One of the lovely things about the modern world is the recent rebound of what’s commonly called “Nerd” or “Geek” culture, such as in the unparalleled success of the Marvel franchise and the return of series like Star Trek to the silver screen. In recent years, one such saga has been rebooting itself over and over again, with mixed responses from fans and newcomers… but to anyone who grew up with these certain comical green dudes, even the original movies from the eighties are still well-worth a watch.

     For those of you who may be a little more hesitant about sitting down to watch anything about some ridiculous radical reptiles, let me assure you that there are plenty of ways to get started; and if you don’t like what you see then don’t worry; there is probably at least one version of this franchise that is for you. Allow me to explain the appeal of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to you in a spoiler-free nutshell… or rather, half-shell.

Hogwarts The Ninja Turtles, A History

     Just as the turtles themselves have a very unlikely and ridiculous origin, so too their actual franchise. Comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird were having some pizza and tossing ridiculous ideas back and forth over a night of bad television in 1984. One of them doodled a funny little turtle carrying ninja weapons in a belt... and they decided to run with it.

     Eventually they ended up self-publishing a single-issue comic that was meant to parody several other popular comic books of the time (particularly Daredevil, but you can read all about it yourself if you're really interested, so I won't bother with the details here for anyone who wants bare-minimum knowledge). The pages were entirely black and white, the turtles all wore red masks, their personalities were almost indistinct from one another, and the style was very gritty and violent.

     However, animation studios and toy companies slowly caught on. The turtles were redesigned, rewritten, and released in an animated miniseries where they were given colored masks...

     …separate personalities, and iconic slogans like, “Turtle Power!”

     Eventually CBS started airing the show, and the rest is history. Ninja Turtle school supplies, cameras, towels, skateboards, even breakfast cereal were stocking shelves. The show continued for ten seasons until 1996, while the comic books went their own way and kept their gritty separate storylines.

     In 1990, Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) joined an effort to mix the two mediums using a live-action film… however, no studio would take it on. Eventually Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released without studio funding, and it became the most successful independent film at the time (and now sits as the second-highest-grossing independent film ever made). The movie, while filled with violence and language not suitable for the young children who watched its animated counterpart, is still considered the series classic by many fans.

     Two sequels followed.

     The Secret of the Ooze, and Turtles in Time. Ooze was made in memory of Jim Henson, was much more kid-friendly…

     …featured a major cameo by Vanilla Ice (it was the nineties, okay!?)…

     …as well as a larger number of plot holes than its predecessor… but it was still a fine piece of cinema when compared to Turtles in Time, which was made without Jim Henson’s workshop and did a poor job of costuming and humor.

     In 1997 when the animated series ended, Saban Entertainment released a live action television show entitled The Next Mutation. It was... different. There were even a few crossovers involved.

     It also featured a female turtle named Venus De Milo… but the poor costuming, plots, and negative fan reception of Venus caused the show to cancel after just one season.

     It wasn’t until 2003 when Fox started airing a new animated version of the show that the turtles re-spiked in popularity. A computer-animated movie was released in 2007 called TMNT, which broke the mold by not featuring an origin story (so it was a bit tough for newcomers to get integrated). It retained all of the humor and adventure that fans loved… but it went overboard by trying to introduce a new villain and an ancient curse (as if it isn’t hard enough to believe in walking talking mutants, they tried to include magic and monsters… all in less than two hours).

     In 2009, an animated video with very little press release was made, called Turtles Forever. It played off the idea that some of the shows involve dimension-jumping and fourth-wall breaks, and showed multiple genres of Turtles interacting with one another (including a set of gritty black-and-white reptiles playing homage to the original comic books).

     While not publicly declared from the rooftops, Turtles Forever was well-liked by the majority of its fan base.

     Also in 2009, Nickelodeon bought all rights to the turtles once Fox’s animated show came to a conclusion. Since then, they’ve had a computer-animated show running since 2012… and of course, Michael Bay tried to create another origin-story live-action film in 2014, and I have yet to meet anyone with a kind word to say about it. Critics, fans, newbies… they all dislike it.

