Review: 40878 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

@huw you forgot the "Summary"

Never watched, but at least heard of... Will probably get these!

Perry the platypus?

I'm not into brickheadz, but these look so cute somehow! I really appreciate all the little differences between each one of them! I also like the choice of the 2003 show's color scheme, as it's my favorite TMNT iteration!

That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate.

They’re flexing how many shades of green are currently produced.

Day 1 purchase

Between these and the two Transformers, I think I'm finally going to dip my toes into the Brickheadz line. :)

@SpaghettiDish said:
"That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate."

Well, child appropriate apart from the scene showing the decapitation of a certain human character by a certain Turtle -- at least, human from the Turtles' and viewers' perspective. That was pretty dark, but the 2012 series and the '90s Archie TMNT comics could get very dark too.

On topic -- Great set of Brickheadz. I'm sure many older fans would've preferred the 1987 toy colours over the 2003 promotional art skin tones, though. Fun fact, the 2003 promo art used slightly different skin tones than the show it promoted or the toys based on the show. Then again, the OG cartoon also didn't match the action figures nor the licensed artwork either (not even close!), so long-time TMNT fans should be used to things not being accurate.

I love 'em

Can't wait to get this set

Love them turtles, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna run out and buy these blockheadz...

@Lego_lord said:
"Love them turtles, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna run out and buy these blockheadz..."

Of course not. You can just walk.

I loved the 90s series and I will need to own these to go with the similar themed Funko Pops based on the same show. I might try seeing what they’d look like with white 1x1 tiles for eyes though, instead of those standard Brickheadz eyes.

Agree about the color swapping inaccuracy between the turtles. But wonder how they achieved 4 consistent shades of green. Must have been an accidental good batch you got there. ;)

Wake me up when minifig sets drop.

Blue Mikey

Olive Green (or maybe Sand Green) would've been a waaaay better option to free up the darker shade of green for Michelangelo.

@R0Sch said:
"Agree about the color swapping inaccuracy between the turtles. But wonder how they achieved 4 consistent shades of green. Must have been an accidental good batch you got there. ;)"

They’re actually all the same color of green… ;) hahaha

This is a really cute set. I might have to nab one at some point down the road. Great review!

Amphibious??

@mmillers said:
"Amphibious??"
Turtle does not float.

Turtle power!!!

Now, of course we need additional figures like April O'Neal, Splinter and Shredder, so that you can have him say the most famous (misquoted) quote in the history of cinema: "I am your father". (Yes, he actually says that in the 1990 film.)

Casey Jones should also get his own Brickheadz; here's his reaction towards Lego designers when he learned he wouldn't be part of the line up:

Now *that*, was a crime, you purse-grabbing pukes. And *this* is the penalty. [knocks them over with his hockey stick] Two minutes for slashing... [does it again] Two minutes for hooking... [again] And let's not forget my personal favorite: two minutes for high sticking.

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @SpaghettiDish said:
"That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate."

Well, child appropriate apart from the scene showing the decapitation of a certain human character by a certain Turtle -- at least, human from the Turtles' and viewers' perspective. That was pretty dark, but the 2012 series and the '90s Archie TMNT comics could get very dark too."

What are you talking about? The 2012 series wasn’t that dar…oh. Oh, yeah. Forgot they blew up Earth.

Leo and Ralph’s colorations take after their early Playmates toys, but Don was an olive brown then.

You called the TMNT an “amphibious quartet”, even though turtles are reptiles, not amphibians.

Nice review!

I wasn't into TMNT as a kid but have enjoyed some of the more recent iterations (Rise of the TMNT and Mutant Mayhem) based on the strength of their animation (Rise in particular was animated by the same studio behind Monkie Kid's animated series and features similarly great action and humor). Those more recent versions have done a little more than the classic versions to diversify the turtles' designs, but I do appreciate this set's use of different greens and different knots for their belts to make them stand out a little more from each other (particularly important for a BrickHeadz set since there's not much you can do to vary their pose or silhouette).

@Lyichir said:
"Those more recent versions have done a little more than the classic versions to diversify the turtles' designs, but I do appreciate this set's use of different greens and different knots for their belts to make them stand out a little more from each other (particularly important for a BrickHeadz set since there's not much you can do to vary their pose or silhouette)."

