Every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Ranked (Including Mutant Mayhem)

Cowabunga, dudes! With a new Turtle-tastic adventure in our midst with "Mutant Mayhem," it's time to walk down memory lane and see how the surprisingly extensive "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cinematic canon stacks up. Read on, for our totally tubular and definitive ranking may surprise even the most ardent "TMNT" fans.

Created in 1984 by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the Turtles have become a staple in pop culture and one of the most enduring media franchises across films, television, toys, and video games. They've inspired rap songs, Halloween costumes, and even thousands of dollars in collectors' auctions. It's hard not to be charmed by the hilarious banter from leader Leonardo, tech-wiz Donatello, cool-but-crude Raphael, and party dude Michelangelo, but how has such a confounding concept endured this long? 

Well, no matter how malleable the characters are, the series always remains a story about family, brotherhood, and good triumphing over evil. Watch out for Shredder while you pop down your local sewer and grab a slice — it's Turtle Time!

We said we're ranking every "TMNT" movie and we meant it, even if it means having to unearth this confusing piece of pop culture detritus. Casual "Turtles" fans might not know that, at the height of the characters' popularity, the brothers in green branched out into recording and performing music. Yes, really. From the minds of composer-musicians Bob Bejan and Godfrey Nelson, "Coming Out of Our Shells" is a collection of rock songs (with a dash of hip-hop — this is "TMNT" after all) "performed" by the Turtles, covering topics like surfin' down sewer pipes and, of course, "Pizza Power." Even Splinter and April O'Neil get numbers of their own.

After Bejan and co-producer Steven Leber struck a deal with Pizza Hut, the album went multiplatinum and, as part of the deal, inspired a live concert with extensive costumes, pyrotechnics, and even a special new rap track for Shredder. This truly once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) event was captured for posterity on an official VHS live recording, in which younger fans can witness this bizarre yet banal blip in "Turtles" history. 

The live show sees the Turtles wanting to connect with their fans IRL, until their performance is threatened by the evildoings of Shredder and Baxter Stockman. It's a silly show whose larger-than-life story and characters can't quite match its minimalist staging, but it's far more fun to revel in the absurdity of its very existence than to be a buzzkill over its lack of quality. Just don't watch the making-of documentary ... then you'll really be in Turtle Hell.

To this day, many fans defend "Out of the Shadows" as the more tonally attuned of two Platinum Dunes "TMNT" films. The sequel's more comedic dialogue, not to mention the incorporation of fan-favorite characters Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Sheamus), felt more in line with what fans wanted from their "Turtles" content. However, when you take off the nostalgia goggles, the proof is in the pudding –- er, pizza. This second go-around is at least as lifeless and meandering as its predecessor.

Giving the Turtles a more collective personal character arc is an admirable move, but it's resolved as quickly as it's introduced. In fact, for a film called "Out of the Shadows," the film barely even delivers on that promise, instead opting for a more subdued conclusion that feels dramatically inert. Beyond that, the story lacks any actual connective tissue, shoving Krang (Brad Garrett) into a Shredder (Brian Tee) revenge story with little forethought.

The film's saving grace, again, is the Turtles, who continue to be a fun foursome of strong voice actors and motion capture performers. In addition, Stephen Amell as Casey Jones is clearly doing his best to actually act in one of these things and his efforts are appreciated. Laura Linney is a similarly welcome face, elevating just about anything she utters. Sadly, Megan Fox remains miscast as April O'Neil, a baffling choice that continues to provide diminishing returns. Seeing such a fun character be lifelessly flattened by Fox's unremarkable performance is worse than anchovies on pizza.

