Who's the star in the 1st film? April, Raph, or the TMNT?

[saul]

In the original 1990 film, who do you consider to be the main protagonist? We all know it's titled "TMNT", but the film does not put equal emphasis on all four turtles. Ignoring the title, if you were to watch without knowing anything about the movie, who would you think it was about?

I will argue the film is really about April.
- It opens and ends with her (opens with her report, ends with her celebration with Casey & the turtles)
- She has the only Voice Over in the film (at the farm) thus establishing her as the dominant narrative force.
- The entire plot/story is about her attempt to uncover the secret foot clan gang, and who she meets along the way (the turtles) that help her on her mission. The turtles are in effect an extension of her-- they draw out and expose to the audience another side of April we wouldn't have seen otherwise (her relationship to her dead father, her old farm house, her openness to accept odd things [the TMNT], etc)

Other possible options: Raph, Leo, Splinter, Shredder, Danny, the city of NY, the foot... etc
Please elaborate on your answers

[oldmanwinters]

Ironically, that's about how I feel about the first episode of the OT, "Turtle Tracks." That episode really is about April until the scene at the pizza parlor when the focus starts to shift to the TMNT themselves. I would say April and Raph are co-protagonists until until the campfire scene when Splinter makes contact with Leo and the others. At that point, it's the turtles' movie from then on out, since we really don't see much focus on April outside of her getting her job back and kissing Casey at the end. She becomes very much a side character as they return to the sewers and all she really does is bop a foot soldier on the head as if to tell the audience, "Hey, remember me?"

[Weapon X]

Your points about April are pretty valid, I cant really argue with them. Although it's still about the Turtles and their struggles as a whole.

As far as "Star" Turtle, It's Raphael, it's basically "The Raphael Movie". He even replaced Leonardo as the one who gets jumped by the Foot. Which brings me to how underused Leonardo was. His big scene was being contacted by Splinter while meditating, that was about it. He's like Cyclops in the X-Men movie's. Just kinda their.

[Roseangelo]

Nah, it's about Danny.

:twink:

[oldmanwinters]

Nah, it's about Danny.

:twink:

What about Chief Sterns?:lol:

[Weapon X]

What about Chief Sterns?:lol:

Wait! It's Sam Rockwell as "Head Thug".

[Roseangelo]

What about Chief Sterns?:lol:

As much as I am kidding, the movie being about Danny isn't a total exaggeration. We see him in the opening sequence and throughout bits of the beginning part of the film as a "troubled" boy. He rats out (pun not intended) the Turtles and Splinter to Shredder, ends up feeling remorseful about that, gets words of wisdom from Splinter, saves Splinter from death, and at the end has matured into "Dan."

[oldmanwinters]

As much as I am kidding, the movie being about Danny isn't a total exaggeration. We see him in the opening sequence and throughout bits of the beginning part of the film as a "troubled" boy. He rats out (pun not intended) the Turtles and Splinter to Shredder, ends up feeling remorseful about that, gets words of wisdom from Splinter, saves Splinter from death, and at the end has matured into "Dan."

You actually do have a point. Unlike April, Danny actually plays a key role in the film from beginning to end. Because of him we see the Shredder. He outs the turtles to Shrdder which results in their exile. He interacts with Splinter in the key scene which changes his life and then alerts the turtles to where he is being held. And it is he who leads Casey to rescue Splinter. He is sort of the dramatic foil to the "family" theme that runs through the film, but becomes the most dramatic example of the redemption theme.

So yeah, good point, Rose. Thematically, he drives the story like no other character can.

[Andrew NDB]

He's absolutely the emotional center of the movie, if not the main character himself.

Which is something to point out to the crazies that swear the first movie is some kind of near-perfect adaptation of the Mirage comics.

[saul]

I agree with the Danny points (which is why I brought him up to begin with), but here's some things:

- Could we think of a better plot device than Danny? How else would/should the foot find the turtles in April's pad?
- His time is, in reality, really minimal.
- I don't think the film was as much about Danny as a person as it was about the footclan. His role was just a way to bring us inside the clan and relate to it. It made it feel closer to home.

I've read your script, so I know you are proabably the one to ask about such things. And I want to ask: Would you cut Danny out of the movie entirely? Or, which scenes do you see as superfluous? And, what would you replace them with?
BTW, this is not an argument, I'm just very interested in how us fans could have shaped a better movie.

[Powder]

Survey says... April. I just wanna chime in by saying this is a very cool thread lol.

[Samhain]

I think April aswell. But to me Raph is the center of alot of it too.

[BoggleKng]

April's relationship with the Turtles.. Danny wouldnt have been a plot point if not for April in the long run..but good point.. now who is star of the 2nd movie?

[Samhain]

April's relationship with the Turtles.. Danny wouldnt have been a plot point if not for April in the long run..but good point.. now who is star of the 2nd movie?