It's been a slow and steady shift. In the original comics, they pretty much looked the same except for the weapons, including all wearing red masks. The first animated series and the first live-action films gave them different color masks, but they were all the same shape and color. The toys and video games from that era, however, gave the Turtles different skin colors, which carried over to the 2003 series. 2012 gave them slightly different shapes, and Raph got a crack in his shell, and the second live-action run dressed them differently. Rise was probably the most extreme in this regard, making them all distinctly different species of turtle, as well as making Raph _huge_ compared to the other three.

it's crazy that they couldn't recolor the "BrickHeadz eye plate" to Orange for Mikey, and it's also crazy that that part hasn't appeared in Orange yet already
it always bothers me in these multi-character BrickHeadz packs when one character has the "eye sockets" brick-built while all of the others use the bespoke part

@BrickHeadzsStrongestSoldieress said:
"it's crazy that they couldn't recolor the "BrickHeadz eye plate" to Orange for Mikey, and it's also crazy that that part hasn't appeared in Orange yet already
it always bothers me in these multi-character BrickHeadz packs when one character has the "eye sockets" brick-built while all of the others use the bespoke part"

Dangit. Can't unsee that now.

@Lego_lord said:
"Love them turtles, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna run out and buy these blockheadz..."

Blockheadz... Now I want a Charlie Brown Brickheadz.

Can the colors of Leo and Raph be swapped with the existing pieces?

@Yooha said:
"Can the colors of Leo and Raph be swapped with the existing pieces?"

Looking just at the inventory it does not appear likely. Looks like you might have to introduce a half dozen or so outside pieces for each.

@Yooha said:
"Can the colors of Leo and Raph be swapped with the existing pieces?"

The masks are built differently, but looking at the backs of their heads, it should be possible to flip the tails upside-down, allowing you to switch the heads. The shells should be a more straightforward switch, and the belt buckles are just the same element with different print. I think it should be possible to switch those two without even needing to dip into the spare parts that come in the set.

@PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @SpaghettiDish said:
"That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate."

Well, child appropriate apart from the scene showing the decapitation of a certain human character by a certain Turtle -- at least, human from the Turtles' and viewers' perspective. That was pretty dark, but the 2012 series and the '90s Archie TMNT comics could get very dark too."

What are you talking about? The 2012 series wasn’t that dar…oh. Oh, yeah. Forgot they blew up Earth."

And they killed Splinter on screen. Twice. And then Tigerclaw and his death cult resurrected Shredder's decomposing body in the depths of the Underworld.

How was this for kids?

> Leonardo, the leader of the gang

I think you meant "Leonardo,the leader of the group, transformed from the norm by the nuclear goop"

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @SpaghettiDish said:
"That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate."

Well, child appropriate apart from the scene showing the decapitation of a certain human character by a certain Turtle -- at least, human from the Turtles' and viewers' perspective. That was pretty dark, but the 2012 series and the '90s Archie TMNT comics could get very dark too."

What are you talking about? The 2012 series wasn’t that dar…oh. Oh, yeah. Forgot they blew up Earth."

And they killed Splinter on screen. Twice. And then Tigerclaw and his death cult resurrected Shredder's decomposing body in the depths of the Underworld.

How was this for kids?"

Cute little squirrelinoids?

@Brother_Brain said:
"Leo and Ralph’s colorations take after their early Playmates toys, but Don was an olive brown then."

Original TMNT toy colors: https://tinyurl.com/3tasf67d

@Huw, an alternate take on the set’s negative: Donatello should be Sand Yellow (Dark Tan).

Otherwise, the color choices make sense if one’s favorite iteration is the 90s action figures. ;)

@Brother_Brain said:
" @Brother_Brain said:
"Leo and Ralph’s colorations take after their early Playmates toys, but Don was an olive brown then."

Original TMNT toy colors: https://tinyurl.com/3tasf67d

@Huw, an alternate take on the set’s negative: Donatello should be Sand Yellow (Dark Tan).

Otherwise, the color choices make sense if one’s favorite iteration is the 90s action figures. ;) "

Perhaps a better example of the old toy colors: https://tinyurl.com/33y9h5mr

I'm just glad TMNT + LEGO is back!!
The 2003 was underrated I think. It was great, but I also liked 2012 and the original. I think the colours are fine as is.

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @SpaghettiDish said:
"That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate."

Well, child appropriate apart from the scene showing the decapitation of a certain human character by a certain Turtle -- at least, human from the Turtles' and viewers' perspective. That was pretty dark, but the 2012 series and the '90s Archie TMNT comics could get very dark too."

