Ranking the TMNT Movies for Younger Kids by the Ent. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Ranking the TMNT Movies for Younger Kids
Here’s a ranking of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) movies based on their appropriateness for kids. Please note this list is from LEAST APPROPRIATE TO MOST APPROPRIATE
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
- Quick Summary: This picks up from the 2014 movie as Shredder escapes prison and recruits more help to attempt to take down the turtles.
- Rating: PG-13
- Possible Questionable Content: Although this is the sequel to the CGI series, this movie conatains some slightly more curse words and also some additional intense action sequences, and a few crude humor moments.
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- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
- Quick Summary: This was a hard reboot from Michael Bay and so the plot is pretty straight-forward. We get introduced to the turtles and April. Shredder attempts to destroy the turtles as usual, but this time with big crazy intense graphics and explosions.
- Rating: PG-13
- Possible Questionable Content: This movie overall has a much more intense feel than even the live action Turtles movies. There are some violence and action scenes, mild language, brief suggestive content, and the portrayal of villains may be intense for younger children.
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- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
- Quick Summary: This is the first TMNT movie and tells the basic story. April O’Neill is researching a series of crimes that end up being linked to the Foot Clan. This leads her to the turtles and kicks off the infamous fight between the Turtles and their arch nemesis, Shredder.
- Rating: PG
- Possible Questionable Content: Intense action scenes, some mild language, and darker themes. This movie is slower and a bit on the darker than the other live action films. The real-looking suits might be frightening to very young children.
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- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
- Quick Summary: In the most recent TMNT adaptation, the turtles get a huge makeover. Stylistically, these are the youngest that the turtles have been and we get to see the very beginnings of their crime fighting ways as the face of against a gang, headed up by Superfly.
- Rating: PG
- Possible Questionable Content: Animated with a modern twist, includes action and fight scenes, moderate language, and some crude humor. The actual monsters, especially by the end of the film, are likely to scare many younger viewers.
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- Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
- Quick Summary: This crossover event is a fun mishmash of the fun, quirky turtles and the brooding emotions of Batman. When their villains work together for a common cause, they are forced to also work together to see if they can protect Gotham City.
- Rating: PG-13
- Possible Questionable Content: This movie contains some intense violence (including guns and mild blood). This includes some scary scenes (mostly from the Batman universe) and very mild language. Despite the PG-13 rating, I found this to be a more appropriate movie than many of the PG rated movies.
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- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
- Quick Summary: Picking up where the first one ends, Shredder has returned, but now he has his own ooze that can create creatures as well. This delves into the past of the turtles while presenting new foes for the them.
- Rating: PG
- Possible Questionable Content: Less dark than the first movie with more emphasis on humor. Some mild violence and language, again, the real looking creatures may still be too scary for younger viewers, especially the non-turtle creatures.
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- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
- Quick Summary: Okay, so elephant in the room. This is the third movie of the live action trilogy, which makes it an odd pick for this high in the list. With that said, it is one of the most light-hearted of the TMNT universe. The Turtles travel to the past accidentally and find themselves in 16th century Japan where they have to face off against new, yet familiar foes.
- Rating: PG
- Possible Questionable Content: Time-travel storyline with some mild violence and peril, but overall lighter in tone. Some crude humor and mild language.
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- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Movie (2022)
- Quick Summary: In the future, Krang has taken over and Casey Jones is sent to the past to warn the Turtles of the impending doom. Can the turtles stop the inevitable reign of Krang or is history doomed to repeat itself.
- Rating: TV-PG
- Possible Questionable Content: Animated movie with less intense action, but still includes fight scenes and some scary moments. Mild language and some suggestive content.
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- TMNT (2007)
- Quick Summary: The turtles have defeated Shredder and grow apart, but when a new group of monsters comes and attacks the city, the Turtles are forced to work together and determine who is behind releasing this new threat.
- Rating: PG
- Possible Questionable Content: Animated movie with less intense action, but still includes fight scenes and some scary moments. Mild language and some suggestive content.
- You can Purchase or Rent Here
Overall, the most appropriate movies for younger children would be Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Movie (2022) and TMNT (2007) due to their lighter tone and less intense action. The more recent live-action movies tend to have more intense action and darker themes, making them more suitable for older kids and teens. The original live action movies are a bit more inconsistent as the tended to get lighter the further they got into the trilogy.
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