Keno? Maybe Raph.

[Weapon X]

I feel like Donatello got a lot of time in the light in the second film.

Michelangelo in the third.

[Samhain]

I feel like Donatello got a lot of time in the light in the second film.

Michelangelo in the third.

I dunno. I feel like Raph got more time than any turtle.

[DonatelloDomeHead31]

What about Chief Sterns?:lol:

Yeah I gotta support you on that. After all, he does kick April out of the office, and as she leaves, her co-worker has timed her at 1:07--I wonder if that's still a new record :lol:

And also his attitude is the same in the 2nd one. So OldManWinters, you have my support on Chief Sterns.

Raphael and his anger are pretty close, but Raphael's is on the top.

[oldmanwinters]

And also his attitude is the same in the 2nd one. So OldManWinters, you have my support on Chief Sterns.


Well hey, Judith Hoag got unceremoniously recast for the sequels, yet good ol' Chief Sterns was obviously worthy of shelling out the hefty paycheck to bring him back for his big Secret of the Ooze scene!

[Alex]

I feel like Donatello got a lot of time in the light in the second film.

Michelangelo in the third.
You are deffinatly right about Michelangelo in the third movie. That's one reason why I like it so much :tgrin:

[Vivi]

TMNT, and Raph - mainly because it's about him being unable to control his serious anger issues before getting the cr*p kicked out of him. I think he may actually even learn something, after which, they start fighting as a coherent unit. April and Danny compliment well and weave us into the human world. Even though it's not a perfect adaptation of Mirage, it's a very good movie.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Which is something to point out to the crazies that swear the first movie is some kind of near-perfect adaptation of the Mirage comics.

Near perfect? No way. A pretty solid adaptation of the Mirage comics? Sure.

You have a ton of bits taken from the Mirage comics:

-Origin in the movie is a closer match to the comics (although they simplified the whole Nagi/Saki thing)

-Raphael/Casey meeting up for the first time

-One of the turtles getting their ass handed to them (Raph instead of Leo, but for the movie Raphael was the more fitting choice)

-Having to retreat to the farmhouse

The movie has a darker tone than the cartoon. It isn't a really dark movie, but we're talking about a film aimed at kids here. Besides, the original comics aren't nearly as dark as some people make it out to be. Were they really violent? Sometimes. More serious in tone than the cartoon? Yes. However, they were also very tongue in cheek.

The movie is a nice blend of the comic and the cartoon. It has plot elements from the comic, while throwing in enough elements from the cartoon so that the kids watching it weren't completely lost.

[Kendamu]

He's absolutely the emotional center of the movie, if not the main character himself.

Which is something to point out to the crazies that swear the first movie is some kind of near-perfect adaptation of the Mirage comics.

In terms of adapting actual comicbook stories into a film, the first TMNT wasqn't near-perfect, but it was really good. Especially for the time it was filmed.

I mean, look at the first Batman film from a year prior. Batman kills people, his costume looks weird compared to the comics, and the story isn't really an adaption of anything.

Not that I don't love that movie... but, just sayin'. Aside from Danny, that movie was pretty faithul.

[NameGoesHere1066]

doy! Raphael! Raphael!

[dontplaydead27]

To anyone who complains that there was "too much" or an abundance of Raph in this original movie, where were you? Sure, Raph's dilemma's were brought to surface and used in a little arc, but that's not to say he was the "star" of the movie. Everyone got great amounts of screen time in the original movie. I thought someone said Leo didn't get much time, which I think is not true at all, he got just as much as anyone else. So what if he was used in a scene meditating? The campfire scene was one of the most important scenes in the movie, which closed the arc of learning the true art of Ninja, by revealing the "final truth" that ultimate mastery comes not from the body, but from the mind. Do you forget that Raph was knocked out for a time? Who was by his side the whole time? Who remained collected through the whole movie until Shredder revealed Splinter was dead? Sure, they used Raph as a part of the anger arc, but there were many elements at play in the movie. I think if you're trying to distinguish a "star", you're looking for something that isn't there. This movie wasn't meant to have one "star" and the way the arcs go reinforce this.

You want to talk about Raph being "star" of a movie, go watch 2007's "TMNT". Don and Mike got so little screen time it's annoying- Don used the least. I think anyone who thinks Raph was in the original movie too much most likely has an unrealistic idea of character screen time and development.

And I don't consider the first movie a "near perfect" adaptation, but a damn good one for an obscure comic in 1990 and it's target audience being children. These die-hard comic fans who dismiss the first movie annoy the hell out of me. You're NEVER going to get your bloody, beer-drinking red-bandanna wearing turtles on the big screen. Just not going to happen, get over it. The first movie is the best adaptation to date in my opinion, and I don't think they'll ever top that.