What are you talking about? The 2012 series wasn’t that dar…oh. Oh, yeah. Forgot they blew up Earth."

And they killed Splinter on screen. Twice. And then Tigerclaw and his death cult resurrected Shredder's decomposing body in the depths of the Underworld.

How was this for kids?"

I grew up watching Punch & Judy shows, so I feel I’m automatically disqualified from criticising what other nations consider child-appropriate.

Given the proliferation of skull-themed characters in children’s media, not to mention
Goosebumps covers that go from “normal fleshy person face” to “face missing some very important bits when you turn the page”, a certain amount of death and decomposition seems fairly normal, probably. I guess.

@BlackFalconBirdman said:
"I'm just glad TMNT + LEGO is back!!
The 2003 was underrated I think. It was great, but I also liked 2012 and the original. I think the colours are fine as is."

2003 was peak, followed by 2012. I also like the new film/show. I can't watch the original anymore, and I'm not particularly bothered that Rise never got a home video release.

@Hiratha said:
"I grew up watching Punch & Judy shows, so I feel I’m automatically disqualified from criticising what other nations consider child-appropriate."

Yes, well, you live in the only nation that made them change the name (and did Mikey even have to pick a new weapon?), so any discussion you have regarding what's child-appropriate where TMNT is concerned is bound to get complicated.

@PurpleDave said:
" @Hiratha said:
"I grew up watching Punch & Judy shows, so I feel I’m automatically disqualified from criticising what other nations consider child-appropriate."

Yes, well, you live in the only nation that made them change the name (and did Mikey even have to pick a new weapon?), so any discussion you have regarding what's child-appropriate where TMNT is concerned is bound to get complicated."

The funny thing is I never met a single child who used the new name. We all kept calling them ninjas, because ninjas are cool and also more distinctive than just “heroes”. It wasn’t a very successful censorship campaign.

(We weren’t the only nation though - some other European nations used the same edits.)

@Hiratha said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Hiratha said:
"I grew up watching Punch & Judy shows, so I feel I’m automatically disqualified from criticising what other nations consider child-appropriate."

Yes, well, you live in the only nation that made them change the name (and did Mikey even have to pick a new weapon?), so any discussion you have regarding what's child-appropriate where TMNT is concerned is bound to get complicated."

The funny thing is I never met a single child who used the new name. We all kept calling them ninjas, because ninjas are cool and also more distinctive than just “heroes”. It wasn’t a very successful censorship campaign.

(We weren’t the only nation though - some other European nations used the same edits.)"

But did any other nations legally require them to make that change, or were they just sharing the same tapes?

This set should come with an elevator for the Turtles to beatbox in..

All in favor?

@Hiratha said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @SpaghettiDish said:
"That is the best TMNT incarnation by far. Good balance of edgy attitude while still being child appropriate."

Well, child appropriate apart from the scene showing the decapitation of a certain human character by a certain Turtle -- at least, human from the Turtles' and viewers' perspective. That was pretty dark, but the 2012 series and the '90s Archie TMNT comics could get very dark too."

What are you talking about? The 2012 series wasn’t that dar…oh. Oh, yeah. Forgot they blew up Earth."

And they killed Splinter on screen. Twice. And then Tigerclaw and his death cult resurrected Shredder's decomposing body in the depths of the Underworld.

How was this for kids?"

I grew up watching Punch & Judy shows, so I feel I’m automatically disqualified from criticising what other nations consider child-appropriate.

Given the proliferation of skull-themed characters in children’s media, not to mention
Goosebumps covers that go from “normal fleshy person face” to “face missing some very important bits when you turn the page”, a certain amount of death and decomposition seems fairly normal, probably. I guess."

Perhaps it seemed more gruesome because I already was an adult when the 2012 show aired, and I realised what was actually happening...

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Perhaps it seemed more gruesome because I already was an adult when the 2012 show aired, and I realised what was actually happening... "

Well, compare it to the comics, where Splinter and three of the Turtles got killed off for The Last Ronin. And then they even killed off the fourth brother to set things up for TMNT:TNG. Most of what they did for the 2012 show did get undone, and some of the major stuff you knew was going to be driving the story forward, but they’d have to end up fixing things before the end of the season. I would think it would be worse for a kid who might not realize that it’s possible to change the past in fiction.

@PurpleDave said:
" @Hiratha said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Hiratha said:
"I grew up watching Punch & Judy shows, so I feel I’m automatically disqualified from criticising what other nations consider child-appropriate."

