The audience is the point, and the reward.

[PogromStallone]

What’s even weirder is how adults that grew up with those 80s cartoons want to watch those old cartoons that were just made to sell toys (turtles, GI Joe, etc) as adults. I liked Ninja Turtles when I was five - but it was because I was 5. I can’t understand why any adult in their 20s / 30s / 40s would want to watch those cartoons now because they were shit to begin with unless you were a kid. I blame funko pops.

Also funny in the 80s it was perfectly acceptable to turn a ultra violent R rated movie like Robocop into a cartoon for kids.

To be fair, TMNT was based on a really good indie comic and without that base I don't think it would be as big as it is today. The 80's cartoon was for kids but the vast majority of what came after it did what they could to distance themselves from it. The 1990 film is a genuinely good movie with a lot of depth to it.

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

To be fair, TMNT was based on a really good indie comic and without that base I don't think it would be as big as it is today. The 80's cartoon was for kids but the vast majority of what came after it did what they could to distance themselves from it. The 1990 film is a genuinely good movie with a lot of depth to it.

The first one wasn’t bad but by the second one they were going full “we gotta sell toys!” Mode and Jim Henson was angry for the turtles using weapons in the first one so that had to go. I saw the third one in theaters and even as I kid I knew it was complete shit and I fawkin LOVED the turtles as a young kid. I think I only ever watched Turtles 3 one time.

 

[PogromStallone]

The first one wasn’t bad but by the second one they were going full “we gotta sell toys!” Mode and Jim Henson was angry for the turtles using weapons in the first one so that had to go. I saw the third one in theaters and even as I kid I knew it was complete shit and I fawkin LOVED the turtles as a young kid. I think I only ever watched Turtles 3 one time.

THat's cause the first one was an indie film with the creators involved. It was a huge success, it was actually the highest-grossing independent film of all time when it was released. So a bunch of money men thought that if they dumbed it down that would mean they'd get even more profit for the sequel. In a way, the success of TMNT is also it's biggest curse because they do something good, then someone comes in and turns it to shit so they can squeeze some money out of it. This then becomes what general audiences think of TMNT. After that's been going for a while, someone does something back to the roots and actually good. Which leads to money men coming in and starting the cycle anew.

 

[EraGodless]

What’s even weirder is how adults that grew up with those 80s cartoons want to watch those old cartoons that were just made to sell toys (turtles, GI Joe, etc) as adults. I liked Ninja Turtles when I was five - but it was because I was 5. I can’t understand why any adult in their 20s / 30s / 40s would want to watch those cartoons now because they were shit to begin with unless you were a kid. I blame funko pops.

Also funny in the 80s it was perfectly acceptable to turn a ultra violent R rated movie like Robocop into a cartoon for kids.

I still enjoy the GI Joe movie with Sgt. Slaughter and Cobra La. It's the only cartoon that was an 80's kids thing that I'll watch. Only adult cartoons I watch are American Dad (occasionally), South Park (rarely), and King of the Hill (regularly).