Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 35th Anniversary

Introduced by Craig Shemin, President, The Jim Henson Legacy 

Dir. Steve Barron. 1990, 93 min. U.S. DCP. The first TMNT film charts the origins of Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael; their martial arts training; and their quest to fight crime in the big city. When the pizza-loving turtles, popularized in comic strips and an animated series, made the trip to the big screen, they had some help from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The Creature Shop, which began working on outside projects with 1985’s Dreamchild, constructed the complex turtle costumes and heads, which featured radio-controlled servo motors, manipulated by the Academy Award–winning Henson Performance Control System. Each turtle required a suit performer (sometimes a stuntman) to wear the costume, puppeteers to remotely manipulate the head, and a voice actor who would later loop the dialogue. Director Barron was experienced with the Creature Shop’s work, having helmed the pilot episode of The Storyteller. Brian Henson served as chief puppeteer and second-unit director and the Turtles’ mentor, Splinter, was manipulated and voiced by veteran Henson performer Kevin Clash. Henson veterans Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Mak Wilson, Rickey Boyd, Robert Tygner, and David Greenaway were among the puppeteers who brought the animatronic characters to life. The human cast includes Judith Hoag as reporter April O’Neil. Elias Koteas as Casey Jones, and Sam Rockwell in an early film appearance as Head Thug. 

Tickets: $17.50 / $12 senior and students / $10 youth (ages 3–17) / free for MoMI members at the Senior/Student level and above. There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.