Turtles Forever
Encyclopedia
Turtles Forever, also known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever or TMNT: Turtles Forever is a 2009 made-for-tv animated movie
that was produced by 4Kids Entertainment
. Produced in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
franchise, the movie teams up different incarnations of the titular heroes — chiefly the light-hearted, campy, family-friendly characters from the 1987 animated series
and the darker, more serious cast of the 4Kids' own 2003 animated series
— in an adventure that spans multiple parallel universe
s.
It also marks the finale to the 1987 and 2003 animated series
.
A rough, nearly finished version of the film premiered at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2009. The movie was to be released in theaters for one night on October 29, 2009, but due to disputes between 4Kids Entertainment and Fathom, the event was canceled, according to National CineMedia
. The movie aired on TV on The CW4Kids
station on November 21, after the 25th anniversary Top 10 Countdown.
An encore showing aired from November 28 to December 12, split into three 23-minute episodes. A third showing of the movie aired on March 20 the following year. A fourth showing aired on May 29. An uncut version of the film appeared on the CW4kids's website on December 16 that includes 8 minutes of footage cut from the version that aired on TV. The movie was released on non-anamorphic widescreen DVD on August 24th, 2010 from Nickelodeon
/Paramount Pictures
home entertainment. The DVD release contains the TV edit. Later, in early 2011, a Region 2 DVD was released containing the full, uncut version. There are currently no plans for an American release of the uncut movie. On August 29, 2010, Nickelodeon aired the movie on the channel for the first time, then aired again on Thanksgiving Day of 2010.
s, the Turtles discover that their "impostors" are, in fact, versions of them from another dimension
.
The other dimensional "1987 Turtles" prove to be too childish for the more serious-minded "2003 Turtles", but they are soon able to discern that they were teleported into their world in a dimensional portal accident that has also brought their arch-enemies, Shredder and Krang
, and their battle fortress, the Technodrome
, along with them. The eight Turtles head below the ground to track down the Technodrome, but their presence together only clues Shredder in to the fact that there may be a version of himself on this world that he can ally with to take the Turtles down.
The Technodrome escapes, and the Turtles, unable to track it, resolve to create a portal device of their own so they can travel to the "1987 universe" and obtain the gear the 1987 Turtles usually use to take the Technodrome down. While the Turtles are occupied with this task, Shredder uses the Technodrome's technology to locate his dimensional counterpart, the Utrom known as Ch'rell, still in frozen exile on an ice asteroid after his final defeat by the 2003 Turtles. Ch'rell is teleported to the Technodrome, but upon recovering, immediately overthrows his bumbling other-self and seizes control of the fortress with the aid of his adopted daughter, Karai
, who had been monitoring his movements and tracked him down after realizing he had escaped his frozen prison.
Using Dimension X technology and Utrom science to create a new robotic exoskeleton for himself, Ch'rell dispatches his right-hand man Hun, who has been mutated into a monstrous mutant turtle himself after being doused with mutagen from the 1987 universe in the earlier battle, to track the Turtles down. With the aid of Bebop and Rocksteady, Hun finds and attacks the Turtles lair, but the eight reptiles complete their dimensional portal stick and escape to the 1987 universe. Unfortunately, Splinter is captured by Hun and brought before the Utrom Shredder to serve as bait in a trap.
The 2003 Turtles meet the 1987 universe versions of April O'Neil
and Splinter, and then return to the 2003 universe with the 1987 Turtles vehicles: the Party Wagon and Turtle Blimp. However, they discover that in their absence, the Utrom Shredder has fused the sciences of the Utroms and Dimension X and rebuilt the Technodrome as a truly terrifying war machine, filled with legions of improved robotic Foot Soldiers
and mutated Purple Dragons. Entering the fortress to recover Splinter, the Turtles are defeated, and The Utrom Shredder then reveals his master plan: He has discovered while using 1987 Shredder's to survey the multiverse in his plan to conquer it that there are not just the Turtles of the 1987 world and the 2003 world, but scores of them. Knowing that the turtles of those dimensions would stand in his way to conquer those worlds, 2003 Shredder decided to destroy them all by eliminating the original "Prime" universe
.
