Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the first theatrical film based on the popular comic book characters of the same name, about a group of crime-fighting reptiles who lived in a sewer. The plot condenses elements from the comic books, combined with the lighter touch of the 1987 animated series.
Set in New York City, the story revolves around a mysterious crime wave, which can be traced back to the revival of an ancient Japanese order known as the Foot. Led by the Shredder, the thugs threaten investigative reporter April O'Neil, who receives unexpected aid from the titular turtles. Further complications arise with the kidnapping of mentor Splinter, the presence of sports equipment-wielding vigilante Casey Jones, and the entanglement of a young teen, the son of April's boss, in the Foot.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop supplied the four central characters as well as Splinter. Brian Henson was chief puppeteer and also served as second unit director, overseeing the fight scenes. Two separate sets of body suits were made. The heavier, more detailed suits were worn by the principal body performers in most scenes, while a lighter set was engineered explicitly for action and stunt scenes. The suits were divided into 15 pieces, and the faces were controlled via motorized cables, located in the shells. This technology, later refined into the Henson Performance Control System, paved the way for such later productions as Dinosaurs, which used many of the same puppeteers and creatives.
The Creature Shop also provided the creatures for the sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. However, they did not work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III or the TV series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.
==Cast==
* Judith Hoag as April O'Neil
* Elias Koteas as Casey Jones
* Raymond Serra as Chief Sterns
* Michael Turney as Danny Pennington
* James Saito as the Shredder
* Jay Patterson as Charles Pennington
* Toshishiro Obata as Tatsu
* Sam Rockwell as Head Thug
* Josh Pais as Raphael/Man in Cab
* Michelan Sisti as Michaelangelo/Pizza Man
* Leif Tilden as Donatello/Foot Messenger
* David Forman as Leonardo/Gang Member
* Kevin Clash as Splinter
==Voices==
* Brian Tochi as Leonardo
* Robbie Rist as Michaelangelo
* Corey Feldman as Donatello
* David McCharen as Shredder
* Michael McConnohie as Tatsu
==Jim Henson's Creature Shop==
*Second Unit Director and Chief Puppeteer: Brian Henson
*Animatronic Puppeteers: David Greenaway, Mak Wilson, David Rudman, Martin P. Robinson, Ricky Boyd, Robert Tygner
*Creative Supervisor: John Stephenson
*Project Supervisor: William Plant
*Project Coordinators: Daniel Remer, Geraint Jones 
*Visual Supervisor: Ray Scott
*Designers: Peter Brooke, Nigel Booth, John Blakeley
*Computer and Electronic Supervisor: Dave Housman
*Computer and Electronic Fabrication and Maintenance: Quentin Plant
*Mechanical Designers: Neal Scanlan, Verner Gresty, Jamie Courtier, Geoff Paige
*Mechanical Fabrication: Jim Sandys, Chris Barton, Jamie Jackson Moore
*Mould Supervisor: Kenny Wilson
*Mould Makers: Barry Fowler, Kenny Barley, Dave Kelly
*Foam Lab Supervisor: Mike Osborne
*Foam Lab Technician: Linton Bocock
*Suit Design, Fabrication, and Maintenance: Lesja Liber, Xenia Beith, Fiona Cazaly, Marion Keating
*Hair Dressers: Vicky Stockwell, Hans Gilsdorf, Gray Hunter, Peter A. Jacovich, Mike Nations, Teri Reed, Sara Seidman, Laura Senters, Joan Wesner
==Reviews==
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Category:Creature Shop Movies
Category:Superheroes