Just Watched the OT Pilot...

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Mr._Mutant_Man

I kind of wish something like the TMNT 80's series would come out again, though. Something that's a nice throwback to 50's science fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously.

I completely agree. What made the show so fun is the bizarre wacky sci-fi plots. Its like every episode took some idea from some old science fiction movie and the writers just ran with it.

The other great thing is the show made fun of itself! The writers knew the plots were crazy and a lot of the villains were nonsensical (especially all those one-shot mad scientists, Seasons 4-6 are filled with them), and they had characters break the forth wall all the time.

I also think the show benefited from some great chemistry between characters. The 4 Turtles, the Channel 6 news crew, and Shredder/Krang/Bebop/Rocksteady were all 3 groups that had really, really fun interactions, and even better when they all interacted with each other.

Sometimes its best for a show to just be light-hearted and fun to watch, I can just watch the 80's TMNT over and over again and just sit down and relax. I also like how the show has a rather loose continuity that runs throughout the whole thing, each episode is episodic mostly, but there is some continuity through the series and I like how the Turtles have their 10 season battle against Shredder, even though Shredder/Krang were only in 3 eps in the last season.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I completely agree. What made the show so fun is the bizarre wacky sci-fi plots. Its like every episode took some idea from some old science fiction movie and the writers just ran with it.

The other great thing is the show made fun of itself! The writers knew the plots were crazy and a lot of the villains were nonsensical (especially all those one-shot mad scientists, Seasons 4-6 are filled with them), and they had characters break the forth wall all the time.

I also think the show benefited from some great chemistry between characters. The 4 Turtles, the Channel 6 news crew, and Shredder/Krang/Bebop/Rocksteady were all 3 groups that had really, really fun interactions, and even better when they all interacted with each other.

Sometimes its best for a show to just be light-hearted and fun to watch, I can just watch the 80's TMNT over and over again and just sit down and relax. I also like how the show has a rather loose continuity that runs throughout the whole thing, each episode is episodic mostly, but there is some continuity through the series and I like how the Turtles have their 10 season battle against Shredder, even though Shredder/Krang were only in 3 eps in the last season.

I also liked how it was based on science fiction from the 1950's and 1960's. I don't know if science fiction took itself serious back then.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Monte Williams

Frankly, I'm not sure; the opening theme plays once, then only each episode title interrupts the story, and the closing credits run at the end. It didn't seem to be edited, but I'd hardly be the one to catch the editing, having not seen it in so long.

Did the box look like this:

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally Posted by Cipher

Probably the most enjoyable piece of TMNT animation ever made.

Those first five or so eps are what comes to my mind when I think of the series in general...it's just as important to me as a fan as the original movie or Volume 1 of the comics.

[Jester]

Am I alone in not being overly impressed with the animation of the 2nd-5th episodes? The first episode is great, mistakes aside... but the subsequent episodes slide IMO. In fact, I like the more consistent animation style of the later seasons. The Turtles look great, Shredder looks great, Krang and Bebop and Rocksteady look great, Splinter...well, he always looked great.

[Monte Williams]

Jester, that is indeed the cover art. I like that comic book panel from your signature, incidentally; what's the story behind it?

[Monte Williams]

Originally Posted by Jester

Am I alone in not being overly impressed with the animation of the 2nd-5th episodes?

Most definitely not; for the time, it was good (if studios had had the budgets and desire to produce entire series as well-animated as their opening credits, we wouldn't be as embarrassed to revisit our childhood cartoons), but the entire story boasts very uneven animation.

He-Man was a very stark and redundant show, animation-wise, but perhaps because of its humble ambitions, it managed to be consistent in a way that no other show of its time was; solid lines, nice color palette.

The Turtles, by contrast, like the Gen 1 Transformers, are very soft and squishy and misshapen for the most part.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Monte Williams

Jester, that is indeed the cover art. I like that comic book panel from your signature, incidentally; what's the story behind it?

Well....it's actually edited.
The original line is "For the millions" an obvious reference to those slaughtered by the mad man. In Dreamland, the Turtles face of against Hitler because a time traveling villian wants his brain to allow his race to have dreams, even if they are Hitler's insane dreams.

The new line, "I AM A MAN!" is stollen from Superman: At World's End in which Supes punches an android while screaming the immortal words. Linkara's delivery made it a classic line and his catch phrase, and I thought I'd make Rap say it when he punches Hitler.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Jester

Am I alone in not being overly impressed with the animation of the 2nd-5th episodes? The first episode is great, mistakes aside... but the subsequent episodes slide IMO. In fact, I like the more consistent animation style of the later seasons. The Turtles look great, Shredder looks great, Krang and Bebop and Rocksteady look great, Splinter...well, he always looked great.

The only one that doesn't really impress me is episode three. You want to see some great animation? Check the Rock Soldier's missle flying through the arcade in episode four. Or Leo jumping out of the car to slice the weather machine in that same episode.

Yes, there were design inconsistancies, but the whole presentation is so fluid that it doesn't matter. Compare that to say, seasons two through four, where the animation is often clunky and inconsistant, or seasons five through seven, where the designs are more detailed and on-model, but there's less fluidity.

He-Man was a very stark and redundant show, animation-wise, but perhaps because of its humble ambitions, it managed to be consistent in a way that no other show of its time was; solid lines, nice color palette.

Again, if the choice is between inconsistant art and great animation, I'll take great animation. And the first season of Turtles delivers to this day.