The Utrom Shredder scans the eight Turtles, each secured within an enormous spherical centrifuge
-like device contained within the Technodrome, to locate the base similarities between them that will pinpoint the location of "Turtle Prime", and the brothers apparently do not survive the process. Once The Utrom Shredder has teleported the Technodrome away across the dimensions to Turtle Prime, however, the Turtles reappear, having been saved from oblivion by Karai, who has realized her father's mad ambition would also spell their own destruction.
With their world being erased around them as the Utrom Shredder's plan goes into motion, the Turtles break into Purple Dragon headquarters again to appropriate some of the tech the criminals stole, in order to upgrade their dimensional portal stick and follow the Utrom Shredder to Turtle Prime. They're attacked by Hun again, who's still seeking revenge for his mutation. However, when he sees what's happening to the world, Hun surrenders the tech just before he's erased. The Turtles accomplish their task, and are whisked away to a grim and bleak monochrome realm from whence all Turtle realities sprang. They are attacked by the native 1984 "Prime Turtles", but they eventually manage to convince their ferocious progenitors to help them save all of creation.
The twelve Turtles, with the aid of Splinter, Karai, and even the 1987 Shredder and Krang, engage the Utrom Shredder in battle, but he grows to massive height using molecular amplification technology from Dimension X and seems impervious to their attacks. When the Utrom Shredder is accidentally clipped by the energy beam from the Technodrome, however, his armor is damaged, and the Turtles all try to force him into the beam ... before it is abruptly cut off when Rocksteady trips over the power cable and unplugs it. The Utrom Shredder takes this opportunity to grab the 1984 Turtles and begins crushing them. The world begins to fade just as the 2003 world did, but The Utrom Shredder hesitates when he notices that he too is fading. Karai attempts to appeal to her father, telling him that what he's trying to do will destroy them all, including him. But the Utrom Shredder has become too obsessed with revenge and decides he doesn't care, and resumes his assault. At the last minute the 1987 Turtles throw explosive throwing stars at him, causing him to trip and drop the 1984 Turtles. The Utrom Shredder resumes his attack -- until Bebop plugs the beam power cable back in and thus inadvertently obliterates the Utrom Shredder.
With their foe defeated, the Turtles watch as their respective realities restore themselves. The 1987 characters take the Technodrome and return to their homeworld, while the 2003 characters use the portal stick to return to theirs. The 1984 Turtles decide to go get some pizza to eat ... as somewhere else, across time and space, Peter Laird
and Kevin Eastman
put the finishing touches on the first issue of Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, expressing the hope that the book will sell.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
that was produced by 4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
. Produced in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
franchise, the movie teams up different incarnations of the titular heroes — chiefly the light-hearted, campy, family-friendly characters from the 1987 animated series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988...
and the darker, more serious cast of the 4Kids' own 2003 animated series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated series, mainly set in New York City. It first aired on February 8, 2003 and ended on November 21, 2009...
— in an adventure that spans multiple parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
s.
It also marks the finale to the 1987 and 2003 animated series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated series, mainly set in New York City. It first aired on February 8, 2003 and ended on November 21, 2009...
.
A rough, nearly finished version of the film premiered at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2009. The movie was to be released in theaters for one night on October 29, 2009, but due to disputes between 4Kids Entertainment and Fathom, the event was canceled, according to National CineMedia
National CineMedia
National CineMedia operates NCM Media Networks, an integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology...
. The movie aired on TV on The CW4Kids
The CW4Kids
The CW4Kids is a Saturday morning cartoon block on The CW Television Network that premiered on May 24, 2008 in the place of Kids' WB...
station on November 21, after the 25th anniversary Top 10 Countdown.
