a father figure, essentially telling them that the Shredder cares nothing for them; he merely uses them for his own selfish desires.
* ShutUpKirk: Shredder attempts when Splinter is lecturing him while holding him over a ledge.
-->'''Splinter''': Death comes for us all, [[spoiler: Oroku Saki,]] but something much worse comes for you, for when you die, it will be...\\
'''Shredder''': ''[tries to throw a knife at Splinter, who releases his grip on Mikey's nunchaku in order to catch it, letting him fall into the garbage truck]''\\
'''Splinter''': ''[finishes]'' ...without honor.
* SignatureStyle: A plot point. After the antique shop battle, Shredder is left troubled by Tatsu's report. It's not just that the Turtles can fight the Foot Clan, but also Tatsu's description of ''how'' the Turtles fought the Foot -- how familiar their fighting style seems to Shredder. Splinter's tale to Danny later reveals why: The rat learned martial arts from imitating Hamato Yoshi and trained the Turtles in his late owner's style. So Shredder unconsciously recognizes the Turtles are fighting just like his old rival, but he doesn't put it together until the climax (between actually fighting the Turtles himself and Splinter's bombshell).
** This trope also applies to the Foot Clan themselves and is another plot point. Shredder was active in Japan years before bringing the Foot and their criminality to the United States. Older Japanese immigrants who lived through this original reign of terror recognize all too well the similarities between the crime wave that's gripping NYC and the Foot's crimes back home. April investigates this and reports on it, which is what puts her on Shredder's hit list.
* SkywardScream: "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!"
** As noted above, Raph has another, unintelligible one when Splinter is kidnapped.
*** That scream can even be heard on the surface. An old man walks by and hears it, but shakes his head "nah, it couldn't be."
** "SPLINTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
* SoundtrackDissonance: Throughout these three movies, the music in the fight scenes is deliberately upbeat and lively, killing any mood. This is averted during the serious fight scenes though, like Raph's fight against the Foot in the subway, when April's apartment catches on fire, Casey and Tatsu's fight and the Turtles' final fight against the Shredder in the first movie.
* SpotlightStealingSquad:
** In terms of contribution to the plot, Casey Jones is the main hero of the movie. He gets the most development, and actually plays a bigger role in the resolution of the plot than any of the Turtles do, being the one to discover and free Splinter, give a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to the Foot teens, and since he's the one who "accidentally" starts up the garbage truck's compactor after Shredder falls into it, he's ultimately the one who takes out the Shredder too.
** Of the Turtles, Raphael gets the lion's share of the focus in the movie, taking over a plot that belonged to Leo in the original comics.
* StarringSpecialEffects: But when Creator/JimHenson is on board that's kind of a given.
* StabThePicture: Shredder's very first scene has him hurling a throwing knife at the TV where April is interviewing Police Chief Sterns about the Foot Clan, hitting her image right between the eyes and making it quite clear that he means her harm.
-->'''The Shredder:''' Find her. Silence her.
* StealthHiBye: The Turtles, Splinter, and the Foot ninjas.
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** When the Foot Clan raid the building, the Turtles finds themselves on the backfoot very quickly. Sure they're trained ninjas. But the Foot Clan turn out to be more numerous than they realize, not to mention they're down a member (Raph in this version who was ambushed and lost his Sai in the process) and fighting in enclosed spaces. While they take out a few of them, they soon start tiring and taking hits. They're only saved when Casey shows up to lend some aid, April getting them out through a secret passage and a fire starting that forces all parties to flee.
** When a squad of Foot Clan ninjas show up to intimidate her, April gets the bright idea to try and fight them. Since she's not a trained ninja, this goes as well as you'd expect.
** In the final confrontation with Shredder, the Turtles try to take him on but are no match. Foot Clan members are one thing, but he's a trained warrior with much more experience on them. Likewise when he has Leo at his mercy, the others are forced to discard their weapons to save him... only for Shredder to go back on his word to spare him, only stopping when Splinter calls him out.
