Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)

New York City is in the throes of a crime wave; a mysterious organization known as the Foot Clan is rumored to be behind it all. But hope is not lost . . . for a radioactive ooze twenty years earlier gifted a rat and four turtles with considerable growth and intellect. Combined with ninja skills gained from the rat's teachings, these heroes in a half shell will fight for justice as . . . the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Will they be enough to find and take down the Foot?

This 1990 film, based on the 1987 TV cartoon series (which was itself based on the 1984 comic series) was a huge hit in its day. And watching it again today with my kids . . . I still loved it. Yes, it is cheesy and dated. But it is light-hearted, the action holds up surprisingly well, the comedy is good, and the messages are mostly solid, looking at the importance of true family/community, right thinking, and repentance.

"TMNT" was a cultural force in the eighties and nineties—the original cartoon ran until 1996 (there have since been several others), the 1989 video game is a classic, the movie franchise got two more sequels and then a reboot in 2014. It is still in enough demand to warrant an upcoming Magic: the Gathering release. I'm not as familiar with the later offerings, but the original stuff is still just great by me.

Rating: A-