Yes, well, you live in the only nation that made them change the name (and did Mikey even have to pick a new weapon?), so any discussion you have regarding what's child-appropriate where TMNT is concerned is bound to get complicated."

The funny thing is I never met a single child who used the new name. We all kept calling them ninjas, because ninjas are cool and also more distinctive than just “heroes”. It wasn’t a very successful censorship campaign.

(We weren’t the only nation though - some other European nations used the same edits.)"

But did any other nations legally require them to make that change, or were they just sharing the same tapes?"

A distinction without a difference, considering they could just as easily have used the unaltered ones, don’t you think? They chose to air the censored version, and not the uncensored.

@Hiratha said:
"A distinction without a difference, considering they could just as easily have used the unaltered ones, don’t you think? They chose to air the censored version, and not the uncensored."

Maybe, but we know the UK specifically banned the use of the word "Ninja", and forced this to happen. I've never even heard of this being an issue elsewhere, so the question remains whether any other nation would have ever pressed the issue if the UK hadn't. It could just be a case of "I'll have what he's having", or it could be that multiple nations had similar bans in effect. If it's the former, that would mean that the studio really did tailor a version (excluding simple audio dubs) specifically for one market, rather than just not broadcasting there.

@PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Perhaps it seemed more gruesome because I already was an adult when the 2012 show aired, and I realised what was actually happening... "

Well, compare it to the comics, where Splinter and three of the Turtles got killed off for The Last Ronin. And then they even killed off the fourth brother to set things up for TMNT:TNG. Most of what they did for the 2012 show did get undone, and some of the major stuff you knew was going to be driving the story forward, but they’d have to end up fixing things before the end of the season. I would think it would be worse for a kid who might not realize that it’s possible to change the past in fiction."

While that's all true, The Last Ronin was obviously intended for a substantially older audience -- and one that already knew what they were going to encounter before going into the comic. Yes, it was dark and bloody, but that was the point of it. "We're going to kill the characters you love, and you will give us money while doing so."

When the 2012 animated series pulled such things, I felt it was considerably more shocking, because you weren't expecting it. It was a sucker punch. That's why it had impact, even if some of the things were eventually undone, because, y'know, they needed to sell toys.

And while I thought The Last Ronin was great, as is the follow-up series (awesome action figures too), I still feel TMNT Adventures, published in the 1990s by Archie Comics, is the darkest incarnation of TMNT across all media -- at least, the later story arcs are. Some of them aren't being reprinted because of their contents, although that, admittedly, mostly has to do with certain cultural insensitivities.

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"And while I thought The Last Ronin was great, as is the follow-up series (awesome action figures too), I still feel TMNT Adventures, published in the 1990s by Archie Comics, is the darkest incarnation of TMNT across all media -- at least, the later story arcs are. Some of them aren't being reprinted because of their contents, although that, admittedly, mostly has to do with certain cultural insensitivities."

That sounds so weird because, even knowing that the did an Archie run that was more targeted at modern adults, Archie Comics is famous for its overly wholesome, family-friendly image. It used to be sold in grocery store checkout lanes!

@PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"And while I thought The Last Ronin was great, as is the follow-up series (awesome action figures too), I still feel TMNT Adventures, published in the 1990s by Archie Comics, is the darkest incarnation of TMNT across all media -- at least, the later story arcs are. Some of them aren't being reprinted because of their contents, although that, admittedly, mostly has to do with certain cultural insensitivities."

That sounds so weird because, even knowing that the did an Archie run that was more targeted at modern adults, Archie Comics is famous for its overly wholesome, family-friendly image. It used to be sold in grocery store checkout lanes!"

Yes, that's where I used find them too. But that comic had no problem showing a picture of prophet Muhammad, the Turtles fighting the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Adolf Hitler blowing his brains out, a Tibetan woman giving birth in Chinese custody, a demonic figure enslaving a human woman 'for his pleasure', or the Mighty Mutanimals (a group of mutant allies to the Ninja Turtles) being brutally gunned down and burning in hell.

You know, wholesome, family-friendly kids stuff. Cowabunga?

@PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"And while I thought The Last Ronin was great, as is the follow-up series (awesome action figures too), I still feel TMNT Adventures, published in the 1990s by Archie Comics, is the darkest incarnation of TMNT across all media -- at least, the later story arcs are. Some of them aren't being reprinted because of their contents, although that, admittedly, mostly has to do with certain cultural insensitivities."