After having bought the rights to "TMNT" from series co-creator Peter Laird in 2009, it was imperative for Viacom and Nickelodeon to make a good first impression on the silver screen. Though the film was a box office success, Platinum Dunes' 2014 reboot was reviled by critics and hardly embraced by fans, in part because the Turtles aren't even the main characters of their own movie. Despite being woefully miscast, Megan Fox leads the film as April O'Neil, a struggling reporter who discovers the turtles while investigating the Foot Clan. In a bizarre revision to the original lore, April first interacts with the brothers and Master Splinter (Tony Shalhoub) as pets in her father's laboratory before he is killed and the animals are abandoned in the sewer.

There is something admirably grimy about this Michael Bay-produced take on "TMNT," not just in the cinematography but also in the frankly disgusting CGI redesigns. Let's be honest, photorealistic mutant turtles would likely look as horrifying as these mo-cap abominations, though that doesn't make them enjoyable to watch. As much as the voice cast (which includes Johnny Knoxville, for some reason) does their best to imbue chemistry into their brotherly dynamic, the Turtles are total eyesores, and that's a fact, Jack. In combination with the film's overly-produced blockbuster cinematography and editing, the entire film is a tiring, aimless ordeal. It's no wonder that the Mutant Bayhem only lasted for two films and was quickly superseded by Netflix's far superior "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reincarnation beginning in 2018.

Following the immense success of the first live-action "Turtles" film, Golden Harvest and New Line Cinema were eager to capitalize on Turtle Power. Thus, less than one year later, we got our slapdash sequel, "The Secret of the Ooze." Unfortunately, despite being another box office hit, a variety of factors made this follow-up a far cry from what made the original such a smash.

One major sticking point was the film's tone, opting to lean more into the franchise's sillier, lighter appeal and less on the darker, somber elements from the comics. Steve Barron, who directed the first film, departed the sequel after seeing this shift and, with no disrespect to new director Michael Pressman, you can feel his absence in the final product. "Secret of the Ooze" is a far less stylized affair and features little of the Turtles' signature weapons, which deflates a lot of the franchise's trademark ninjutsu fight choreography. Plus, need I remind everyone that Vanilla Ice is in this movie?

The film also lacks a plot as compelling as the original, which seems like a strange sentiment for a film about turtles who are ninjas. However, the first film's story was a personal tale of brothers, fathers, and sons learning to work together and embrace each other. The sequel doesn't have the same emotional throughline, opting instead to flirt with the Turtles' slimy origins without ever actually interrogating the titular secret of the ooze. Without an actual stake in the plot, the entire adventure feels frivolous ... which, even for a TMNT movie, is a total bummer, dude.

Talk about a shell shock! The third installment in the original live-action "TMNT" film series has long been lambasted as not only the worst of the trilogy, but one of the entire franchise's biggest mistakes. However, perhaps this surprisingly ambitious film deserves some reappraisal. People jeer at the notion of the Turtles time traveling to Feudal Japan, yet the Turtles literally time traveled two years earlier in one of their best-selling video games, "Turtles in Time" (which many fans mistake as the title of the film due to errors printed on home video copies). Plus, what better way to expand the "Turtles" universe than to send them back to when and where their fighting style, ninjutsu, originated?

This isn't to say the film fully takes advantage of its interesting setup. The surprisingly detailed historical narrative isn't perfectly juxtaposed with the Turtles' constant one-liners. However, it does provide the brothers with the chance to meet new characters and learn from them, something "Secret of the Ooze" barely bothered to attempt. In fact, "TMNT III" is overall more ambitious than its predecessor, featuring extensive period set design, costuming, props, and even music. Many are quick to point out the film's cheaper-looking Turtle suits but don't even care to mention that this is the only film of the three where the mouth animatronics are actually convincing! Call us crazy, but it's about time that this black sheep (or black turtle) of the franchise gets its due diligence. I mean, c'mon — the Turtles dance! In unison!

