When Shredder says "I am your father" in the first movie

[CyberCubed]

When we see Shredder for the first time talking to all the kids he says, "You are here because the outside world rejects you. This is your family now. I am your father."

Did anyone else think he sounds like Darth Vader when he said that line? Was it an intentional homage?

[Metropoliskid41]

Yeah I actually just rewatched the first movie last night and that instantly popped into my head as well. I think it could be an homage, I mean he's wearing a big metal helmet while he says it, its hard not to see the similarities :trazz:

[Donnie]

I actually never drew the comparison because I saw Turtles way before I ever watched Star Wars. So to this day I don't make the connection. However, I have a feeling it was somewhat intentional - isn't Laird a Star Wars fan? Plus it's hard to escape the link when anybody says that line, haha!

[MikeandRaph87]

There is a youtube video suggesting that. I never made the connection even after I was the clip while I can see why others would and I doubt it was a reference to Star Wars. I don't know about Star Wars,but Peter is a big Star Trek fan.

[rufus]

He mentioned once on one of his blogs that he was a fan of Yoda. http://plairdblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/blast-from-past-259-yoda-and-taun-taun.html I always to the "I am your father" Line as him furthering his grasp on the disillusioned and runaway kids that we see makes up a portion of his criminal empire.

[ToTheNines]

Yeah, the movie had a pretty strong family theme going on. It's necessary dialogue if you ask me.

[Andrew NDB]

Yes, there was definitely a conscious effort to "Vader him up" with the Shredder.

[Redeemer]

lol never even made the connection :P

[AquaParade]

I'm a little surprised I never caught that, although I'm not a huge Star Wars fan.


Love the way they do the foot clan in the first film. I like legit ninja's too, but the way Steve Baron integrated the New York youth into the picture was really done and fitting with the themes of the movie.

[sdp]

The OT and 2k3 are also filled with references to SW's, they're usually done very well too.

[gobo]

The OT and 2k3 are also filled with references to SW's, they're usually done very well too.
Got any examples for the OT? I can't think of any off the top of my head. Trek: check. Wars? Not so much. :ohwell:

[Andrew NDB]

Got any examples for the OT?

There is the small matter of them kind of James Earl Jonesing Shredder for the Fred Wolf cartoon. Wonder where they got that idea.

[BubblyShell22]

I never really made the connection before, but now I sort of do. Then again, I just figured that he was trying to disguise the Foot as a family for kids who didn't have good relationships with their own families. He took in kids who felt they didn't have a family and tried to make the Foot into one, but it wasn't.

[Shreddhead]

Im a pretty big star wars fan, and i picked up on this the first time I ever saw the first turtles movie. Not sure if its an homage or just a line that ended up sounding a lot like its predecessor. But as a kid, i thought of Vader immediately when i saw the movie shredder.

someone put this voice/ image comparison up on youtube. pretty similar if you ask me :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WChdabkaQCk

[sdp]

Got any examples for the OT? I can't think of any off the top of my head. Trek: check. Wars? Not so much. :ohwell:


There's definitely a few, only one I can remember off the top of my head I think it's from the 5 part pilot a bunch of scenes reek of the Death Star including the Splinter/Shredder duel, it doesn't seem like a rip-off but a very well done homage.

[ToTheNines]

Got any examples for the OT? I can't think of any off the top of my head. Trek: check. Wars? Not so much. :ohwell:

"Return of The Technodrome" had a total "New Hope" vibe once they busted in the 'drome.

Other than that and a couple of sound effects, they never riffed off of Star Wars too much.

[Logan]

I've always noticed the similarity. The visiting spirit of Splinter even reminded me of Obi-Wan on Dagobah as well. Right down to the bluish color.

[Hermano Dyvas]

For some reason Shredder's always given me a Darth Vader vibe. Especially present in the OT with the technodrome reminding me of the death star.

Same as how Splinter gives off a Yoda vibe, this similarity is probably more obvious.

[TonySiegel]

This thread has ruined star wars and TMNT 1 for me, from here on til forever... :cry:

[never made this connection :lol:]

[Xav]

I think it was Mad Magazine that did a spoof of the first TMNT movie and called Shredder a Darth Vader rip-off.

[Jephael]

How much do you want to bet that while designing Shredder, Eastman and Laird were watching Star Wars?

[Genesis]

I dunno; I always thought it was obvious, and while I prefer the Turtles to Star Wars, I had been exposed to "Luke, I am your father," prior to watching the first TMNT film.