*** Conversely, while Shredder is winning against the turtles, it's because he stepped in after his ninja were beaten and fights defensively using minimal movements and turning the Turtles' aggression against them, making him the freshest and most conservative fighter. But as the fight drags on, this approach starts to fail him; he is fighting four skilled opponents half his age, as Leonardo draws first blood, something that we never saw Shredder do to the Turtles. Shredder admits the Turtles might have won eventually with only the loss of one of them.
** Splinter forces Shredder over a building side who only manages to hang on through the nunchuck he grabbed. While Splinter monologues about avenging his master, Shredder tries to sneak attack him with a knife. He misses and ends up falling into a garbage truck.
* TakeThat:
** "A Jose Canseco bat?! Tell me - you didn't pay money for this!"
*** This feels like a general TakeThat today, but in contemporary context Canseco was a rival to the Yankees.
** Just a few minutes earlier, Raph walked out of ''Film/{{Critters}}'' in disgust -- [[WhoWritesThisCrap "Ugh, where do they come up with this stuff?!"]]
*** Also BitingTheHandHumor, as New Line Cinema distributed both films.
* TakingYouWithMe: Shredder's only possible motivation for trying to throw a dagger at Splinter.
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: There's really no reason why the Turtles should be able to spout off ''that'' much dialogue during their fights, other than the RuleOfCool and RuleOfFunny. Averted during the fight against Shredder, which is still cool but much less funny.
* TemptingFate:
** When Raphael gets ambushed on the rooftop by the Foot Ninja. He manages to take down a couple no problem, but...
---> '''Raphael:''' Hey hey, c'mon! How do you guys expect to beat me? ''[a whole army of ninja come out of hiding and corner him, vastly outnumbering him]'' [[OhCrap Good answer... good answer...]]
*** As April keeps asking about Raphael's prolonged absence, Donatello expresses certainty that he'll be back any minute. The Foot Ninjas throw Raph's battered body through the skylight immediately afterwards.
** After the turtles finish fighting off the Foot ninja, Raph quips, "Aw, no more?" Enter the Shredder.
* ThatCameOutWrong: Casey trying to tell April he overheard that she got fired.
-->'''Casey:''' Hey, you just saved yourself an 8-mile round tripper: you're fired.\\
'''April:''' I... I just saved myself?\\
'''Don:''' [[OhCrap Uh-oh.]]\\
'''April:''' [[WhatTheHellHero What did you do? Did you take classes in insensitivity?]]\\
'''Casey:''' I was just trying to break it to you easy.\\
'''April:''' Yeah? Well, you failed miserably!\\
'''Casey:''' Hey, Broadzilla. You wouldn't even be standing there if it weren't for me!
* ThemeMusicPowerUp: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmQ3L-rjzhA The main theme]] kicks in during the final battle on the streets as the Turtles fight their way through the Foot and onto the rooftop where Shredder awaits.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: After falling through the floor down two levels to the antique basement, the Turtles and April have this reaction when they are faced with Master Tatsu and more of his Foot clan ready to attack.
-->'''The Turtles:''' ''[groaning]'' Oh no...
* ThoseTwoGuys: Donatello and Michelangelo.
-->'''Michelangelo:''' Pork rind?\\
'''Donatello:''' ''[mouth full]'' Pork rind.
* ToneShift: See ShootTheTelevision above. Up until that point in the movie, things have been rather lighthearted and 'up.' When that knife gets thrown at the TV once April demonstrates to Shredder that [[HeKnowsTooMuch she knows too much]], the whole mood of the movie shifts, to the point where it borders on MoodWhiplash. Raphael is the only turtle to realize the implications of her reporting. With a knowing look on his face, he gets his hat and trench coat on while the others continue ogling April on TV.
* TotallyRadical: How the Turtles speak, considering the film takes place between the late 1980's/early 1990's.
* TrueCompanions: The Turtles.
* TruerToTheText: Although it borrowed elements from the then-current animated series (such as April as a news reporter rather than a scientist), the first film is one of the most faithful adaptations of the original comics in the entire franchise, including direct adaptations of several storylines from the original comics (the first issue, the exile at April's farm, and the "Return to New York" arcs). It also had Casey Jones in a prominent role like in the comics, as opposed to his DemotedToExtra in the animated series -- and like in the comics it also made Raphael the most central Turtle, with the other three getting far less attention and plot importance.
