TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: The Original Film Creators Talk About What Made The Film Such A Hit

Have you ever seen an older film and wondered what exactly made it so timeless and resonant with literal generations of fans? There are many films that fit that category, but the one in question has recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the first live-action outing of the world's most favorite turtles and has since become one of if not the best films in the entire franchise.

However, when a film has been around for three decades and still maintains top-tier status, it begs the question, what makes it so iconic? Many could argue that it has a lot to do with the mixture of cartoon and comic influences, while others would say it has to do with the story and the delivery of the jokes, without taking itself too seriously. Well, what if there was an option to ask the people who were actually there making it happen?

In a recent interview with the film's producer, Kim Dawson, and writer Bobby Herbeck, they were asked the question, "What do you think makes this film so iconic, and why do fans love it so much?" The answers didn't disappoint, with Kim adding, "I have a strong opinion on why I think it's the best. Part of it is because of Bobbys' script, but also Steve Barron's vision. It was completely fresh in Jim and Brian Hanson's mind. What they brought to the table was this collective that I don't think we could ever recreate. The truth is that Steve Baron had a particular vision for the picture, and it's one of the reasons why it is physically dark because he felt that's where the picture belongs." 

Bobby also added, "I bounced around the theaters then, and I would see the kids sitting on the edge of their seats. I think Steve Baron is so brilliant when he did the first shot of Raph looking over the manhole cover, and then he lowers it, and the kids move even closer to the screen because now they want to see what they were going to look like, live-action, not animated. The next shot is a sewer, and they're coming down, and you see their silhouettes, and then they come in full view, and you hear this collected gasped. They were all cheering; I get goosebumps still all these years. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes."

With answers like those, how can anyone argue that the film and its characters aren't iconic? There is a full interview that can be both read and listened to in the link below, and we would love to hear what you think about their answers in the comments below!

Cowabunga dudes! It has been 30 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and the live-action, feature film adaptation of the cult comic book and the popular animated television show, is returning to the big screen! After prolonged exposure to radiation, four teenage turtles--Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello--have mutated into ninjas and have begun living in the sewers of a large city. Under the guidance of a ninja master Splinter the Rat and television reporter April, the Turtles embark on a mission to run crime out of the city and battle the warlord Shredder.