First TMNT movie

[MW8979]

With all this talk of movies going on right now, I kinda had a question myself. Why was it that the first movie was more based on the comics then on the cartoon? I know from a hardcore fan's perspective that is a good thing, but I'm just wondering what guided the corporate decision makers to accept that script, considering by 1990 the cartoon was very well off and making lots of money. I just don't understand why they didn't want to base the story on the cartoon, that all kids at the time knew, and instead based it on the comics, that were a lot less known. It wouldn't cost them much more to make R & B costumes, but might have made them more money, simply due to "familiarity factor". Any ideas?

[THE-X-FLO]

I guess Krang and the Technodrome would have been to hard to recreate in the movie.

[Aaron]

I guess Krang and the Technodrome would have been to hard to recreate in the movie.

I'd say you are right.

[Orochi Chimera]

I guess they figured as long as it is TMNT the kids would go nuts over it.

It would be real interesting to what they can do with Krang and the Technodrome these days.

[THE-X-FLO]

It would be real interesting to what they can do with Krang and the Technodrome these days.

Yes you're right, too bad they both belong to the past :cry:

[Karpo_007]

You know, the fact Eastman and Laird owned the TMNT property might have something to do with it... Maybe they just didn't want a goofy children's movie.

[raphael90]

All good reasons...it probably would have been hard to recreate some of the stuff from the cartoon, although with a little ingenuity perhaps some of it could have been done. With today's technology they could have pulled it off, but I wouldn't want to see it in CGI I'd prefer animatronics...that's just my opinion. But it was a nice change of pace to do the comic story I guess and the first the movies rocks anyhow. :)

[Buslady]

I dunno but I'm glad it was more comics than toon, there were little things that were toon like April being a news lady and the pizza obsession but nothing major.
I just wish the other movies were more like the first.

[PizzaPower]

I am glsf it was based more off the coomics. It was totaly awesome!!

[TournamentFightersOwns]

It had that dark,gritty style that the comics had as well. Something I wish the movies that followed would've kept.

[MW8979]

I like the first movie as it is, for sure. But I think the most correct answer is probably that making the Technodrome was gonna take more money then the studio could spend.

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

Eastman and Laird had turned down old-cartoon based scripts, because they wanted a Mirage based movie. The director was a Mirage fan, and the comics are the main branch of the francise.

That's why the movie was Mirage-based.

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

All I remember is how utterly surprised I was when I saw the first movie. I had wondered in anticipation for weeks:

How will they make Bebop and Rocksteady?
How will they make Krang?
How will they make the Technodrome?
How will they make Dimension X?

And then when the first movie was nothing even remotely close to what I had imagined, it was a big disappointment. And I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way.

The first movie is fine as it is, but I'll never forget how shocked I was at seeing a bunch of men in body suits instead of metal Foot Soldiers, and some bald guy named Tatsu instead of Krang.

"And that is how they became the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" - Splinter, from "Turtle Tracks"

[J Legault]

Stuff like that would be very difficult to do back in 1990.

Today special effects and animactronics are easier to get then it was back then.

[Bry]

Perhaps the studio felt the original source material was stronger and better suited to a film than the old cartoon's storylines?

I certainly wouldn't blame them. :wink:

[MW8979]

Interesting suggestions some people have made. Do you really think that Eastman and Laird had that much control over TMNT still? I was under the impression that the franchise was taken over from them and that they didn't make any key decisions in those days. I guess I could be wrong. Did they really put their foot down?

[Karpo_007]

Frachice taken from them? They have always had total controll over the TMNT brand, but not some licenced products like the old show. So yes they probbaly did not want a goofy movie based on the cartoon.

[Krangfan]

I think the first movie was great the way it is. Now that I'm more grown up than when I was a little kid I can appreciate it more. Of course, when I was a little kid I loved the first two movies but now I like it even more. Of course, I still love the zany action of the second movie :thyper: but I also like the more mature nature of the first movie as well. I like how they kind of blended the comic and cartoon together (using Pizza, one of my fave things from the 'toon, and April being a reporter).

[Coola Yagami]

IMO the TMNT act like they do in the cartoon (cept for Raph) but they're facing the Mirage style situations forcing them to be serious at times. I mean, they say even more surfer slang here than they do in the cartoon.

[Deathknight]

I loved the 1st TMNT movie, mirage based plot with cartoon elements included... perfect for all fans.

[d_osborn]

Eastman and Laird had turned down old-cartoon based scripts, because they wanted a Mirage based movie. The director was a Mirage fan, and the comics are the main branch of the francise.

That's why the movie was Mirage-based.
VERY interesting! what do you know about the early cartoon-based scripts? sounds cool...

[Jester]

the first movie might have been a kinda bonding thing....pullin the adults who read the comic and the kids who watch the show....both saying thatt's not the turtles i know...but still lovin it cause it's tmnt...u know...and it could be fun fro the kids and the parents who took them to see the turtle movie

[holygrail_4]

You know, the fact Eastman and Laird owned the TMNT property might have something to do with it... Maybe they just didn't want a goofy children's movie.

Spot on. If you'd created a bunch of hardcore no-nonsense mutants, the last thing you would want is to turn into a techno-coloured kiddies flick. Same applies for the likes of X-Men franchise.

[Voltron]

You know, the fact Eastman and Laird owned the TMNT property might have something to do with it... Maybe they just didn't want a goofy children's movie.

Spot on. If you'd created a bunch of hardcore no-nonsense mutants, the last thing you would want is to turn into a techno-coloured kiddies flick. Same applies for the likes of X-Men franchise.

The only time X-Men really was at all childish was in "Evolution" which came out after the first movie. The original cartoon was a bit more dramatic, and had a good fan base with older viewers.

As for the TMNT movie, I just think that they wanted to reel in some more cash with a bigger audience, so a more adult film with cartoon elements would appeal to a vast audience.

EDIT-And what Tetsu said...