DVD Reviews: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Pulverizer Power, NYC Showdown & The Search For Splinter

DVD Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

The Turtles will never end.

There’s three new TMNT releases hitting the shelves. Two volumes that revisit the original 21st century animated revival of the series and a collection from the new CGI series currently airing on Nickelodeon. It’s just amazing how long Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo have lasted since my dad looked at the first comic book back in 1985 and declared that I had wasted two bucks. He thought Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters was going to be the massive hit of the two.

Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles: The Search For Splinter has the second major animated version of the Heroes on the Half Shell. The first series had lasted a remarkable 193 episodes from 1987 to 1996. That’s almost Scooby-Doo in scope. But even with more than enough for endless syndication, the Turtles found themselves painted back on cells in 2003. The new series was a bit more intense like the original comic books that weren’t written for elementary school kids. The new series was still full of kid humor since it did air on Fox stations during Saturday mornings. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Search For Splinter has the first and final episodes from the freshman season. “Things Change” has the turtles learning under their master Splinter, a rat. Things go bad when mouser robots arrive and tear things up. They can’t find their master in the aftermath. “The Search for Splinter” is the two-parter that wrapped up the season. The turtles get a lead to where their old master might be kept. It turns out to also be the place that created them with the mysterious ooze.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: NYC Showdown includes all three parts of the “NYC Showdown” epic adventure. The turtles and Splinter make a surprise visit to Shredder’s headquarters. It’s a deluxe throwdown that once more leads to Splinter going MIA at the end. Like the previous collection, these episodes are adapted from the original comicbook series.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Pulverizer Power is three episodes from the first two seasons of the CGI version of Turtle Power that’s currently airing. “The Pulverizer” is the latest crime fighter in town. Although he seems to have more guts and costume than skills and sense. “The Pulverizer Returns” makes the ally go deep cover to find out about a new mutant army on the horizon. “Mutagen Man Unleashed” has the Pulverizer get mutated except he’s not quite the next Turtle. It’s not pretty.

Here’s Josie’s take on the DVDs about her reptile superheros:

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.