* UnconventionalElectives101: Used as a PreAsskickingOneLiner by Casey Jones in an early scene:
-->'''Casey:''' ''(to [[LetsYouAndHimFight Raphael]])'' Welcome to [[Subject101 Pain 101]]. Your instructor is Casey Jones.
* UnconventionalFoodOrder: Referenced in jest when Mikey tells April they like their pizza with "y'know, the usual, flies, stinkbugs..."
* UnderestimatingBadassery: A rare heroic example: when Shredder arrives the Turtles are overconfident after besting his Foot army, and mock his name and armor to his face. Shredder resultantly [[CurbStompBattle completely wrecks them]] despite being outnumbered 4-to-1. While they briefly gain the upper hand when they realize Shredder has Splinter, his sheer skill and their [[HonorBeforeReason consistently engaging him one at a time]] allows him to win out until Splinter appears. Lampshaded by the Turtles once they've recovered from the shock of their initial thrashing.
--> '''Michaelangelo:''' Now, at exactly what point did we lose control here?
--> '''Donatello:''' Maybe somebody oughta tell him that we're the good guys?
* UnknownRival: Unlike other versions of the story, where the Turtles are aware of Splinter and Shredder's blood feud, they have absolutely no idea of Shredder's existence until the final scene of the movie.
* VideoArcade: This is a place without parental supervision where underage kids smoke cigars (!) and the Foot Clan recruits new members.
* ViewersAreGeniuses:
** "Do you like... penicillin on your pizza?"[[note]]Penicillin was originally developed from mold - the pizza, left alone in a damp sewer, is obviously covered with it.[[/note]]
** A ''lot'' of Donny's failed attempts at slang are this.
** In the scene where Donatello and Casey are attempting to fix the truck while playfully insulting each other they're actually playing a variation of the Alphabet Game.
** When Casey Jones knocks Raphael into the trash can with a cricket bat, he declares, "See? Six runs." That's the actual point value for cricket's equivalent of a home run.
* VillainDecay: The Foot. In the first half of the first film they prove to be dangerous, as they manage to overwhelm the Turtles and deliver a brutal beatdown to Raph, putting him in a coma. By the second half the Turtles are swatting them aside with no problem. The novelization attempts to explain this by Leo, and later the other turtles, developing and honing a kind of sixth-sense so they can predict the Foot's attacks and the ambush of their lair (the only possible reference to this in the film is Michelangelo retracting his head into his shell when he gets attacked from behind).
** The film itself shows the turtles training in various ways before they return to New York. If the viewer watches closely, the turtles spar in a way that has one of them blindfolded by turning their head band around (supporting the sixth-sense from the novelization and supported by Mikey's head retraction). Leonardo himself practices meditation, as do his brothers as he later asks his them to join him, culminating in the campfire scene where the four establish a psychic link with Splinter.
* VillainousBreakdown: In the climax, Shredder gets into this when he sees Splinter alive and well. He fully breaks down when he realizes Splinter was the same pet rat of Hamato Yoshi who scarred his face (and returned the favor by slicing off one of his ears) all those years ago.
-->'''The Shredder:''' ''[feels his scar]'' "You... now I will finish what I begun with your ear!"
* VillainRespect: At the start of the final fight, Shredder (grudgingly) compliments the Turtles' fighting skills. He even concedes (just before Splinter's arrival) that they might just have been able to beat him had they been willing to sacrifice Leonardo's life.
* VillainsNeverLie: Subverted with DramaticIrony in the climax of the film: Shredder certainly believes that [[spoiler:Splinter is dead by now]] and the audience knows otherwise, but the Turtles themselves don't and Leo accuses him of lying.
* VisualPun:
** There's a bit of ProductPlacement for Turtle Wax.
** When Charles leaves a message for April telling her she's fired during the fight at the antique store; his "I know this must come as a blow" is followed up by the Foot soldier underneath the answering machine getting a blow to the head and knocked out.
