Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time

Directed by: Stuart Gillard

Writing credits
Kevin Eastman (characters) and
Peter Laird (characters)
Stuart Gillard (written by)

96 Minutes - PG
Released March 17th, 1993

TMNT: Turtles in Time Photo Gallery
Watch the Official Trailer on IMDB!

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Synopsis:

JAPAN, 1603: A lone warrior races through the forest, being chased by four Samurai on horseback. The young man is captured by his pursuers, and taken to the imposing Fortress of Lord Norinaga. Inside, we see Lord Norinaga confront his captive, who we find to be his son, Prince Kenshin. Norinaga quarrels with his son, who is ashamed of his father's actions in what he considers to be an unjust war. Just as Norinaga is about to strike his son down for disgracing him, we hear a gun shot fired. Enter Walker, a conniving English trader. He warns Norinaga that the rebels are about to attack. Guards take Prince Kenshin away, as Norinaga and his British allies prepare for battle.

NEW YORK CITY, The Present: We find the Turtles in their sewer abode, practicing their ninja skills. April appears to present gifts to the teen terrapins as they've offered to watch her apartment while she goes on vacation. She's brought an odd scepter along to give to Master Splinter... which begins to glow with weird magic. In a flash, April disappears, and in her place is a man... Prince Kenshin!

April finds herself back in time, at Lord Norinaga's fortress! Everyone there save for Walker thinks that she is a witch, and April tries to use this to her advantage by frightening the ancient warriors. Walker, disbelieving that April has any supernatural powers, defies her to shrink him. When she fails to perform the sorcery, guards haul her away.

Back in New York, Donatello and Splinter have determined that the scepter is a time-switch device, and for the Turtles to use it, people from the past will be brought to the present. The Turtles get their friend Casey Jones to guard the people from the past that will appear when the TMNT go back in time to find April. Donatello determines that the staff's powers will only work for 60 hours, and after that time, if the Turtles don't come back, they'll be stuck in the past! Don activates the scepter, and in a blinding flash, the Turtles are gone! In their place we see four very confused Samurai... the four Honor Guards of Lord Norinaga!

The Turtles pop back in time into the middle of the battle between Norinaga's forces and the rebels! They're on horseback and decked out in full Honor Guard Samurai regalia! Michaelangelo ends up backwards on his horse, and it gallops out of control into the forest! He is attacked and dismounted. The leader of the rebellion, Mitsu, is shocked to find a giant Turtle under the helmet, and she orders Mikey to be carted off to the rebel village.

As night falls, the 3 remaining Turtles sneak into Norinaga's keep in attempt to rescue April. Walker is talking with Norinaga, who has just learned that his four Honor Guards have disappeared, along with the Sacred Scepter! Walker argues that Norinaga must buy his guns to quell the rebellion, while Norinaga fears that all is lost now that the scepter has vanished.

The Turtles follow Walker's henchman Niles, and he inadvertently leads the TMNT to April in Norinaga's dungeon. April finds an escape route, and she and the Turtles fight their way to escape. They are accompanied by a prisoner named Whit, who looks amazingly like Casey Jones! It seems that he was jailed for mutiny, and he is as eager to leave this place as April and the Turtles are.

Norinaga, when discovering April's escape, prepares to punish Niles. Walker is able to prevent his henchmen from being toasted, however.

The Turtles are now in the forest, basking in its ancient beauty. Suddenly, rebel forces ambush them, thinking that they are Norinaga's Honor Guard! Donatello removes his helmet, and the rebels are shocked to see more giant Turtles! The TMNT are taken to meet Mitsu, who exclaims that they are like"the other one." The Turtles realize that Mikey is with the rebels and rejoice in the knowledge that they'll soon be reunited. As they head back to the rebel village, they see smoke rising from it! Walker and his men are burning the town, looking for the scepter and Prince Kenshin. As the Turtles and the rebel warriors rush to save the town, we see a young boy trapped in a burning home. Mikey rescues the child and Leo saves his life by performing CPR. Mitsu now knows that the Turtles are good, and welcomes them. The Turtles remember that they need the scepter to get back home... and they're running out of time! They go in search for it, as Whit and April help the townspeople rebuild their homes. When the Turtles can't find the scepter, Donatello comes up with the unlikely scheme of creating a new one! April is very skeptical!

Meanwhile in the present, Casey Jones keeps the four Honor Guard busy by teaching them to play hockey!

Back in the past, Michaelangelo introduces the villagers to pizza, and Whit tries to convince April to take him back to New York City. Donatello's scepter is finished, but Leonardo drops it and it breaks! It seems as if the TMNT are trapped in the past! Just then, Mitsu walks in and announces that Norinaga will attack in the morning! The Turtles decide to join Mitsu and her people to fight the overlord.

