Weapons

If the turtles were to remove their colored bandanas and were not carrying any weapons, you would not be able to physically tell them apart. The weapons they carry are one of their most defining characteristics! If their weapons play such a huge role in how the audience defines the Ninja Turtles, wouldn't you agree their weapons should receive the proper treatment?

First all, the turtles do not "need" weapons. Without them they could fight crime just as effectively. With that said, why give them any weapons at all unless it was to use them as the weapons were intended to be used?

So where did they get their weapons, was Splinter involved?

As the person who trained the turtles and understands their abilities and character better than anyone, Splinter would have also decided who shall use which weapon. Ensuring the right turtle receives the right weapon is a huge responsibility. The sword is suited for a different personality than the sai, and only the right personality will bring out the weapon's true potential. This is something only a ninja master would know, like Splinter.

So why were the turtles chosen to use their weapons?

The first thing that must be done is to analyze each weapon to better understand how they would compliment the user. The weapons in our vision are their own character and possess their own personality. In a sense, this allows us to create a relationship between each turtle and their weapon. The more they understand each other, the more powerful they will become together.

So what are some interesting and cool ways these weapons can be used by the turtles?

So how do we take what everyone has already seen and take it to the next level?

The only way to do this is to develop their strengths in a way that forces the turtles to constantly improve their skills and develop new ways to use their weapons. The easy way out is to simply make their attacks more powerful. We call it the "Dragonball Effect" (aka: just make a bigger fireball), but that is just the lazy writer's way out. We are the ninjaturtles-movie.com team and we refuse to be lazy because the audience deserves better than that. Take Michelangelo for example, he uses nun-chucks, but what if he also had a good knowledge of ju-jitsu and were able to combine his techniques in a way that maximizes the potential of the nun-chucks using principles of ju-jitsu. What if Michelangelo used his nun-chucks for more than just a clobbering tool? What if he used his nun-chucks to put his enemies into holds, break limbs, use their energy against themselves, and as a way to apply extreme pressure to his enemy's limbs while in motion?

I get goose bumps just thinking about all the TOTALLY AWESOME ways to make good use of the Ninja Turtles' weapons.

Wouldn't you like to see Leonardo actually use his swords instead of tossing them into the ceiling, hanging on the handles, and then kicking the bad guys in the face?

In our vision for the movie, we spent a lot of time developing the characters of the Ninja Turtles' weapons, how they should be used, how they can be developed, and even where they came from. What we have told you is only scratching the surface.

Steve & Luke