An encore showing aired from November 28 to December 12, split into three 23-minute episodes. A third showing of the movie aired on March 20 the following year. A fourth showing aired on May 29. An uncut version of the film appeared on the CW4kids's website on December 16 that includes 8 minutes of footage cut from the version that aired on TV. The movie was released on non-anamorphic widescreen DVD on August 24th, 2010 from Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
/Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
home entertainment. The DVD release contains the TV edit. Later, in early 2011, a Region 2 DVD was released containing the full, uncut version. There are currently no plans for an American release of the uncut movie. On August 29, 2010, Nickelodeon aired the movie on the channel for the first time, then aired again on Thanksgiving Day of 2010.
Plot
When a battle between the Purple Dragons and what appear to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is captured on film, the Turtles are quick to refute their master Splinter's accusations of carelessness. Breaking into the Purple Dragons' headquarters to get to the bottom of these mysterious doppelgängerDoppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
s, the Turtles discover that their "impostors" are, in fact, versions of them from another dimension
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988...
.
The other dimensional "1987 Turtles" prove to be too childish for the more serious-minded "2003 Turtles", but they are soon able to discern that they were teleported into their world in a dimensional portal accident that has also brought their arch-enemies, Shredder and Krang
Krang
Krang is a fictional supervillain who appears in the Sonic The Hedgehog TV shows and most frequently in the 1987 STH cartoon and its associated media, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic book and most of the classic TMNT video games....
, and their battle fortress, the Technodrome
Technodrome
The Technodrome is the semi-spherical tank-like metallic mobile subterranean fortress of Krang and Shredder, the main villains in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics and most TMNT video game adaptations. The Technodrome was also...
, along with them. The eight Turtles head below the ground to track down the Technodrome, but their presence together only clues Shredder in to the fact that there may be a version of himself on this world that he can ally with to take the Turtles down.
The Technodrome escapes, and the Turtles, unable to track it, resolve to create a portal device of their own so they can travel to the "1987 universe" and obtain the gear the 1987 Turtles usually use to take the Technodrome down. While the Turtles are occupied with this task, Shredder uses the Technodrome's technology to locate his dimensional counterpart, the Utrom known as Ch'rell, still in frozen exile on an ice asteroid after his final defeat by the 2003 Turtles. Ch'rell is teleported to the Technodrome, but upon recovering, immediately overthrows his bumbling other-self and seizes control of the fortress with the aid of his adopted daughter, Karai
Karai
Karai is a fictional character in several incarnations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, where she is usually a high-ranking member of the Foot Clan. In some incarnations of the character she is also related to The Shredder.-Name:Karai is a Japanese word commonly used to describe...
, who had been monitoring his movements and tracked him down after realizing he had escaped his frozen prison.
Using Dimension X technology and Utrom science to create a new robotic exoskeleton for himself, Ch'rell dispatches his right-hand man Hun, who has been mutated into a monstrous mutant turtle himself after being doused with mutagen from the 1987 universe in the earlier battle, to track the Turtles down. With the aid of Bebop and Rocksteady, Hun finds and attacks the Turtles lair, but the eight reptiles complete their dimensional portal stick and escape to the 1987 universe. Unfortunately, Splinter is captured by Hun and brought before the Utrom Shredder to serve as bait in a trap.
The 2003 Turtles meet the 1987 universe versions of April O'Neil
April O'Neil
April O'Neil is a fictional character in the Mirage Studios franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In each of the many TMNT continuities, she is a good friend of the Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.-Comics:...
and Splinter, and then return to the 2003 universe with the 1987 Turtles vehicles: the Party Wagon and Turtle Blimp. However, they discover that in their absence, the Utrom Shredder has fused the sciences of the Utroms and Dimension X and rebuilt the Technodrome as a truly terrifying war machine, filled with legions of improved robotic Foot Soldiers
Foot Clan
The Foot Clan is a fictional ninjutsu clan in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe and the Turtles' main antagonists. It is usually led by the Shredder. The Foot Clan was originally a parody of the criminal ninja clan the Hand in the Daredevil comics...
