This is the article on the movie. For other interpretations, see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (disambiguation).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 live-action film, the second sequel to the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd for Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema.

Full and wide-screen version DVDs were released on September 3, 2002. The packaging for both the videocassette and DVD identifies them as "America's favorite amphibians," which is a mistake as turtles are reptiles.

Overview

Plot

In the twentieth century, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles perform a dance sequence, wherein each shows his fighting style, in the abandoned subway station which they have made their home. As the dance ends, Raphael throws a sai into the speaker, frustrated that no one appreciates the Turtles or sees what they do. April O'Neil has been shopping at the flea market in preparation for her upcoming vacation; she brings her friends gifts to cheer them. Michelangelo is given a colorful lampshade, Donatello is given an old radio, Leonardo is given a book on historical swords and Raphael is to receive a hat. Having stormed off earlier, he is never formally given it.

For Splinter, April brings an ancient Japanese scepter. This is possibly a reference to the "Sacred Sands of Time Scepter" featured in the original Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series and the crossover story with Dave Sim's Cerebus character.

In feudal Japan, the man who was taken, Kenshin, is reproached for committing disgrace by his father, Daimyo Norinaga. He leaves his father's presence and drives priests out of a temple. There, he finds the same scepter and reads the inscription on its handle: "Open Wide the Gates of Time". Before Kenshin leaves, a British weapons-trader called Walker is introduced, along with his thug Niles.

In the twentieth century, April is looking at the scepter when it begins to emit light and a small device inside its lamp-like crown begins to spin. She is then sent to Kenshin's time and place, and he to hers, exchanging clothes. Upon arrival, April is captured by the Daimyo's soldiers. Lord Norinaga, blaming her for Kenshin's disappearance, imprisons her. Meanwhile, Kenshin is sent to 20th century New York City where April was.

The Turtles become friends with Kenshin and decide to travel back in time to retrieve April. They invite Casey Jones to watch over Splinter, then embark, warned by Donatello's calculation that they have only 60 hours wherein to complete the rescue before the scepter ceases to enable time travel. Having been sent to Japan in exchange for Daimyo Norinaga's Honor Guards, the Turtles arrive mounted on horses, in the midst of a battle. Michelangelo, who is sitting backward on his horse, is separated from his brothers and captured by outlaws. The scepter goes with him. The other Turtles search for April. When they reach Norinaga's fortress, presumably by infilitrating his army, they are quickly mistaken for Honor Guards, though they escape from the prospect of facing the Daimyo. They follow Walker's men to the prison and discover April.

The Turtles drive out Walker's assistants, intimidate the jailer, then free April. They leave through a garbage-disposal chute and leave. Escaping behind them is an Englishman called Whit, who is said to have rebelled against Walker.

Kenshin is becoming impatient and worried. Casey introduces him, and the Honor Guards, to ice hockey.

An attack on the Turtles, who were again mistaken for the Honor Guards, leads them to Mitsu, leader of the rebellion against Lord Norinaga. Mitsu is a young, beautiful, courageous, and determined woman who intends first to overthrow the Daimyo and later to marry Kenshin so as to prevent another war. It is she who has imprisoned Michelangelo. Mitsu's village is under attack by Walker and his men, who are searching for the scepter; the Turtles rush to intervene. Michelangelo is released by two of Walker's men, who think to earn a reward by restoring one of the Honor Guards confirmed as absent. Having seen his face and heard him speak, they plant the rumor among their partners that a demon is in the vicinity. When confronted by Michelangelo, the other Turtles, and Mitsu's people, Walker flees. Michelangelo saves a boy named Yoshi from a fire, whereupon Leonardo revives the nearly dead child by means of CPR, for which the grateful villagers allow them to stay. Anguished by the loss of the scepter, the Turtles commission a local blacksmith to make a new one.

Walker uses the presence of the Turtles as an excuse to raise the price of guns sold by him to the Daimyo, arguing that the threat posed is greater by demons than only by men. Norinaga reveals a legend stating that four kappa, resembling the Turtles, had vanquished his ancestors, and suggests that they have returned to disgrace him. Although he initially refuses to pay more for the guns than the price originally set, he agrees later. Walker shows himself, in these interactions, to be greedy, manipulative, and without compassion.

Michelangelo tries to teach the village cooks to make pizza, but produces an inedible result. Mikey is apparently attracted emotionally to Mitsu; he learns that she wishes to marry Kenshin and reassures her that Kenshin will return when the Turtles have departed. Raphael gets in touch with his sensitive side as well, through the child Yoshi, whose name links him through an unclear means to Splinter's mentor. He becomes very fond of this child, considering him younger brother.

The Honor Guards are challenged to an ice hockey game by Casey; to his dismay, he finds that they believe ice hockey to consist of beating each other.

