In August 2022, TMNT fans will see the release of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie on Netflix. The feature follows the popular animated series that premiered back in 2018 on Netflix and Nickelodeon. The show once again reinvents the concept adding to a seemingly endless inventory of Ninja Turtle iterations. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a property that has reinvention in its DNA. While that’s probably great for business, fans grow increasingly nostalgic for the live-action Jim Henson approach that spawned a trilogy of successful films in the 1990s.

Michael Bay would later redo the franchise for two entries in 2014 and 2016 that delivered his brand of action with bulkier CGI Turtles sporting slightly more abrasive traits and character dynamics. Creative decisions like casting Megan Fox to play April O’Neil represent some fundamental challenges regarding what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, what effect it has on revenue.

The new animated film will explore the villain Krang in more of an alien invasion capacity. While the Rise animated series has taken some design cues from the Michael Bay films, it brings in much more silliness that lends itself to animation, resulting in a tone that feels more akin to the original late ’80s and early ’90s cartoons. While it is unlikely we will get a new live-action approach to the Ninja Turtles involving animatronic suits, Micheal Bay and Paramount will likely deliver a third installment or reboot movie. Last year it was also reported that Seth Rogen would be producing a new CGI adaptation called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Chapter, which should be dropping sometime next year.

TMNT’s Krang Invasion Plot

As mentioned, the new Netflix animated film appears to be taking a cue from the last Michael Bay movie, which was the first live-action effort to include Krang. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, which came out in 2016, also brought Bebop, Rocksteady, and Baxter Stockman to life for the first time. The movie’s plot similarly hinged on the threat of Krang and Dimension X threatening to invade our world.

Related: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Names and Character Guide

The new animated film feels like a slightly more refined and focused approach to the Krang plotline and will lean more on the presence of Casey Jones, who appears to have traveled back from the future to help the turtles prevent an apocalyptic alien invasion. The film is on track to be the best-animated feature to date for the franchise.

Could the Rubber Suits Return?

With Bay still attached to make at least one more live-action film with Paramount, returning to the live-action 1990s vibe may or may not happen in the near future. If the studio is open to a nod to the Jim Henson versions, a hybrid of actors and CGI is more likely. The physics of real life can still be exploited with rubber suits, but certain creatures and set pieces would perhaps be enhanced with CGI.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a great example of updating a proven technique by using CGI in key places to achieve more modern cinematic techniques while still embracing the art of puppetry and animatronics.

Related: Jim Henson, the Man Behind The Muppets, is Getting a Documentary

The Jim Henson sensibilities brought a certain magic to the Turtles that achieved a higher emotional benchmark for what it meant to have these characters come to life in a tactile way. This is something the modern films were unable to replicate.

Suppose Michael Bay was open to a more retro-style approach, working alongside The Jim Henson Company. In that case, the ultimate Turtles movie could potentially be realized, but that may be unlikely as CGI has been proven to rake in the cash not only for Bay’s Turtles films but for countless Transformers movies that dominate the world cinema market. Realizing the value of Turtles in rubber suits is unfortunately a passion point that may go against a studio model that Bay and other executives likely see little value in.

While it may be objectively better and more effective onscreen to have the Turtles actually on camera performing real stunts, the masses have spoken, and less impactful cinema is the result. Unless you have someone like Jon Favreau, who may have been the most successful in tapping back into the original Star Wars vibe, fighting tooth and nail to preserve practical FX for the unique aesthetic value they bring, the path of least resistance is more likely to win. A more generic-looking product will prevail.

Regardless, fans passionate about the 1990s TMNT movies will maintain hope that one day the right filmmaker will come along and make a proper homage to the rubber suit movies. Beyond the suits, the synth-heavy score, atmosphere, and tone of the originals would be exciting to see replicated in a proper sequel to the franchise. For the time being, the new animated film should partially appease the fan base’s appetite.