That night, Raph and Yoshi hang out. Raphael gives Yoshi a yo-yo, and the boy wanders off. When he returns, he brings the Sacred Scepter! As everyone argues about who hid the scepter, Whit holds a knife to Mitsu's throat and demands the scepter!

Whit takes Mitsu to Norinaga, and tells the Daimyo that she has kidnapped his son Prince Kenshin. Mitsu then tells Lord Norinaga that Whit is holding the Sacred Scepter. Mitsu attacks Norinaga but is stopped by Walker, and she is taken to the dungeon. Whit tries to cut a deal with Walker, using the Sacred Scepter as a bargaining chip.

The Turtles break into the castle once again to save Mitsu and the other rebel captives. As the heroes attempt their escape, they run headlong into Lord Norinaga and his men, and a battle ensues. Michaelangelo is injured accidentally by Mitsu! Leonardo manages to beat Norinaga in a sword fight, and captures him in a giant bell! Things are going great for the Turtles when Walker takes April hostage at gun point. Leo challenges the vile Brit, and Walker fires a cannon at the bold Turtle... but misses Leo and hits the bell that imprisons Norinaga! Walker tries to flee with the Sacred Scepter, but the Turtles catch up with him. Walker tosses the staff into the air, but the TMNT manage to catch it before it hits the ground and breaks! A fireball explodes from nowhere, knocking Walker off the top of the castle and into the moat waiting far below.

Back in New York, Casey realizes that it's time to send the real Honor Guard back to the past... but he's taken them out to a nightclub! They hurry back to the sewer.

The Turtles finally have the Sacred Scepter and the rebels have finally defeated the evil overlord Norinaga. As the TMNT prepare to use the scepter, Mikey, Raph and Leo decide that they'd like to stay in the past, where they are welcome and happy. Don says no way! As they argue, the magic staff activates! With a flash, the TMNT and April are gone!

Back in the sewer, the four Honor Guard and Prince Kenshin have vanished, and in their place we see April and the Turtle team. Casey and Splinter welcome the Turtles and April home. Michaelangelo laments for a moment, but quickly realizes that home is where the heart is... even if home is a sewer!

 

 

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete

Mark Caso ... Leonardo
Matt Hill ... Raphael
Jim Raposa ... Donatello

David Fraser ... Michaelangelo
Robbie Rist ... Michaelangelo (voice)

Brian Tochi ... Leonardo (voice)

Corey Feldman ... Donatello (voice)
Tim Kelleher ... Raphael (voice)

Paige Turco ... April O'Neil

Elias Koteas ... Casey Jones / Whit
James Murray ... Splinter (voice)

Stuart Wilson ... Walker
Sab Shimono ... Lord Norinaga

Vivian Wu ... Mitsu

Henry Hayashi ... Kenshin

John Aylward ... Niles
Mak Takano ... Benkei (Honor Guard #1)
Steve Akahoshi ... Honor Guard #2 (as Steven Getson Akahoshi)
Kent Kim ... Honor Guard #3

Ken Kensei ... Honor Guard #4
Travis A. Moon ... Yoshi
Tad Horino ... Grandfather

Glen Chin ... Jailer
Koichi Sakamoto ... Young Priest
Tracy Patrick Conklin ... Sam
Edmund Stone ... Dave
Jeff Kawasugi ... Murata
Phil Chong ... Rider
Yeon Kim ... Blacksmith
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anthony Marquez ... Guard (uncredited)

Produced by
David Chan .... producer
Raymond Chow .... executive producer
Roberta Chow .... associate producer
Kim Dawson .... producer
Thomas K. Gray .... producer
Terry Morse Jr. .... co-producer

Original Music by
John Du Prez

Cinematography by
David Gurfinkel

Film Editing by
William D. Gordean
James R. Symons

Production Design by
Roy Forge Smith

Art Direction by
Mayne Berke

Set Decoration by
Ronald R. Reiss

Costume Design by
Dodie Shepard

Makeup Department
Steven Mack .... hair department head
Martha Preciado .... makeup artist

Production Management
Art Levinson .... unit production manager
Terry Morse Jr. .... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Cohen .... assistant director
Phil Dupont .... first assistant director: second unit
D. Scott Easton .... assistant director: second unit
Terry Leonard .... second unit director: additional unit (as Terry J. Leonard)
Michael D. Moore .... second unit director
John G. Scott .... assistant director
John G. Scotti .... second assistant director: second unit
Michael Williams .... first assistant director

