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"Some people just can't handle change."

-- 1987 Raphael (Sebastian Arcelus)

It's fair to say the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles audience has been split fairly evenly among children in the '00s and the nostalgic adults that grew up in the '80s. The light-hearted, family-friendly characters were introduced in the immensely-successful 1987 animated series; then in 2003, the series was revived by the Fox Network, with the Turtles being darker and edgier, more closely resembling the original characters in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's comic book from 1984.

In their attempt to please everybody and unite audiences, Roy Burdine and Lloyd Goldfine's crossover concept for this 2009 made-for-TV animated movie could've ended up being a disaster. I'll admit that I was very pessimistic, especially considering some of the awful crossover attempts that came before (consider Alien Vs. Predator). I'm delighted to say, however, that the team behind this have handled things immaculately from the evidence here; Turtles Forever is a high-energy adventure with some excellent action sequences and some very funny moments.

The 2003 and 1987 Turtles first meet one another when their dimensions collide via a portal device, which also brings the original arch-enemies, Shredder and Krang, and the battle fortress, the Technodrome, along from the past. The eight Turtles notice their obvious personality differences at first -- the 1987 Turtles preferring humour over the seriousness of the 2003 Turtles -- which establishes a love/hate relationship. When the Shredder discovers that there is a version of him in the '00s, however, and attempts to erase the original "Prime" universe of the Turtles via his invasion of the 1984 comic book world, they decide to join forces with the black-and-white Mirage Turtles and do battle with evil in a bid to save their existence.

The writers did a great job here. The story is well-thought out, and the contrast between the different dimensions is nothing short of fascinating. Seeing the characters interact with one another will undoubtedly bring with an element of nostalgia, but the film is also very entertaining on a technical level. There is perfect blend of action and comedy in portraying the different personalities and fighting styles of each of the Turtle clans, which pays tribute to the success of the comicbooks and both series's on TV. I never did read the comicbooks and I've only watched a few episodes of the 2003 TV series (partly ignorant of me, I know), but it didn't affect my enjoyment at all.

The attention to detail is remarkable. The characters and backgrounds from the '80s and '00s dimensions are virtually identical to how they looked in the TV series's, and the animation appears very fluent, even when the crowded action scenes involving the large roster of characters take priority. Familiar favourites such as Bebop and Rocksteady; Krang; the Ch'rell Utrom; Hun; Shredder's adopted daughter, Karai; and both variations April O'Neil, Casey Jones and Splinter, are all here, which is very pleasing. Even the original Turtles vehicles, the Party Wagon and Turtle Blim, make a comeback to heighten our excitement.

A lot of fans of the '80s cartoon tend to scorn at the 2003 animated series (myself included), but they don't realise that the Turtles from the latter bare closer resemblance to the characters in the comicbooks. When the original black-and-white Turtles -- who look like a group of absolute badasses, by the way -- are introduced during the final few scenes of this movie, we are made to see this similarity. They are not only an essential part of the story, but an indication that the Turtles franchise has come full circle. Whether you're a fan of just the comicbooks, the 1987 series, the 2003 series, or all three together, there has never been a better reason for Turtles fans from different generations to unite.

The only nitpick I have with this movie is with the voice acting of the '80s characters, which stars none of the original actors (and that unfortunately means no James Avery as Splinter). This isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering the new actors do a good job intimidating the original cast, but it still would've been nice to have the complete Turtle package from the '80s return. Apparently, the reason the original cast didn't return is something to do with union issues.

Still, with the above point considered, the overall quality of this movie is very high; Turtles Forever is a great way to wrap up twenty-five years of the franchise for the passionate fans out there. Although the film is yet to be released on DVD at the time of writing this, you can still watch it via YouTube if you are that keen. Considering how good it is, I definitely recommend that you do so; if that's not even of a reason, then consider also that Nickelodeon has acquired rights to make a CGI cartoon, due to be released in 2012. This may be the last, great addition in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

Somebody pinch me. I still can't believe I have just witnessed the '00s Turtles, the '80s Turtles and the original Mirage comic book Turtles have joined forces in one movie. Damn, I never thought I'd see the day.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2010.