The Plot

     Different shows and movies may differ on the details*, but in general, the story follows New Yorker April O’Neil (usually a TV news reporter)…

     …as she is rescued from a mugging by four muscled mutants. They take her down into the city sewers where they’ve been raised for over a decade by their sensei and adopted father, an aged mutant rat named Splinter. Reports vary over whether he was born human or rat, and how he originally learned the art of ninjitsu, but the point is:

     Splinter was a normal sewer rat that found four baby turtles in a storm drain, crawling in a strange radioactive canister of ooze that had been accidentally discarded by some polluting company or other (depending on which story you pick). Soon they all started to mutate and learn human speech. Splinter named the turtles with an old book on Renaissance art, and then… oh what the heck, I’ll let the old theme song say it!

     “Splinter taught them to be ninja teens:

     Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines.

     Raphael is cool, but rude

     And Michelangelo is a party dude!”

     (And for those of you who have a hard time keeping them straight:

     Leonardo: Blue mask, katana blades, leader

     Raphael: Red mask, sai, brute force

     Donatello: Purple mask, bowstaff, brains

     Michelangelo: Orange mask, nunchakus, humor

     You're welcome.)

     Having lived in the sewers all this time, the four brothers have learned about human culture by absorbing whatever we throw into the storm drains and subways: magazines, old TVs, stereos, and — of course — pizza. Lots and lots of pizza. (There's probably more hot dogs than pizza slices floating around below New York... but let's face it, a lot of us would take a slice of pie over hot dogs any day.)

     They spend their days like most other teenagers: skateboarding, watching TV, and stuffing their faces with junk food.

     They spend their nights as vigilantes in the crime-ridden city, battling gangs and (in particular) their arch-nemesis the Shredder, a blade-clad ripoff of Darth Vader who heads a crime syndicate called The Foot. 

     Some sagas set him as an ancient enemy of Splinter (the rat: try to keep up) from back when they both still lived in Japan. The Shredder is accompanied by hundreds of expendable Foot ninja lackeys (usually robots in the kid-friendly sagas), and sometimes (again, in the animated versions) an evil talking brain-creature from another dimension. Because if you're already animating a series about anthropomorphic reptiles… why not?

     *The 2014 movie by Michael bay attempted to rewrite almost every major factor of the turtles’ origin story, and its plot is therefore not included in this synopsis. For more ideas about its inaccuracies, you can check out this spoiler-free movie review or the review by classic Youtube channel, CinemaSins (I think it may have broken a record with over 200 problems).

The Appeal

     From the outside looking in, Ninja Turtles appears to be a lot of hype over a ridiculous concept. That’s certainly what Michael Bay seemed to think when he made a movie on it, but seeing his film actually helped me (and probably many other fans) realize where the appeal of the show really lies.

     Yes, it’s fun to watch mutant ninjas run around New York City while the inhabitants live their daily lives in total ignorance. Yes, it’s fun to watch tentacled dimensional aliens boss around mad scientists and create giant weapons to rule the world. But in all honesty, the real appeal in Ninja Turtles is watching four teenage brothers interact with one another.

     Anyone who’s had a sibling before can testify to the ups and downs of living with someone whose interests differ from yours. Coming from a home that mixed athletes, artists, and honor students on a daily basis, I can fully relate to the comedy and occasional tragedy that the Turtles barrel through as they struggle to be a family. They each express their desires and their feelings in different ways, sometimes pranking one another …

     …sometimes getting into shouting matches, and sometimes just rolling their eyes in exasperation.

     The most frequent example of this friction occurs when Raphael, just barely the strongest fighter of the four, tends to butt heads with Leonardo over his rights to lead the team. Most of the feature films tend to center around this conflict, often until Raphael finds himself alone and must come to grips with the fact that he needs his brothers.

The Rating

     The animated shows are probably PG, and the movies centered on origin stories (namely the very first gritty 1990 film from and the 2014 version by Michael Bay) are PG-13.

     Violence: The word ‘ninja’ is in the title: what did you expect?

     There’s a lot of martial arts action delivered on expendable lackeys, often with perilous situations and injuries threatening the characters. However, to my knowledge there’s no visible blood from injuries. In fact, some of the series include quite a bit of slapstick.

     It should be noted that the original movie features adolescent gangs with underage drinking and drug use — as I said, it was based on some pretty gritty comic books. So be warned.

