The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in such a big way that not even 300 Spartan warriors can stop them.

Of course, we're talking in a box office way, where "TMNT" knocked off movie juggernaut "300" with an impressive $24 million opening weekend take. But sizing up a hypothetical battle on the big screen between the 300 Spartans and the Turtles -- along with their allies Casey Jones and April O'Neil -- "TMNT" star Chris Evans isn't quite so sure which come out on top.

"That's a tough call, I guess it depends on what that film is rated," buzzed Evans in an @ The Movies interview Monday. "If we're going to go with an R rating, those 300 Spartans might wipe us out. But if we're going to try and keep it a PG, maybe the Turtles can save the day."

Evans, who took the movie world by, well, storm, as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in the smash hit "Fantastic Four" in 2005, voices Casey in the computer-animated "TMNT." For the 25-year-old Evans, who has been a fan of the Turtles since their first appearance on the big screen in 1990, signing on to do the project was a no-brainer.

"I was a big fan of the movies, and I think we ended up getting videos of the random Christmas specials and Halloween specials -- whatever they would put out," Evans recalled. "But for the most part I was a movie nut, and that's what bled into my obsession with the Turtles action figures. If they made it, I had it -- that's why I jumped at the opportunity to play Casey Jones."

"TMNT" starts off with the four ninja turtles -- Leonardo (James Arnold Taylor), Michelangelo (Mikey Kelley), Donatello (Mitchell Whitfield) and Raphael (Nolan North) -- divided as a family. But they're going to need to learn how to work together as a team again if they are to stop a tech-industrialist Maximillian J. Winters (Patrick Stewart) from rising up an army of ancient monsters who pose a threat to New York City.

Under the guidance of their rat sensei, Splinter (Mako), and their allies, archaeologist April (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her hockey mask-wearing vigilante boyfriend Casey (Evans), the Turtles might have a chance -- if they can get by the mysterious Foot Clan first.

"TMNT" is much like "Fantastic Four" in that it comes with a massive built-in fan base; but fans, mind you, that will be willing to rip you apart on buzz boards if they don't think your interpretation of the character is quite up to snuff.

Fortunately for Evans, being among the longtime fans of the Turtles made the process a bit easier.

"In this project, I really was one of those fans," Evans said. "It was a really nice experience to just jump onboard really having a love for these guys."

But that's not to say Evans coasted through the process. He applied the same amount of pressure on himself as any actor would in his shoes.

"You try and do it until you get it right, and the directors on this one did a pretty good job of making me feel pretty comfortable," Evans said.

Fortunately for Evans, the project did go quite well for him -- and for the hundreds of other collaborators on the film. The cake-topper (or is it pizza-topper?) for Evans is the feeling that he can get lost in the action of the film just as much as the average moviegoer.

"The best part about working on a film is that you work on it so hard, but so do many other people," Evans said. "You don't see what piece of the puzzle they bring. You do your job, and then six months or a year later, or however long will go by, you get to see the final product. You really have no idea of what it's going to look like or sound like. It's like you helped buy a present for someone but you don't know what it is. So you get to open it up for the first time as well."

Up next for Evans is the sequel "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." And whether it's helping four green turtles take on the bad guys or being the part of the foursome who has the ability to soar opposite the Silver Surfer, it's a wonderful reminder to Evans just how blessed he feels to work in movies.

"It's incredibly exciting. Anytime you get to see what you work hard on is a reward," Evans beamed. "But more exciting than that, is the opportunity that I get to work on movies at all. It's a rare thing in this business. There are a lot of people who love acting and very few actually get to do it for a living, so I'm so grateful and am continually shocked to be a part of that group."