4 out of 5

Developed by: Lloyd Goldfine

covers seasons 1 – 5

We know how we got here: Batman: The Animated Series “unlocked” the option of darker animated fare – while still wholly operating as a kids show – and the subsequent brighter, but well-executed superhero shows kept the spirit alive. With the proven lasting appeal of the ’87 Turtles series, and a fandom kept in a slow boil by co-creator Peter Laird’s comics, it was inevitable that the franchise would return in some form; 4Kids came knocking at the right time to capture the early 00s generational shift from rad 90s to the digital age with something modern but weird, and then thankfully producer Lloyd Goldfine connected the show’s development directly to Laird, anchoring the tone to its roots as something pulpy – serious and silly at the same time.

I was an ’87 kid, and I was reading those Laird books. I cannot describe how cool it felt to see the Turtles back and well represented, but all of the above was also clear to me at the time: cartoons were struggling between the old and the new, and the original Mirage take on the franchise has a timelessness that always plays well. Of course, we were still in an era tied to toy marketing, and that same generational shift also meant a balancing act with embracing technology – which is where the show often got cringey, and I think dated itself faster than hoped – so a run of amazing episodes might be backed up with something goofy, or occasionally boring, but on the whole, a push for narrative linearity kept things impressively on track for its first five seasons, with some truly shocking twists baked in that still hit hard when rewatching the show.

While the fifth season diversion towards super powered mystic stuff (the “Ninja Tribunal” season) was a clear indication of the brand trying for a refresh – which would just get worse the next season – the story consistency still ultimately remained: standing back from the 116 episode run over those five initial seasons, it’s astounding how tightly tied together they are.

Animation-wise, Turtles 2003 also had the time to insert some of the anime influence that was just getting bigger and bigger, and alongside solid character models and a willingness to go back towards the darker hues of BtAS, animation studio Dong Woo was able to deliver a pretty damn cool look, with big set pieces and battles. Occasional CG inserts worked for the most part, and though eagle-eyed viewers can spot reused assets / sequences, visually “lazy” episodes were rare; we were almost always getting some unique character, creature, or environment, with, again, the linearity preventing it from going full monster-of-the-week bottle episodes. Yeah, maybe 5-part arcs were a bit much, but it added to the uniquely epic feeling of the show, and how it was also unique for that to be smooshed with its inherent goofiness, which is absolutely part of the Mirage / Laird charm that the show’s producers maintained and understood.

The biggest testament to this stuff is its rewatchability. I’ve revisited the show multiple times, and even the reboot season that followed season 5 essentially holds up, which is all down to how strong the roots of these first seasons are. Comics fans can appreciate its sense of history; new viewers get this perfect mish-mash of 90s X-Men action with just a dash of ’87 Turtles cheek. Perfect for all occasions.