and mutated Purple Dragons. Entering the fortress to recover Splinter, the Turtles are defeated, and The Utrom Shredder then reveals his master plan: He has discovered while using 1987 Shredder's to survey the multiverse in his plan to conquer it that there are not just the Turtles of the 1987 world and the 2003 world, but scores of them. Knowing that the turtles of those dimensions would stand in his way to conquer those worlds, 2003 Shredder decided to destroy them all by eliminating the original "Prime" universe
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American comic book published by Mirage Studios from 1984 to 2009. Originally conceived by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as a one-off parody, the comic's popularity has gone on to inspire a major pop culture franchise, including three television series, four...
.
The Utrom Shredder scans the eight Turtles, each secured within an enormous spherical centrifuge
Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a piece of equipment, generally driven by an electric motor , that puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis...
-like device contained within the Technodrome, to locate the base similarities between them that will pinpoint the location of "Turtle Prime", and the brothers apparently do not survive the process. Once The Utrom Shredder has teleported the Technodrome away across the dimensions to Turtle Prime, however, the Turtles reappear, having been saved from oblivion by Karai, who has realized her father's mad ambition would also spell their own destruction.
With their world being erased around them as the Utrom Shredder's plan goes into motion, the Turtles break into Purple Dragon headquarters again to appropriate some of the tech the criminals stole, in order to upgrade their dimensional portal stick and follow the Utrom Shredder to Turtle Prime. They're attacked by Hun again, who's still seeking revenge for his mutation. However, when he sees what's happening to the world, Hun surrenders the tech just before he's erased. The Turtles accomplish their task, and are whisked away to a grim and bleak monochrome realm from whence all Turtle realities sprang. They are attacked by the native 1984 "Prime Turtles", but they eventually manage to convince their ferocious progenitors to help them save all of creation.
The twelve Turtles, with the aid of Splinter, Karai, and even the 1987 Shredder and Krang, engage the Utrom Shredder in battle, but he grows to massive height using molecular amplification technology from Dimension X and seems impervious to their attacks. When the Utrom Shredder is accidentally clipped by the energy beam from the Technodrome, however, his armor is damaged, and the Turtles all try to force him into the beam ... before it is abruptly cut off when Rocksteady trips over the power cable and unplugs it. The Utrom Shredder takes this opportunity to grab the 1984 Turtles and begins crushing them. The world begins to fade just as the 2003 world did, but The Utrom Shredder hesitates when he notices that he too is fading. Karai attempts to appeal to her father, telling him that what he's trying to do will destroy them all, including him. But the Utrom Shredder has become too obsessed with revenge and decides he doesn't care, and resumes his assault. At the last minute the 1987 Turtles throw explosive throwing stars at him, causing him to trip and drop the 1984 Turtles. The Utrom Shredder resumes his attack -- until Bebop plugs the beam power cable back in and thus inadvertently obliterates the Utrom Shredder.
With their foe defeated, the Turtles watch as their respective realities restore themselves. The 1987 characters take the Technodrome and return to their homeworld, while the 2003 characters use the portal stick to return to theirs. The 1984 Turtles decide to go get some pizza to eat ... as somewhere else, across time and space, Peter Laird
Peter Laird
Peter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.-Early life and career:...
and Kevin Eastman
Kevin Eastman
Kevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Early life:Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
put the finishing touches on the first issue of Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, expressing the hope that the book will sell.
Cast
All 1987 characters are listed as '88 in the film's credits. Also note that none of the actors from the original cartoon reprises their roles due to union concerns (4Kids is a non-union corporation).- Michael SinterniklaasMichael SinterniklaasMichael Tremain Sinterniklaas is a Dutch American actor, voice actor, ADR Director and script writer who has worked for Viz Media, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, 4Kids Entertainment, and Tripwire Productions...
as Leonardo - Wayne GraysonWayne GraysonVinnie Penna is an American actor and voice actor who is mostly known for voice over under the name Wayne Grayson and has worked with 4Kids Entertainment, NYAV Post and DuArt Film and Video....