     Sex: Except for the occasional kiss shared between two human characters and mild teen humor, there’s nothing to see.

     Language: With the exception of the 1990 movie that contains some for-teen-ears-only words, this is a very kid-oriented franchise.

The Genre

     Featuring some very eighties-style idealization of martial arts and good vs. evil, this series tends to mix action with comedy and give its audiences some wild fun. Serious matters tend to center around family and Eastern spiritualism, but nobody runs to this show for moral debates. The eighties kids’ show tends to feature ridiculous villains and jokes that break the fourth wall, while the live action movies are a bit more grim and a bit less silly (relatively speaking).

     So is it worth it?

The Decision

     That depends on you. There are plenty of people out there who don’t like the Ninja Turtles, but you shouldn’t criticize the franchise until you’ve gotten a good taste of at least two separate versions. And that’s where this article comes in!

     If you’re worried about getting caught up, there are many places to begin — and many genres if you’re a picky viewer.

     The 1987 Cartoon Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

     If you wish to start at the beginning, the only way to start earlier than this is to pick up an original comic book. This show is chock-full of eighties culture, wacky clean humor, and classic cheap 80/90s animation (if you've ever seen Captain Planet or The Magic School Bus, you've got the idea).

     The 1990 Live Action Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

     While this may not be the way to introduce your kids to the Turtles, this is the fan-favorite for introducing teens and adults to the series. It’s not only the fastest way to get introduced (since it's great as a standalone feature), but it’s also still considered by most to be the best of the movie adaptations. Most fans accept its origin story (beside that of the comic books) as the canon base for the franchise.

     Part of the reason why it's so good is because it's got actual physical actors in costume, great humor, and live stunts!

     FOX’s 2003 Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

     This animated series might appeal to more modern kids, but now that a new computer-animated series has been made by Nickelodeon, this saga is in a sad state of limbo between the classic original and the modern adaptation. Preteens and 90s kids might enjoy a bit more of the “serious” ninja action.

     The 2009 Animated Film, Turtles Forever

     While this movie starts a tad abruptly for newcomers, it’s definitely an homage to the series in a way that all fans can appreciate. It combines tongue-in-cheek writing with an incredible blend of animation styles, and it’s an instant classic that ought to sit in the library of any Ninja Turtle fan.

     The 2012 Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

     Complete with a catchy modern update of the beloved theme song, this version of the show is going strong and has a whole new generation of kids sporting Ninja Turtle regalia (every time I see kindergarteners running around with turtle shells on the backs of their hoodies, I always catch my breath and resist the urge to squeal). Featuring the harmless humor and ridiculous let’s-add-aliens-and-robots-because-who-cares plot twists that came from the original animated show, this series is bright and colorful and good for a laugh. It may have altered a few plot points like April O’Neil’s age and occupation, but it was made for kids: what do you expect?

     The 2014 Live-Action Movie, Ninja Turtles

     Watch under no circumstances, especially if you're new to the franchise. The design may be pretty good, but the script is abhorrent, and it does the already-ridiculous origin story a massive disservice. Now that is saying something.

     And if you’re still on the fence, just give it time. There are plenty of trailers for the different sagas that you can find on Youtube that might interest you if you’re more of a visual person (like myself). Not only is there a trailer for the 1990 movie, but also a great mashup of the audio from Michael Bay’s trailer and the original animated series. Either way, it is the hope of turtle fans everywhere that you join our great clan, and buy a set of Ninja Turtle footie pajamas immediately.

Conclusion

     In the end, I’d recommend that you ask the Ninja Turtle fans in your life where they think you should start. Each of them has a particular show or movie that first captured their heart, and whether you’re looking for comedy or adventure, they’ll be sure to steer you in the right direction. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a series that’s ridiculous… and no one cares because it’s just fun to watch.

"Wax on... wax off!"

     But, whatever you do… don’t watch the Michael Bay version first. Just don’t.

     As I’m sure many writers started out, I spent a major portion of my childhood carrying around chapter-books wherever I went. Sometimes they were the usual moody preteen paperback fantasies, but after some time I felt as if I had come to the end of all interesting literature (which is of course absurd, but that’s the delusion of adolescence for you).