Before "No Way Home" became cinema's biggest comic book crossover, there was "Turtles Forever," an action romp that brought together multiple generations of the world's most fearsome fighting team. Though the television film acted as a series finale to the 2003 "Turtles" iteration on CW4Kids, it functions more appropriately as a larger celebration of the franchise's enduring legacy and malleability. Pairing the wackier 1987 Turtles with the more cynical 2003 Turtles is a tough sell on paper, but the special aptly pokes fun at the many absurd differences between the two teams while also embracing what unites them. They even manage to find some common ground with the original 1984 Mirage Comics Turtles, who appear toward the end of the special in an inspired piece of fan-service.

Its plot is fairly barebones and its larger action set pieces leave something to be desired, but the film gains so much mileage off of its charm alone. There's a reason the 1987 "Turtles" universe has endured as long as it has; all the characters, even villains like Shredder and Krang, are effortlessly enjoyable to watch. The special perfectly recreates the '80s cheese of the original series while blending it with 2003's more grounded universe and 1984's uber-noir sensibility. It also expertly blends each version's art style, allowing characters to seamlessly work together in combat sequences without the animation ever feeling cumbersome. In reality, films like "Turtles Forever" walked so that films like "Across the Spider-Verse" could run.

The confusingly titled "TMNT" is an oddity in the history of our lean, mean, and green heroes. It was the first-ever animated "Turtles" film, not to mention a sequel (technically) to "TMNT III." It features the voice talents of Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Stewart, and even Laurence Fishburne. It has the makings of what could have been a momentous turn for the Turtles, yet is mostly forgotten in the wake of Viacom and Nickelodeon's purchase of the franchise just two years later.

The film follows the four ninja warriors in the year following their defeat of the Shredder, a concept never explored in a film previously. Not only that, but the Turtles begin to grow apart and some of them even take on real jobs. It's a surprisingly somber movie that forces the team to consider what their lives are like now that their main baddie has bitten the dust. It goes to some dark places, including one confrontation with Leonardo (James Arnold Taylor) and Raphael (Nolan North) that feels incredibly evocative of Laird and Eastman's original comics.

The Turtles' struggles mirror their villain this time around, Max Winters (Stewart), a billionaire businessman who is secretly an immortal warlord. He wishes to no longer be immortal and strives to reverse this curse by any means necessary; just as the Turtles learn by the end of the film, Winters knows that a lonely life is not worth living. It's a subtle juxtaposition but one that grounds the entire film in a maturity that you'll rarely find in a "Turtles" film. Who said ninja teens can't have gravitas?

There was only one way we were ever going to get Batman to say "Cowabunga!"

Believe it or not, pairing the amphibious teens with the Caped Crusader makes a whole lot of sense. Both Batman and the Turtles have their origins in comics, are trained martial arts pros, and have become pop culture institutions. It's a crossover we never expected to see but quickly plays dividends. Pairing the Bat-family with the brothers brings out some incredible pairings, from Raphael (Darren Criss) and Batman's (Troy Baker) shared brooding interiority to Donatello (Baron Vaughn) and Batgirl (Rachel Bloom) being a surprisingly effective ship. This, paired with some of Batman's most iconic villains becoming mutants themselves in an extended fight sequence, makes for some incredible synergy.

The strongest similarity between the two franchises makes for one of the DC Animated Universe film's greatest strengths; both have indelible legacies of constantly bouncing between self-seriousness and camp. Much like the best "TMNT" content, "Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" embraces both light and dark elements. This commitment to balancing the tenets of each series makes the film such an exciting experience for TMNT fans. On one hand, it's a very funny film, with each character getting a good amount of quips in. On the other hand, it's also the only "TMNT" film to actually feature blood during its fight sequences. It can be a disturbing film at times –- at one point, Leonardo breathes in Scarecrow's fear gas and hallucinates his brothers' rotting corpses -– but it's all in service of making this unlikely pairing feel momentous, which it certainly does.

It's almost absurd how well the Turtles' silver screen debut holds up. Everything points to it being a product of its time, cheesy in its humor and dated in its effects. However, within just the first few minutes, it's clear that visionary music video director Steve Barron had brought the comics to life in a way that no other director has achieved since. This isn't to say it's a flawless adaptation, but it succeeds in ways that no other film in the series has.

