Cowabunga, dude! A new 4K restoration of the classic ’90s live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy is headed our way from Arrow Video, a company well-regarded for its high-quality genre releases.
The three films, which brought the comic book heroes to life with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop animatronics, will be available as a boxed set. This isn’t just a simple re-release, though; Arrow is known for its dedication to finding and adding extra features, so we can expect more than just the films themselves.
What’s in the box?
The trilogy begins with Steve Barron’s 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which found box office success by balancing the gritty tone of the original comic with a more family-friendly humour and aesthetic. This is followed by 1991’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, which delves into the Turtles’ origins and introduces new villains, Tokka and Rahzar. The final film, 1993’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, sees the heroes travel back in time to feudal Japan.
Arrow Video has undertaken new 4K restorations for all three films. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been restored from its original 35mm negative. In contrast, the sequels, The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, have been restored from the original 35mm interpositives. The sound has also been upgraded, with the first film receiving both original lossless stereo and a new Dolby Atmos surround audio mix, while the other two get a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio.
The sets, which will come in both 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray, will feature newly commissioned artwork by Florey. An exclusive version for the Arrow Store will have alternative artwork by Matt Frank and Roberto Rivera Padro. The reversible sleeves and a collector’s booklet with new writing from Simon Ward, John Torrani, and John Walsh are also part of the package. Arrow has also confirmed that new director’s commentaries and cast and crew interviews for all three films will be included, with a full list of extras to be announced on September 26th.
A shell-shocking amount of merch
The new film release is not the only thing in the works. The Turtles are also getting the trading card treatment. Super7 is launching a new trading card pack for fans to collect. Each pack includes four single packs, each with five cards and a sticker. Collectors can find 12 different “Good Guys” and 12 different “Bad Guys” cards. The stickers feature a “sewer cover” design, and the backing card art from all the packs can be put together to form a mosaic of the Party Wagon. Super7 is also including six “joke” cards with original jokes.
If you are looking for something a bit more functional, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cable Guys from EXG Pro are still a popular choice. The range includes a Shredder Cable Guy, which can hold a phone or a gaming controller. There are also four Mini Cable Guys, each representing one of the individual Turtles, designed to hold a smartphone upright. These stands are a useful way to bring some Turtle power to your desk or gaming setup.