That sounds so weird because, even knowing that the did an Archie run that was more targeted at modern adults, Archie Comics is famous for its overly wholesome, family-friendly image. It used to be sold in grocery store checkout lanes!"

On the other hand, possibly the most famous individual comic (I don't know if it was a miniseries, a single issue, or what) featuring Archie is the one where he meets the Punisher.

@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"And while I thought The Last Ronin was great, as is the follow-up series (awesome action figures too), I still feel TMNT Adventures, published in the 1990s by Archie Comics, is the darkest incarnation of TMNT across all media -- at least, the later story arcs are. Some of them aren't being reprinted because of their contents, although that, admittedly, mostly has to do with certain cultural insensitivities."

That sounds so weird because, even knowing that the did an Archie run that was more targeted at modern adults, Archie Comics is famous for its overly wholesome, family-friendly image. It used to be sold in grocery store checkout lanes!"

On the other hand, possibly the most famous individual comic (I don't know if it was a miniseries, a single issue, or what) featuring Archie is the one where he meets the Punisher."

Probably a one-shot graphic novel or a 3-4 issue miniseries. I've heard of it, but never seen it. I know they did lots of one-shot/miniseries crossovers between brands in the 90's, like Superman vs Aliens, Batman vs Predator, Az-Bats vs Punisher, Batman vs Punisher, and Batman vs Grendel. More recently there's been a Batman/TMNT crossover, and there was more than one crossover for Batman vs Predator, but each one of those told its story to completion.

@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"And while I thought The Last Ronin was great, as is the follow-up series (awesome action figures too), I still feel TMNT Adventures, published in the 1990s by Archie Comics, is the darkest incarnation of TMNT across all media -- at least, the later story arcs are. Some of them aren't being reprinted because of their contents, although that, admittedly, mostly has to do with certain cultural insensitivities."

That sounds so weird because, even knowing that the did an Archie run that was more targeted at modern adults, Archie Comics is famous for its overly wholesome, family-friendly image. It used to be sold in grocery store checkout lanes!"

On the other hand, possibly the most famous individual comic (I don't know if it was a miniseries, a single issue, or what) featuring Archie is the one where he meets the Punisher."

Probably a one-shot graphic novel or a 3-4 issue miniseries. I've heard of it, but never seen it. I know they did lots of one-shot/miniseries crossovers between brands in the 90's, like Superman vs Aliens, Batman vs Predator, Az-Bats vs Punisher, Batman vs Punisher, and Batman vs Grendel. More recently there's been a Batman/TMNT crossover, and there was more than one crossover for Batman vs Predator, but each one of those told its story to completion."

Archie vs The Punisher was a one-shot issue. Interestingly, it was created at the suggestion of Archie Comics editor Victor Gorelick, who was also the editor for TMNT Adventures -- and, at least partially, responsible for the latter series' untimely cancellation, as he thought the storylines were getting way too dark (as discussed above).

I doubt anyone is likely to dig this far back, but I did buy a copy of 40878 and built it with Leo and Raph color-swapped. I had to dip into a couple of extra parts to make it work, but I was able to figure out how to flip the bandanas. The elbow and knee pads are easy, as they're identical construction between all four Turtles. The belt swap was also easy, as the shells and belts are all the same color, so Raph can keep the messy knot. And their shells both start with the same base. Changing the bandanas firstly required flipping them each upside-down. Leo and Raph don't come with the same mix of blue/red parts, nor do they come with the same mix of green/bright-green parts, so you can't just do a straight color-swap. You have to flip Raph's knot upside-down, which can be done using one of the extra parts. Leo's knot is a little more complicated, as you have to both flip the knot upside-down, but also even up the two tails by removing the 1x3 plate completely. The elbow and knee pads would all need to be swapped to reddish-brown, the initials on the belts would need to go, and the hilts of all the weapons would need to be color-coded, but at least the skintones now match the 2003 animated designs. Sort of. Still images, like on the DVD covers, are perfect matches, but I'm rewatching the series now and noticing that only Donnie really seems to be animated with a distinctly individual skin color. Raph and Mikey are even difficult to tell apart in closeup because the four Turtles all still had identical physiques, and the orange of Mikey's bandana leans very red.

I'm not happy with the lack of a complete eyeplate for Mikey, but the use of lavender parts in Donnie's elbow pads annoys me more. Hopefully replacements for both are made available someday. I'd consider just making all the pads brown, but there's really nothing that I can do about the weapons at this scale, unlike the Bionicle versions I made over two decades ago.