For one, this is the only "TMNT" movie that feels like an actual New York story. The Turtles' city upbringing is a major aspect of their identity, and Barron embraces the grittiness and ground-level crime of '80s Manhattan to a tee. It also feels like the Turtles are real New Yorkers –- Mikey (Robbie Rist) does impressions of Sylvester Stallone and James Cagney for crying out loud. With its expressionist lighting and grainy cinematography, it probably has more in common with "Dog Day Afternoon" or "The French Connection" than its own sequel.

Secondly (and most importantly), the 1990 film finds an incredible balance between the original comic's darker edges and the television show's lighter elements. The film's commitment to Shredder's (James Saito) steely, intimidating aesthetic feels genuine, while the Turtles' chemistry between each other and with April O'Neil (Judith Hoag in a genuinely brilliant performance) is incredibly charming. This tightrope tonal balance, in combination with the film's b-movie sensibility, creates a fascinating world for the Turtles to inhabit and one that has yet to be topped in live-action.

In an interview with ScreenRant, "Mutant Mayhem" producer and co-writer Seth Rogan makes an astute observation: Despite being teenagers, "every version of [the TMNT] had been performed by adults." It's what led him to cast four actual teenage boys (Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon) to voice his versions of the Turtles, a seemingly obvious but inspired choice that makes the decade-spanning franchise feel fresh and new in this latest reboot.

Having the four brothers sound and act like goofy kids makes its more traditional coming-of-age story resonate. We've seen other iterations of the brothers who wish to be accepted in the human world, but we've never seen it like this: they learn how to fight bad guys for the first time, long to go to high school, and even make friends with other mutants. The ensemble of "Mutant Mayhem" is the biggest collection of mutants we've seen in a "Turtles" film to date, including deep-cut characters like Mondo Gecko (Paul Rudd), Genghis Frog (Hannibal Buress) and Scumbug. All of this amounts to a pseudo-origin story for the heroes in a half-shell that makes its newly designed "Turtles" universe feel bigger and bolder right from the jump.

We, of course, can't forget the film's amazing animation style. Reminiscent of director Jeff Rowe's work on "Mitchells vs. The Machines," the animators aspired to recreate the aesthetic of a teenager's doodle-filled notebook. The resulting scraggly line work and slightly misshapen character designs give the entire film's aesthetic a charming, if rough-around-the-edges, appeal that certainly supplements the film's teenage sensibilities. Next time, though, let's maybe ditch Splinter's weird sweater vest?

When it comes to storied franchises like "TMNT," it can be difficult to feel surprised by new interpretations. The characters are so beloved by such a devoted fanbase that, oftentimes, it's easier to repeat what's tried and true. This was not the case for "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," the 2018 television incarnation that saw much of the franchise's story and cast thoroughly redesigned. Not only was the art style more angular and high-octane, but the brothers themselves were given new characterizations: Leonardo (Ben Schwartz) was more arrogant, Donatello (Josh Brener) was more witty, Raphael (Omar Miller) was more responsible, and Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith) was more wide-eyed. It presented a whole new dynamic for the foursome that made this take on the turtles immensely refreshing, not to mention hilariously funny.

The series culminates with the 2022 film, in which fan-favorite character Casey Jones (Haley Joel Osment) is similarly reimagined as a student of Master Leonardo in the year 2044. On the brink of worldwide destruction, Leonardo sends Casey back in time to help the original turtles save the future. It's an adventure that retains much of the series' charm but boosts the action up several notches. In fact, several moments are more intense than any other entry in the franchise, including the body horror abilities of the Krang (Jim Pirri and Toks Olagundoye). 

It's all in service of a high-stakes story, both for the brothers and for the fate of the world, that sets up and pays off every character arc. It resonates more effectively than the wacky hijinks of other entries, making this film the most radical "Turtles" adventure in every sense of the word.