Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The 1990 version still holds up for one reason: the suits are not computer generated. Jim Henson's Creature Shop built the turtles by hand, with radio-controlled facial expressions and real performers inside. It was among the last projects Henson worked on, and he died shortly after the premiere. Every studio had passed. Disney, Columbia, Universal, MGM/UA, Orion, Fox, Paramount and Warner all said no, afraid of producing another Masters of the Universe. New Line picked it up halfway through production for 13.5 million dollars. It opened above 25 million, the largest independent opening on record at the time, and finished around 202 million worldwide. The British release removed the nunchaku sequences, since UK censors of the period were specifically sensitive about that weapon. Who it is for: anyone who wants a dark, rain-soaked and surprisingly serious comic book adaptation. Who it is not for: viewers expecting the bright, joking tone of the sequels. This one sits much closer to the original Mirage comics.