Adapting the comic book characters the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a feature film looks like a no-brainer in hindsight, but back in 1990, only New Line Cinema was willing to take the bet.
The film smashed the box office and made a lot of money for a lot of people, becoming the highest-grossing independent film at that time.
But far more than a cash-in, the film made fans of both the TV series and comic books happy, as it artfully balanced the dark, gritty tone of the comics with some of the silly humor of the children's show.
But critics? They were unkind to the film and, for me, flat-out wrong.
So let's revisit the original heroes in a half shell on screen and talk about why this film is the bar by which other TMNT films are measured.
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