‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Movie Review: Seth Rogen Modernizes The Turtles With Nonstop Laughs And Teenage Energy
Photo from IMDb
From Joe Peltzer
Growing up, the safe word for our family was “cowabunga,” meaning that if any stranger ever came up and tried to take my precious little self, they had to say the word to confirm they were safe. The use of the term reflects my longtime love of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from the cartoons to the nineties movies and beyond (remember the arcade game?). Mutant Mayhem gets the Turtles right, returning the characters to their roots and modernizing the humor and dialogue, delivered via stunning original animation, for an all-out crowd-pleaser.
In the film, long hidden from the world above, four teenage turtle brothers venture to the human world where, along with April O’Neil, they take on a criminal group of mutants with devious intent. When a TMNT film was announced with Seth Rogen behind it, I had no idea what to expect, but Mutant Mayhem is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the characters. At its core, the film’s strength lies largely in the young voice cast bringing the Turtles to life - Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, Sharon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Brady Noon as Raphael, and Micah Abbey as Donatello. Their youthful innocence and energy enlivens their shared chemistry, resulting in a magnetism that hooks you from the very beginning and never lets up. It’s what makes every joke land with precision, every reference (no matter how ridiculous) evoke nonstop smiles and laughter laughter from the audience. In fact, the entire voice cast is on point - Ayo Edebiri as April, Ice Cube as the villainous mutant Superfly, and Jackie Chan as the spirited Master Splinter. There is a cool factor emanating from each of the characters that sets this version of the Turtles apart from any that have come before.
The true shining star of the entire film, however, is the stunning animation that, in a time where the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has set the bar extremely high, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem carves out its own unique corner. Presented in an almost unfinished, hand-drawn, colored pencil style, the animation is a fitting complement to the story being told, even if said story is a little underbaked.
What we end up with in terms of plot is a mutants vs. mutants situation a la X-Men, the two sides viewing the human race on opposite ends of the opinionated spectrum. While it works for the film as a launching point for what is sure to become a franchise, any attempt at emotional plot points are largely buried under the unending (but highly satisfying) barrage of humor. Mutant Mayhem is largely targeted towards kids, AND THAT IS OKAY! But as we move forward and revisit the Turtles, I want to see more of their individual personalities and strengths at play, more personality traits aside from the comedy, to really get to the core of who they are.
Critiques aside, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a blast and a half (shell), oozing with all of the characteristics of an animated hit and fun for the whole family. Kudos to Rogen for recognizing his audience and keeping it (mostly) tame!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hits theaters on August 2nd, 2023.
Rating: 4/5