Art Department
Heath Berke .... set dresser
Jo Brown .... head scenic
Michael McCombe .... head greensman
Aaron Newton .... propmaker
Michael Sexton .... property master: second unit
Mike Smithson .... character sculptor
Jason Walser .... carpenter
Bob Warner .... painter
Toni J. Wolf .... scenic artist
Jerry T. Harris .... painter (uncredited)
Tracy Farrington .... property master
Bruce Robert Hill .... set designer
Joel Jaspan .... carpenter
Terry Kempf .... construction general foreman
Allen Lafferty .... plaster foreman
Allen Lafferty .... sculptor
Charles R. Lipscomb .... lead man
G. Lynn Maughan .... construction foreman

Sound Department
Kevin Bartnof .... foley artist
Bob Bowman .... first assistant sound editor
Robert Janiger .... sound mixer
Larry Kemp .... supervising sound editor
Kraig Kishi .... boom operator: second unit
Mark Lanza .... sound effects editor
George W. Scott .... boom operator
Bill Voigtlander .... adr supervisor
Marshall Winn .... sound editor
Michael C. Casper .... sound re-recording mixer
Giovanni Di Simone .... sound mixer: second unit
Dino Dimuro .... sound effects editor
Richard Dwan Jr. .... adr editor
Richard Dwan Jr. .... dialogue editor
Tom Gerard .... sound re-recording mixer
Scott Martin Gershin .... sound designer
Ellen Heuer .... foley artist

Special Effects by
Eric Allard .... creature effects supervisor
Tony Allard .... special effects technician
Gary D. Bierend .... animatronics technician
Janna Crawford .... creature suit fabricator
Stephen DeLollis .... special effects crew
Joseph P. Mercurio .... special effects
Vincent Montefusco .... special effects: 2nd unit-pyro/mech
Dawn M. Severdia .... special effects makeup coordinator
Beecher Tomlinson .... special effects
Gilbert A. Mosko .... foam lab (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Cross .... motion control technician
Jesse Silver .... matte artist

Stunts
Barbara Bernhardt .... stunts
Tony Lee Boggs .... utility stunts
Gary Lauder .... stunts
Bruce Le .... stunt coordinator
Alan Liu .... stunts
Bobby Lovgren .... stunts
Anthony Marquez .... stunt actor: soldier
Anthony Marquez .... stunt double: Leonardo
David McKeown .... stunts
Billy Morts .... stunts (as William Morts)
Ho-Sung Pak .... turtle fight double: Raphael
Hoyoung Pak .... stunts
Will Cascio .... stunts
Nick Palma .... stunts
James Pratt .... stunts (as Jim Pratt)
Danny Virtue .... horse stunts staging
Danny Virtue .... stunts
Mark Warrick .... stunts (as Mark Warrack)
Carlos Pesina .... stunt double: Elias Koteas (uncredited)
Bill Shaw .... stunt fighter (uncredited)
Phil Chong .... stunts
Dale Frye .... stunts
Danny E. Glover .... stunts
Steven Ho .... turtle fight double: Donatello
Shishir Inocalla .... turtle fight double: Michaelangelo (as Allan Shishir Inocalla)
Pat E. Johnson .... stunt coordinator
Larry Lam .... turtle fight double: Leonardo (as Harry Lam)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Isenberg .... still photographer
Brett Mabry .... electrician
Rick Whitfield .... video assist coordinator
Pax Whitfield .... video assist operator (uncredited)
Rexford L. Metz .... director of photography: second unit
Aaron Newton .... grip: second unit
Jason Newton .... company grip
Louis Niemeyer .... first assistant camera: second unit
Daniel Pershing .... dolly grip
Reinhart 'Rayteam' Peschke .... gaffer
Frank Scheidbach .... best boy
Joseph D. Steuben .... camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christopher Gilman .... costumes
Hans Meier .... costumer
Marienne O'Brien .... set costumer
Peter Greenwood .... effects costume technician (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joe Fineman .... post-production consultant
John Hendrickson .... assistant apprentice editor
Margaret Liu .... apprentice editor

Music Department
Brad Dechter .... orchestrator
Larry Mah .... score mixer
Steven L. Smith .... music preparation

Transportation Department
Scott Doyle .... transportation

Other crew
Mark Bakunas .... production accountant
Barbara Bernhardt .... assistant martial arts choreographer (as Barbara Goldstone)
Chris Tsongas .... production assistant
Danny Virtue .... horse wrangler (uncredited)
Daniel S. Frisch .... production accountant
Pat E. Johnson .... martial arts choreographer
David Lai .... technical advisor
Chia-Liang Liu .... technical advisor
Joe Lotito .... production assistant: second unit
Rick Lyon .... animatronic puppeteer: "Donatello"
Karon May .... script supervisor
Peter D. Steinbroner .... production associate