     Just as I was finishing up primary school (and often reading during the lessons, which I was still acing, I might add), my mother handed me a thick old tome with the silhouette of a slender bust on the front: it was the portrait of some man with a long nose, a proud chin, and a stout little pipe. I had at last come to that great classic, with which many are familiar but few actually read.

     Frankly, one would have to live under a rock not to have noticed the recent flux in the popularity of Mr. Holmes in the last decade: the genius detective has not been protected by copyright for some time, due to the expiration of author’s rights after a certain number of years. But lately, television and motion picture companies alike have been competing to produce the best homage to Arthur Canon Doyle’s beloved antihero.

     Most Americans are likely familiar with the somewhat comical Robert Downey Jr. films by Warner Bros. (also the creators of the Looney Toons… how fitting). They definitely read into Holmes’ genius and his substance addictions, which were certainly present in the novels (though in a more subtle way). However, the films relied more on spectacle and comedy than on actually allowing the audience to solve the cases themselves. Not that anybody would have been able to, of course, but if Holmes himself had been a viewer, he would have been just as stumped as the rest of us due to much undisclosed information in the storylines such as smells or tastes. Not to mention Downey’s distinct lack of resemblance to Holmes as he has been known to appear.

     But I digress. At the moment, there are two major television shows that are attempting to unlock the genius of Holmes using a modern lens. While the hit series House based much of its main character on the Sherlock of legend, the two shows that I’m referring to have actually adapted the character in the flesh, by name: the American series Elementary, which has added the new dynamic of a female Dr. Watson… and the much-acclaimed BBC saga entitled simply, Sherlock. I will be talking about the latter, for those of you who have seen (and probably have come to fear) plenty of its fans.

     And don’t worry; the entire description will, of course, be spoiler-free.

Hogwarts Sherlock, A History

     In 2010, the BBC took a pair of relatively unknown actors named Martin Freeman of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy...

     ...and Benedict Cumberbatch of Amazing Grace...

     ...and stuck them together in a fun little series that really defied the normal mold of most television shows. For one thing, most dramas air ten to fifteen hour-long episodes per season. With Sherlock, each episode ended up nearly two hours in length, and each season was only made up of three episodes. In a sense, Sherlock wasn’t so much a series as it was a set of straight-to-television movies.

     But the format wasn’t the only thing that worked in Sherlock: the actors fell into place with perfect chemistry, and their acting careers certainly took off from there (and they even worked together again in New Line Cinema’s The Hobbit trilogy, which almost any fan of the BBC could tell you in their sleep... so if it's new information to you, don't let on to your friends).

     But what’s a show without a script? And what’s a script without a good writer? Well, the BBC broke out their golden boys for that: Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Having enjoyed the benefits of placing the show Doctor Who under these men (with record-shattering results), the BBC was able to take a very trusting hands-off approach with Sherlock after Moffat and Gatiss took the reigns. Both writers, known for their convoluted genius and unparalleled humor, took the mysteries written by Arthur Canon Doyle and gave each a new, modern twist.

     For some time after 2012, a third season was rumoured but unconfirmed — Freeman, Cumberbatch, Moffat, and Gatiss all had separate blossoming careers, and it was suggested that the show might never be renewed…

     ...but after much agonized waiting by a growing fan base, Season 3 came to fruition and blew away the television world (and much of the internet) in 2014 with hardly any effort at all. And now, with a special in the works for Christmas 2015 and a fourth season confirmed for 2016, it would seem that the ratings (and furious internet rantings) tell the rest of the story.

The Plot

     As in the original mysteries, a rather ordinary military doctor John Watson returns to Jolly Old England and finds himself a fellow bachelor to split the rent with: a rather odd, eccentric, yet strangely genius man by the name of Sherlock Holmes who works as a detective. Soon Doctor Watson finds himself alongside Holmes on all sorts of escapades, investigating unexplainable crimes that lead them into situations that range from comical to perilous; meeting many characters of questionable or undeniably psychopathic countenances; and, of course, solving crime waves and saving the British Empire.

The Appeal

     As mentioned briefly above, a large portion of this show’s appeal lies in the intricate genius of its writers and the chemistry of its lead actors.

     There’s great comedy in watching the eccentric Holmes make unorthodox demands of Dr. Watson (rather like watching the neurotic Sheldon Cooper quarrel with Leonard Hofstadter over "proper behavior" in The Big Bang Theory).

