Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo


Do you know how I could tell that Playmates had knocked it out of the park with their new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line (Amazon.com search*)? Because I didn’t have Leonardo open for more than fifteen minutes before I started thinking about how I should grab all four of the Turtles. Seriously, I’ve never been more than casually interested in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but Leonardo such a fun toy that I just had to get the other turtles. Between this and the Power Attack Batman line it’s great to see some “toys first, collectibles second” toys in stores.

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Bright, Fun Packaging

The packaging shots, above, I think show how Playmates has managed to create packaging for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series that looks attractive and catches the eye when the line is hanging on the pegs. The bright colors really pop off of the toystore shelves and the packaging is simple and clean. Character bios printed on the card back are always a plus; ultimately, I vote “thumbs up” for the toy’s packaging. But let’s get to the really fun part now.

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Fantastically Fun!

From the moment I had Leonardo out of the packaging and in my hands I could tell that this was designed as a toy. The slightly soft plastic, kid-friendly and more durable than some of the harder plastics we see used in more collectible toys, is always a sign to me when the designers truly intend the toys to be played with.

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Grab just about any Marvel Select or DC Universe Classics action figure out there and squeeze an arm or leg between your thumb and forefinger and you’ll find the plastic feels rigid. Now try the exact same test with the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures and you’ll feel some flex; the plastic is just barely soft which gives it a tad more bounce when you drop it. And as I spend more time with toys I find that I really appreciate that slightly softer plastic.

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Spectacular Sculpt

I haven’t confirmed that each any every piece on all four of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Amazon.com search*) turtle action figures is unique — I’ll make the parts comparison soon enough — but at a glance Playmates invested in unique sculpts for all of the bigger parts. With nicks and scratches on the shells unique to each character, and four completely separate head sculpts, Playmates has taken a respectable path to making each turtle special. And the sculpt on Leonardo here is, as I said, spectacular. Truly excellent work by Playmates.

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Awesome Articulation

Leonardo is loaded with swivel-hinge joints that give him a pretty good range of movement. I have read online that the non-turtles toys in the line don’t have the same level of articulation; I’ll have to check that out. But looking at Leonardo we find:

  • Head – Ball-jointed neck.
  • Arms – Swivel-hinge shoulders and elbows and swivel wrists. The wrist joint is hidden very well — it’s right where the white wrapping meets the skin — and other than the elbow pads slightly restricting the elbow movement the joints work well.
  • Legs – Swivel-hinge hips and knees. There’s no separate articulation on the feet, but what’s here is nice. As with the elbows the kneepads slightly block the knee leaving us with a little less of a range of movement than any of us would like.

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Passable Paint

The one spot where Leonardo doesn’t shine is in the paint apps. Most of the color comes from the plastic, but the details — the various wrappings, especially — are painted on . . . and not always perfectly. My Leonardo has some white on his toe and there are some splotches of brown in the wrong places. But the rest of the toy works so well and is so much fun that I can ignore these minor accidents. Just be sure to look closely in the package before buying any of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Amazon.com search*) action figures because I passed on a couple with some really bad paint apps.

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Astounding Accessories

In addition to their standard weapons, each of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turtle action figures comes with a sprue of extra weapons. Cutting these off is easy (you’ll want to clean the plastic flash off a bit) and it’s great that Playmates gave each turtle some extra weapons. I wonder if the giant playset will have a place to store all of these weapons . . .

Closing Thoughts

Okay, now this is a great action figure. Leonardo has a great feel, stands nicely (those big feet really help), and has enough articulation to make him fun. Playmates has impressed me with this line and if the other three turtles are just as much fun as Leonardo then I’ll likely end up buying a vehicle or two from the line. Highly recommended if you’re an existing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Amazon.com search*) fan or if you just want a close look at an action figure that’s perfect for kids.


Philip Reed thinks that buying the Shell Raiser Deluxe Vehicle (mentioned here) is a must to give the turtles a proper centerpiece on the shelf.

17 thoughts on “Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo

  1. These really are great toys. I have only picked up the four turtles so far, although that Kraang is pretty tempting. I’m waiting for Metalhead to come out in the next few months.

    @Tommy-Not to step on Philip’s toes, but that is the Prince of Persia Alamut Gate playset. Phil reviewed it here.

  2. Awesome review! You made a great point about the feel of the plastic. It’s not as rubbery as the Movie Turtles or the Next Mutation figures, but it’s just pliable enough to give a nice tactile quality to the figures.

    Each of the parts for each Turtle is different, so there are no reused parts. That’s a great bonus these days, since sculpt reuse is so rampant in lines like DCUC and MOTUC.

  3. Wow…these guys are looking great! If I didn’t pick up the NECA set, I would totally be picking these guys up for sure!

  4. @Nathan – Agreed. These don’t feel at all rubbery or like they’re gonna sag and warp with age. They just have a great feel to them and an excellent toy quality.

    Cool to hear that every part is unique. Playmates sunk a lot of money into these.

  5. I like the character design aesthetic they went with here (don’t know if the design originated with Playmates or the new cartoon, though)… it’s like they split the difference between the old B&W comic designs from the mid-1980s and the late-1980s toys. I actually even like new three-toed look for the Turtles… sort of makes sense that they’d have three toes if they already have three fingers.

  6. as always, great review…they are all individual sculpts. no shared parts between the 4 brothers! amazingly fun! i havent “played” with a toy in years…usually get posed and shelved for display…but these turtles have me coming back! i moved the neca lost predators to make room for these guys on a shelf!(which is huge for me!!) the paint is a little “iffy” here and there but how many times have collectors paid double or triple for a figure and have the same troubles(motuc anyone?)? at less than $40 theyre a real bargain! i did pick up shredder because i thought he was interesting, but he wasnt up to snuff. i even offered him to my 4 year old who thought he was lame! so he was promptly returned!

  7. Sweet review Phil! You always seem to weigh in on all the same lines that I’m collecting. XP

    I love that all four of the turtles are different heights too. Leo and Don are tallest, Raph is next with Mikey clocking in at shortest. Playmates really sunk a lot of time and effort into these new figs.

  8. @Joe Blo – Shhhhh. Don’t let anyone find out but I’ve been secretly following you so I can write reviews relevant to your current tastes.

  9. @Matthew – Thanks! I wish every review I wrote was excellent, but sometimes I fail and they’re simply incredible.

    And I know exactly what you mean about “playing” with the toys. These give me the same feeling of “this is a toy” that I get from the Power Attack Batman series. Now if we could just get some new Marvel toys with the same sense of fun around them.

  10. @zuludelta – I also like the three toe look. Gives the turtles a real distinct style and makes them just a little more special (in my mind).

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