rewrite this title How did Arrow Video’s 4K Blu-rays of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy come out? We take a look at it!

Cowabunga, dudes! The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies are getting a lot of love lately, as the 1990 Steve Barron film came back to theaters this past summer for its 35th anniversary and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze will be returning to big screens in March 2026! Now, Arrow Video will be distributing the upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy, which will arrive in time for the holidays on December 16. You can order a copy on their website HERE.

Turtle fans rejoice! Arrow Video has come through on remastering the original trilogy of our childhoods for a brand new ultra-high-definition experience! Although the price can be intimidating for casual buyers, die-hard fans of the 90s film franchise, physical media collectors, and film completionists will definitely marvel at the new 4K set.

So, first we have the 1990 Steve Barron film. Revisiting the film nowadays, it’s amazing how well it still holds up. One of the special features on this UHD disc is a brand new 2025 interview with Barron and he talks about how when he was presented with this film as a project, he wanted to rework the script because although it’s aimed primarily at kids, he knows the movie had potential to be enjoyable for adults as well and as we get older, we find more and more nuances than we previously realized.

The 4K is absolutely amazing. All of the movies in this set have had their pictures remastered in 4K from the film’s original negatives and this particular title was approved by the director. All three films are presented in Dolby Vision and it was a real treat for the eyes this time around. What’s really surprising is that the colors really popped on all the films in this set. Barron was great at making New York look gritty and stark, which the new transfer maintains, but somehow the Turtles look even more vibrant than they ever have before. It took me back somewhat cause it’s like their greens had the consistency of Shrek, but it never truly took me out of the movie. It was just really interesting to see and a brand new way for the visuals to look.

The special features have interviews from Barron as well as Judith Hoag, who portrayed April, and the voice & stunt actors who helped to bring the Turtles to life. A lot of upgraded re-releases of past films have been very impressive about giving the viewers some new material for extras and this is no exception. The only thing I wish this disc had was some archival footage, including deleted scenes teased in the Turtle Power documentary, which was probably saved for the upcoming Ninja Turtles documentary — TMNT: Evolution, Mutation & Reboot. However, we DO get some unique alternate footage, including a Korean cut and a full UK cut with alternate takes edited in to censor Michaelangelo’s nunchucks.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze

After Steve Barron balanced the tone of the first one perfectly, New Line Cinema rushed out a sequel for the following year and while it came out pretty quicky, the movie never felt rushed and had been able to become its own movie. The sequel leaned the tone more towards the popular cartoon as elements of the film were lighter, like the Turtles not truly using their weapons, as well as the famous integration of Vanilla Ice whipping out a theme song for the Ninja Turtles within minutes of discovering them. 

While it’s clear that the studio gave into the parents who thought the first was too dark, this entry is still very enjoyable as the Turtles are still a lot of fun and we do get more of an arc for them as they discover more about their past. The inclusion of new mutated villains is obviously inspired by the cartoon, but subplots like Ernie Reyes Jr.’s Keno attempting to infiltrate The Foot gives us a welcome look into their operation. Even if this sequel could feel like a cash grab (let’s not forget how New Line used to pump out A Nightmare on Elm Street sequels every year to capitalize on the popularity of Freddy Krueger), there’s still a lot of heart put into it. And even though I hadn’t mentioned it yet, the animatronics from the Jim Henson Workshop worked miracles in these movies as I can still watch these characters be expressive and feel real despite having limitations compared to CGI.

We get interviews from people like Paige Turco, who took over for April when Judith Hoag opted not to return, and John Du Prez, whose interview moreso encompasses the whole trilogy. The coolest special feature is the Behind the Shells documentary that also came out in 1991 to accompany the movie. This is also an extended cut, which is seemingly from an original broadcast version and features a bit more footage than the commercially released VHS version that you can currently watch on YouTube.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

So, truth telling time. I don’t hate this movie. I don’t even dislike this movie. I for sure have nostalgia for it, but I also think it’s pretty fun for a kids adventure film. Shredder and The Foot clan are not back for the third time around and director Stuart Gillard (who has a commentary on this 4K release) pushed the tone fully into cartoon territory with a time travel plot. As a fan of the cartoons, I wasn’t put off from it as it was exactly the kind of chapter that would happen on the animated series. 

What’s interesting to see this time around is the tone juxtaposing from the humor being cheesier than before to the villain portion of the movie that almost plays like a historical drama. The war of families between Lord Norinaga and Mitsu is an interesting backdrop to put in the middle of a Ninja Turtles film. And another layer showcases Norinaga trading with an Englishman named Walker, who is trying to sell him guns for the war, which he pushes for more as they mistake the Turtles for ancient Japanese demons. 

Nowadays, I can appreciate the effort to bring some bizarre historical politics into a kids adventure, especially considering how Shredder had no visible plan in the first movie (what was he planning to do with his teenage thieving ring?). However, one can argue that it was perhaps executed a bit too dry. 

The special features kind of showcase how much of a black sheep this entry is in the franchise as there is a commentary by the director, but the only interviews are with Vivian Wu and Sab Shimono, who portray Norinaga and Mitsu. There is also an alternate UK opening, which, again, showcases the censorship of Michaelangelo’s nunchucks.

Verdict

As stated before, the price of the set can be intimidating to a casual buyer, but 4Ks are currently holding a similar fight with streaming as movie theaters and they are offering a bevy of extras on certain titles along with the picture upgrade. This set is perfect for a Ninja Turtles Superfan as it also includes stickers, trading cards and a book of essays about the films. A reversible poster is also included along with the packages sporting some newly commssioned art. These items bring to mind some nostalgia for the items given when you apply to be in a fan club back in the 90s. As a fan of the trilogy, the features are great to see, but the real star is the picture quality. These films have never looked better. 

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