     And I can’t help but feel a sense of awe at the incredibly detailed masterpiece plots that Moffat and Gatiss have produced. Even if the cases are based on already-existent literature, transferring the crimes into modern settings requires so much focus that it’s uncanny. Every time I watch an episode of Sherlock, I (as a writer) feel intimidated, as if I’m in the presence of the next great classic novel (albeit in cinematic form).

     But I think that perhaps one of the most central factors contributing to the show’s popularity often goes overlooked. Simply this: the audience is provided with all of the information necessary to solve the cases themselves. When Holmes touches a surface, we’re told whether it’s wet or dry. When he looks a suspect over, we see the dog hair and imported watch and tailor-made suit that he sees. We may not be smart enough to solve the mysteries presented on Sherlock, but if Holmes were in the flesh to watch the saga for himself, he would have all the clues necessary to reach every conclusion.

     And it's because of this feature that the fans often go into hyper-detective mode, trying to search for clues to solve unanswered questions between seasons. I've seen many incredible fan-theories, one of which [involving a seemingly-insignificant little squash ball] even turned out to be correct in the long run.

     And as an added bonus to the fun of the show, writers Moffat and Gatiss like to poke fun at their fans.

     The third season especially was laden with multiple tributes to the madness that tends to come with formulating theories about Sherlock...

THERE MUST BE A CONNECTION SOMEWHERE!!

The Rating

     This show is a solid PG-13, but some of the psychological battles (and a few more sexualized episodes) might not be suited for anyone under sixteen.

     Violence: This is a show about modern crimes and masochistic psychopaths. While we may not encounter something as gruesome as, say, Hannibal Lector or Jack the Ripper… there is no shortage of blood, hostages, and cringe-worthy deaths.

     Sex: While, to the modern reader, the unencumbered Irene Adler of the original books was simply a forward thinker… this show’s version of the scandalous lady is certainly not for children or the faint of heart. Nudity, innuendos, and some very revealing clothing abound, as the lady in question has a nearly-illegal career.

     Language: Some Americans may not catch all of the bile in the British slang, but there are enough serious adult words scattered throughout that it’s still best to reserve the show for a mature audience.

The Genre

     This is a modern drama that pays homage to classic murder mysteries and thriller novels: there are dark moments where the souls of men are laid bare, and there are equally many scenes that will have audiences in stitches thanks to the blunt British humour of having an irritating genius for a roommate.

     Right and wrong are often discussed, but they seem to be more and more opaque as time goes on. Many protagonists are brought into situations where the only right solution to their problem is still a questionable action. This certainly isn’t the show meant to answer anyone’s moral dilemmas, but it will certainly get its audience thinking (and perhaps checking out a few extra books on religion, philosophy, and crime-solving at the library).

     So is it worth it?

The Decision

     That depends on you. For one thing, this show is the only British rendition of Sherlock Holmes to be made since the turn of the century… and as the original novels are of British make, it’s generally a more respectable choice than Elementary or the Warner Bros. movies. However, the show certainly tap-dances on some dark criminal themes that aren’t meant for young viewers.

     But I can assure you of one thing, above all else, if you choose to watch Sherlock: You. Will. Not. Be. Bored.

    And if you’re worried about getting caught up, don’t fret too awfully about it. You do have to start at the beginning to understand the deep network of plot twists and criminal webs, but remember: one of the show’s advantages is its unorthodox format. It’s less like three seasons of a TV show and more like nine separate feature films. Even if you simply watch one episode every weekend to unwind, you’ll still be finished in three months (long before the Christmas special arrives). It would be quite similar to watching through all eight of the Harry Potter films.

     And if you’re still on the fence, just give it time. There are plenty of fan-made trailers on Youtube that might interest you if you’re more of a visual person (like myself). Though personally, this official trailer for the first season is my favorite.

Conclusion

     In the end, I’d recommend that you not only sit down to this whirlwind of a show — I’d recommend that you have some friends join you for the viewing. This series is a perfect popcorn-stuffer and will thrill your social group just as much as any movie might. It’ll leave you laughing, gasping, and often in speechless awe… because, like its protagonist, Sherlock is nothing but unparalleled genius.