5 out of 5

Director: Roy Burdine

Yeah, I know, again – I’m bias. First off, Turtles Forever was so conveniently, so sadly timed, to coincide with the TMNT franchise being sold. I won’t wax on about that, but for that reason this movie / cartoon comes across as a loving goodbye to fans (though, as of now, we have no idea how Michael Bay will handle the franchise…). Turtles Forever isn’t perfect. It’s a little wandering for kids, and some of the combinations of humor don’t work as well as they could in your brain. However, as a balance of a tribute (for old school fans) and a final entry for a kid’s series, it’s awesome. The concept makes this a winner right away: multiverse craziness happens, and the 1988 kiddie turtles (and their respective shredder) are brought into the world of the 2004-era turtles. And when the 2004 Shredder get his mitts on the concept of the multiverse, he tracks down “turtles” prime and heads to destroy them, knowing that wiping them out will wipe out all residual turtles. Turtles Prime = black and white, Eastman and Laird grit. If you’re as pathetic as I am (you know, in a manly way), you’re crying when they get to the black and white bits. The 88ers are portrayed mostly as idiots, way over the top luddites who laugh at anything and love pizza, whereas the ’84 turtles primes are super serious macho turtles. The combinations are purposefully over the top, and it doesn’t always hit the mark, but when it does it does, and it really feels like… it meant something that these guys were around for 25 years and you’ve been there with ’em. Sigh. So: it’s not top of the pops or anything – a little long for kids, a little hit-and-miss for adults – but overall, my 5 stars comes from being a lifelong fan, and knowing that other lifelong fans will know and appreciate everything Turtles Forever stands for.