5 Ways Batman Vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Is The Best Batman Movie (& 5 It’s The Best TMNT Movie)

Sometimes the greatest things come from the most unexpected places. When 2019’s animated crossover Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was first announced, it was met with suspicion because of its title and its more kid-friendly angular animation style (including having Batman be wearing blue again). This was despite being based on the much-loved comic book by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II.

When it finally released, it received incredibly positive reviews from critics and viewers alike, and has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s so fantastic, it’s in the weird position of being (maybe) the best Batman movie ever made, but conversely, also the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie ever made.

10 Batman: Troy Baker Is Both The Best Batman And Joker

When making a Batman project, the two most important roles to cast are Batman and the Joker. Both have been played by extremely talented actors who have made the roles their own, so any new actor has to be held to that high bar. Troy Baker manages to reach that playing both roles.

The veteran voice actor previously portrayed Batman in Batman: The Telltale Series, and was more than up to the emotional challenge that game’s story presented to him. Furthermore, he played Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, where he managed to recreate Mark Hamill’s iconic voice and improve it. In Batman vs. TMNT, Baker’s now comfortable with both voices, which he knocks out of the park.

9 TMNT: The Turtles Are Mysterious Again

The Ninja Turtles are at their most interesting when they are a big mystery to the other characters. The weirdness of ordinary people encountering these mutants, not knowing whether they are friend or foe, is compelling and works brilliantly in every single Turtles origin movie.

Once the sequels start happening, or the TV show progresses, the characters and audience are familiar with them, so the mystery drops away. Batman vs TMNT deepens the intrigue so that the Dark Knight doesn’t even know if the Turtles are with the Foot Clan or not.

8 Batman: It Features Many Of Batman’s Best Villains

Next year’s upcoming The Batman movie has a lot of fans excited to see multiple members of Batman’s rogues’ gallery on film together. While it is cool to see Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman (and possibly more) in a single movie, Batman vs TMNT features nearly every major Batman villain.

RELATED: Batman: How DC Films’ 2022 & Beyond Multiverse Plans Can Work With 3 Batmen

Expect to see Joker, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Bane, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Penguin, Ra’s Al Ghul, and Two-Face, all in key scenes or roles. There are even fan-friendly callbacks in the casting too: Penguin is voiced by Spongebob himself, Tom Kenny, who previously played the character in The Batman animated series.

7 TMNT: All The Brothers Get Their Moments

One of the most difficult parts of doing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a movie is making time for the entire ensemble cast. While most comic book movies focus on one hero, the Turtles are a four-person team right from the start, and it’s rare for all the brothers to receive character growth.

In Batman vs TMNT, all four Turtles receive significant scenes and feel well utilized, whether it’s Leonardo accepting his brothers, Raphael not going down Batman’s path, Donatello being the key to saving the day, or Michaelangelo actually saving the day.

6 Batman: Shredder Feels At Home In Gotham

The reason why the Batman vs TMNT movie works so well is that the Turtles’ main villain, Shredder, feels like he was always a Batman villain. Blade-wielding masked masters of the martial arts have been done with Batman many times, from The Reaper to Bronze Tiger to Deathstroke.

As the head of a clan of ninja assassins, Shredder bears a similarity to Ra’s Al Ghul, so it’s even more perfect that Ra’s and the League of Assassins are the ones teaming up with the Foot Clan in this movie. When Batman fights Shredder, it feels completely normal.

5 TMNT: The Foot Clan Has Never Been Deadlier

One of the biggest issues that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles faces as an IP, especially in animation, is that Shredder and the Foot Clan very rarely get to prove themselves as the threat they are always made out to be. The Turtles always seem to beat them up pretty easily, and even untrained civilians seem to have no problem taking out Foot ninjas – just see Casey Jones in the live-action Out of the Shadows movie.

In Batman vs TMNT, however, not only does Shredder go toe-to-toe with Batman, the Foot are shown as cunning fighters, who are more than prepared to take lives, including their own.

4 Batman: Batgirl And Robin Add To The Experience

Sadly for their fans, even in animation, the Bat-family rarely shows up in any Batman movies. So outside of 1997’s Batman & Robin, Batgirl and Robin haven’t appeared in many movies together, especially not the Damien Wayne Robin and the recent “Burnside” Batgirl.

Batman vs TMNT features both of these characters, and they immeasurably add to the enjoyment. Robin’s intimidation of the Turtles when they break into the Batcave is fantastic, and Batgirl works exceptionally well with the like-minded Donatello.

3 TMNT: It Doesn’t Get Bogged Down With Side Characters Or Stories

With so many characters already in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, the last thing those movies need is to add more characters. However, it always seems to happen, like in the recent live-action films.

The great thing about Batman vs TMNT is that it focuses solely on the Turtles themselves, allowing them to have a lot more screen-time. Splinter, Casey Jones, April O’Neil, and their other allies don’t get a look in. It’s a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that is actually allowed to solely be about the brothers themselves, and that’s fantastic.

2 Batman: It’s About Learning To Accept Help

One of the dangers of telling stories about Batman, especially Batman in his prime, is that it’s very difficult to challenge or grow his character rather than just offering a threat to Gotham. There’s a reason why next year’s The Batman is set at a time while Batman’s still learning his place, as it’s easier to give him a character arc.

Batman vs TMNT manages to do this even with an experienced Batman. The movie is about Batman learning that, as awesome as he is, he cannot do everything himself. Help can come from the most unexpected places, and it’s okay to relax and eat pizza once in a while.

1 TMNT: It’s About Learning To Accept Who You Are

For Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, it’s really tricky to give each of the four brothers significant character development, but it’s even tougher to have them face a world-ending threat while all four learn the same lesson. In this movie’s case, the Turtles have to realize that they need to be true to themselves and their own strengths.

Leonardo needs to understand that a good leader cannot control everything. Raphael needs to discover that he’s not just a moody loner and needs his brothers. Donatello needs to learn that he’s not as good a fighter as his brothers, but his own skills and bravery make up for it. Michelangelo, finally, must realize that he’s not just a goofball and he can be the hero too.