as Michelangelo - Sam RiegelSam RiegelSamuel Brent Oscar "Sam" Riegel is a voice actor, writer and director who appears in many television cartoons, anime, and video games. He began as a child actor in theater in Virginia, and moved to New York City to perform in Broadway and off-Broadway shows...
as Donatello - Greg Abbey as Raphael
- Darren DunstanDarren DunstanDarren Dunstan is a Canadian born voice actor and an occasional stage actor currently based in New York City. He has provided voice-over and voice direction on several properties of 4Kids Entertainment....
as Splinter - Marc Thompson as Casey Jones
- Veronica TaylorVeronica TaylorVeronica Taylor is an American voice actress. Taylor is best known for her dubbing work in English-language anime adaptations, in particular for voicing Ash Ketchum in the English dub of the Japanese anime, Pokémon....
as April O'Neil - Scottie RayScottie RayScottie Ray , sometimes credited as Scott Rayow, is a voice actor who normally voices characters for properties of 4Kids Entertainment, Central Park Media and NYAV Post...
as Utrom Shredder/Ch'rell - Greg CareyGreg CareyGreg Carey is an Australian voice actor known for his role as "Hun" in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Carey joined the Charles Sturt University theatrical production, in Bathurst, New South Wales. Carey started acting in 2001 in Are you Game?, a University project. He became a stage manager for One...
as Hun - Karen Neil as Karai
- Dan GreenDan Green (voice actor)Daniel Alexander Green , is an American voice actor, voice director and script adapter who has worked for 4Kids Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, NYAV Post and Central Park Media...
as 1987 Leonardo - Johnny Castro as 1987 Michelangelo, Rocksteady
- Tony SalernoTony SalernoTony Salerno is an American voice actor, ADR director and scriptwriter who has worked with 4Kids Entertainment, Central Park Media and TAJ Productions. He often works as actor or staff crew on anime dubs. He is also credited as Agent Zero, Anthony Salerno and Anthony Haden Salerno...
as 1987 Donatello - Sebastian ArcelusSebastian ArcelusSebastian Arcelus is an American actor. He has made a career in theatre on Broadway, regionally, and internationally. He made his Broadway debut in Rent, first as a swing, covering the male ensemble roles as well as Mark and Roger, and then as Roger...
as 1987 Raphael - David WillsDavid Wills (voice actor)David Wills is an American voice actor, who works with 4Kids Entertainment and NYAV Post. He was formerly a disc jockey under the name Ghosty for Sirius Satellite Radio and was the host of channel 118: Radio Classics under the name Dave Wills...
as 1987 Splinter, 1984 Shredder - Rebecca SolerRebecca SolerRebecca Soler is an American voice actress who works on the properties of 4Kids Entertainment.-Notable Voice Roles:* Red Dead Redemption - Miranda Fortuna* Chaotic - Sarah* Magical DoReMi - Reanne Griffith...
as 1987 April O'Neil - Load Williams as 1987 Shredder
- Braford Cameron as KrangKrangKrang is a fictional supervillain who appears in the Sonic The Hedgehog TV shows and most frequently in the 1987 STH cartoon and its associated media, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic book and most of the classic TMNT video games....
, Bebop, 1984 Michelangelo - Jason Griffith as 1984 Leonardo
- Pete CapellaPete CapellaPete Capella , also known as Lucas Gray is an independent American actor, voice director, comedian, and commercial star. He is best known for his voice role as Silver the Hedgehog in the Sonic the Hedgehog series.-Biography:...
as 1984 Donatello - Sean SchemmelSean SchemmelSean Schemmel is an American voice actor, ADR director, and script writer who has worked for NYAV Post, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, OkraTron 5000, DuArt Film and Video, and 4Kids Entertainment...
as 1984 Raphael - Peter LairdPeter LairdPeter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.-Early life and career:...
as Himself (uncredited) - Kevin EastmanKevin EastmanKevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Early life:Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
as Himself (uncredited)