Like many of you who grew up during the eighties, the Ninja Turtles was a big part of my life. It was a fun, kick ass animated series that took the plots as seriously as can be while also squeezing in some hilarity in the process. Michaelangelo is the primary source for the comic relief and thankfully in everything I've ever seen from the heroes in a half shell, there's never been an instance where one character was annoying or grating. Now comes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles box set from Warner that not only includes every Ninja Turtle movie ever made, but also arrives with a choice few special prizes the youngens will enjoy. The entire set comes in a fancy DVD case with a cover that resembles a man hole. When opened we get a basic booklet that features separate discs and sadly a bunch of black DVD holders that serve no purpose. Thankfully that one faulty aesthetic is more than made up for when you take in to consideration what you're getting here. Ranging from anywhere between twenty five to thirty five dollars we're given temporary tattoos of all of the ninja turtles and a pack of special masks your children can wear to play as the turtles.

As for the movies themselves, they're all in great condition and thankfully never resort to flip discs. They're all their own separate presence and you can look through the timeline of the movies with sheer unabashed excitement. First up is Steve Barron's adaptation of the animated series with a tone that keeps the movie slightly comedic but presents much more focus on the drama and tragic interplay between the turtles. 1990's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is still a lot of fun and one of the better comic book adaptations I've seen filled with one on one fist fights and the turtles doing what they do best: Kick some foot solder ass! And did I mention Casey Jones was in it? Barron keeps the story going with a sense of urgency that involves the kidnapping of master Splinter and the turtles attempts to find strength without their teacher and mentor leading them. It's a movie that holds up well even to this day and it's a definite recommendation for the kids.

And who can forget Mega Shredder? Nonetheless "The Secret of the Ooze" is a rather anemic experience with villains that fail to be as intimidating as they were in the first film, and the writers insistence on turning the film predominantly comedic with strings of segments that almost never manage to help crack a smile. People more familiar with the 1990 film may not enjoy the surreal special effect and central plot, but I gather the kids won't care too much.

I've only seen its four times since its release but 1993's "Turtles in Time" is definitely the worst of the bunch. Thanks to a mysterious scepter, the turtles are transported back in time in 17th century Japan. The primary problem behind the premise and the film itself is that is blatantly rips its own storyline from the likes of Seven Samurai where their accidental time warp turns them in to heroes forced to defend a village from outside villains. To add insult to the sheer boredom that arises, Elias Koteas appears as an ancient version of Casey Jones for reasons I'm still not sure about. All I can remember from this sequel is that even as a child I really didn't like it at all and almost sixteen years later it's still a stinker.

While Warner fibs about this being the 25th Anniversary celebration, it doesn't take away the fact that this is one great box set with prizes for the kids and the complete collection of Ninja Turtles films that you can enjoy for hours. I love trips back to my childhood.