A new scepter is completed, only to be broken by Michelangelo and Raphael during an argument over whether or not to stay. Mitsu informs them that Lord Norinaga has guns and will attack the next day. Yoshi, fearing Raph's death, gives him the original scepter, which he had hidden under the house where he lives. They are overjoyed to see it, but resent Mitsu for concealing it in order to force them to fight in the war. Mitsu is then kidnapped by Whit, the man they saved alongside April. Whit takes Mitsu and the scepter to Walker.

The Turtles set out to rescue Mitsu. In the process, they learn of the legend that has caused the Daimyo to fear them, regain confidence in themselves, and free many of those imprisoned, leading to a massive battle in the courtyard of Norinaga's palace between the rebels and the daimyo's army. Leonardo defeats Lord Norinaga in a sword duel, comically finishing him by cutting his hair (a disgrace to his status as a samurai), and then trapping him inside of a bell.

Walker captures April and threatens to kill her. His soldiers take control of the battlefield, armed with guns. He orders the Turtles to be shot; Leonardo bluffs by drawing upon the belief (held insistently by Walker's superstitious men) that he and his brothers are demons, saying that any bullets shot at them will ricochet and kill their senders. Leonardo then baits Walker to shoot them himself. Walker shoots at them with a cannon, but misses when the Turtles instinctively pull their heads into their shells. April and Whit, also targeted by the cannon (Whit having spoken against Walker's order), duck their own heads to dodge the shot. The cannonball collides with the bell, freeing the shocked but largely unscathed Daimyo.

Walker's soldiers are routed; he himself runs away. He obtains the scepter and a cage containing pet birds from his room, then climbs over the roof of the palace to a high point overlooking the ocean. He is there cornered by the Turtles. To distract them while escaping himself, Walker throws the scepter overhead and begins climbing down a scaffold. The Turtles form a chain with their bodies, holding onto a wall or fence at one end and catching the scepter at the other. Walker, realizing that he has forgotten his birds, returns to retrieve them, whereupon Whit, realizing that his name is "lower than scum" in the eyes of the desirable April, uses a catapult to kill Walker by knocking him to his death in the ocean. When Walker falls into the water, he disappears. Donatello makes a joke at Walkers expense ("Bungee jumping without a bungee, now that could be dangerous.").

The Turtles then debate whether or not to go home, because they are appreciated and respected in feudal Japan, unlike late 20th century New York City where they must hide underground to avoid being targets of human fear for the different. Mitsu urges them to go, so that she may have Kenshin return to her. Mitsu makes a parting well-wish to Michelangelo, of whose soft spot for her she is aware and by which she is flattered. The scepter activates, making their decision urgent. In New York City of the late twentieth century, Kenshin has activated it in his impatience to go home. Splinter counsels him not to abandon the Honor Guards, on the grounds that such an act would be cowardly. Casey gathers the Honor Guards, who have become infatuated with the trappings of their host society, and organizes their return to feudal Japan.

The Turtles ultimately decide to go home, based on the argument that their presence interferes negatively with the lives of the people of feudal Japan. Raphael bids Yoshi an affectionate farewell. Because of his procrastination, Michelangelo fails to join April and his brothers. When these have returned to their native time, the Honor Guard who had replaced Michelangelo runs away, carrying the scepter. As he exits the Turtles' den, the scepter activates, exchanging him for Michelangelo. Simultaneously, its powers of time travel (symbolized by the rotating device at its head) are destroyed. In Japan, Norinaga is taken prisoner and brought before Mitsu and Kenshin. He is surprised to see them both, together, and more surprised to see his Honor Guard walk through the corridor, half naked and talking incoherently about anachronisms such as pizza. When he has gone, having spoken no word but clearly shown his submission, Kenshin seizes Mitsu in imitation of a poster he had seen in the Turtles' home and kisses her on the lips. Norinaga is reconciliated with his son.

Michelangelo is depressed until Splinter puts the afore-mentioned lampshade on his (Splinter's) head as a joke, whereupon both laugh. The film ends with another dance sequence.

Cast

Voice cast

Soundtrack

Reception

Though the film was successful at the box office, critics and fans alike found it to be the worst of the Turtles movies. Common sticking points include the outlandish plot, lackluster fight choreography, reduced violence level from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (which itself was known to have a reduced violence level from the original film) and excessively cheesy dialogue. In fact it was so abominable that the Angry Video Game Nerd filmed two videos of himself excoriating many of the movie's aspects & also calling it "the worst movie he had ever seen in his life!"

Controversy

References

External links

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III at the Official Ninja Turtles website.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III at Rotten Tomatoes
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III soundtrack information at the Official Ninja Turtles website.
• Satirical review of the film at X-Entertainment
• Interview with Robbie Rist "Michelangelo"