* VolleyingInsults: Donatello and Casey Jones do this while fixing the truck, in alphabetical sequence for each insult.
* WatchingTroyBurn: April watches her father's store burn to the ground after an attack from the Foot, as she, Casey, and the Turtles drive away.
* WhamLine: In-universe, Splinter, who had been silent to Shredder during his imprisonment, has ''this'' to say:
-->'''Master Splinter:''' Yes Oroku Saki, I know who you are. We met many years ago, in the home of my master... Hamato Yoshi!
* WithinArmsReach: Casey Jones is on the receiving end of a CurbStompBattle from Tatsu until he ends up landing near a bag of stolen golf clubs. He grabs a driver and proceeds to OneHitKO Tatsu.
-->'''Casey Jones:''' I'll never call golf a dull game again!
* WhoWritesThisCrap: To quote Raphael after watching ''Film/{{Critters}}'', "Ugh! Where do they come up with this stuff?!"
* WorthyOpponent:
** The Foot 'chucker Mike engages in a flourish duel is duly impressed by his skills during their showdown.
** The Shredder acknowledges that the Turtles "fight well; in the old style". When he [[CurbStompBattle effortlessly]] takes down Raph, Leo also realizes "This guy's ''good''", as opposed to the poorly-trained Foot soldiers they just took down.
* YouExclamation: Shredder upon realizing that Splinter is the rat that scarred him all those years ago.
* YouFightLikeACow: The Turtles constantly mock and goad their opponents in battle. Don and Mikey are the two biggest offenders but even Leonardo and Raph get in on this one. They only stop joking at the very end, when the Shredder ''seriously'' pisses them off.
** Of course, with the [[CurbStompBattle way the fight had been going]], the Turtles could hardly justify talking smack against the way the Shredder fights in the first place.
* YouFool: Holding a yari spear to Leonardo, Shredder threatens to finish him if the other Turtles don't toss their weapons off the roof. When they comply, he says this to mock them for squandering the chance to overtake him with sheer numbers.
* YouHaveFailedMe: Shredder stares at Tatsu, who realizes he failed. Tatsu takes his anger out on the Foot ninjas he was commanding, almost (maybe?) killing one.
* YouShallNotPass: Casey holds the line against the entire Foot Clan in the battle of April's apartment, buying enough time for the Turtles to escape.
* YouWatchTooMuchX: It's implied that the Turtles watch a LOT of TV (especially Mikey). It's not like there's too much else for them to do. Though Don skateboards and Raph goes to movies.

----
->''"I made a funny! Ha ha ha ha ha!"''

* DullSurprise: Oroku Saki takes the fact he’s been feuding with his dead rival’s pet rat in his stride, judging by his face when he unmasks himself. [[JustifedTrope Justified]], however, as he is aware of the existence of the Turtles and Splinter (whom he also has been violently interrogating) since the first half of the movie, in fact, when he first mentions punishing said turtles, he sounds baffled by the mere existence of Mutant ninja turtles and later also mentions he finds their [[FightingFingerprint fighting style familiar]] and it reminds him of "something from the past". So when Splinter reveals who he is, everything makes sense to him.

* DullSurprise: Oroku Saki takes the fact he’s been feuding with his dead rival’s pet rat in his stride, judging by his face when he unmasks himself. [[JustifedTrope Justified]], however, as he is aware of the existemce of the Turtles and Splinter (whom he also has been violently interrogating) since the first half of the movie, in fact, when he first mentions punishing said turtles, he sounds baffled by the mere existence of Mutant ninja turtles and later also mentions he finds their [[FightingFingerprint fighting style familiar]] and it reminds him of "something from the past". So when Splinter reveals who he is, everything makes sense to him.

* SoundtrackDissonance: Throughout these three movies, the music in the fight scenes is deliberately upbeat and lively, killing any mood. This is averted during the serious fight scenes though, like when April's apartment catches on fire, Casey and Tatsu's fight and the Turtles' final fight against the Shredder in the first movie.