Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem review

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM: 

COWABUNGA, NEW ANIMATED “TURTLES” FLICK IS ONE OF THE HEROES IN A HALFSHELL’S FINEST CINEMATIC OUTINGS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND NICKELODEON MOVIES

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

 

            The Heroes in a Halfshell are back in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the latest installment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series based on the comic book and cartoon shows of the same name and the second theatrically released animated Turtles film after 2007’s TMNT. If you read my reviews on some of the other Ninja Turtles movies, you probably know that while I’m not a huge fan of the franchise, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of it like some of the cartoons and I found enjoyment in all the previous TMNT films (Even the bad ones I can watch for a good laugh). 

            Which brings us to this new animated film written and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad, This is the End, Sausage Party) of all people and directed by Jeff Rowe (Gravity Falls, Disenchantment, The Mitchells VS the Machines) released at the height of hyper-stylized animated features thanks to films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel, The Bad Guys, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Needless to say, the cast and crew alone were enough to get me interested in seeing the film as well as its Spider-Verse-inspired animation style. After seeing it, I can say that while I may find Jim Henson’s animatronic costumes from the original 1990 live-action movie to be more impressive on a technical level, this might very well be the best Turtles film ever. 

            This is a gorgeously animated, wildly imaginative, and all-around fun love letter to the TMNT franchise with constant references and callbacks and a surprisingly engaging story. I still can’t believe I’m raving this much about a TMNT movie because even the films I liked in the past I never thought were great. 

            The film follows four brothers consisting of Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo (voiced by newcomers Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, and Shamon Brown Jr.), and Raphael (voiced by Brady Noon-Good Boys, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021), Family Leave) who are talking turtles that were mutated after coming into contact with toxic ooze, live in secrecy in the sewers of New York City with their adoptive rat father Splinter (voiced by Jackie Chan-Armour of God 1 and 2, Rumble in the Bronx, Rush Hour trilogy), and have studied the art of ninjutsu. When they befriend aspiring news reporter, April O’Neil (voiced by Ayo Edebiri-Big Mouth, The Bear, Abbott Elementary), the four of them and April team up to uncover a series of crimes all connected to the mysterious mutant supervillain, Superfly (voiced by Ice Cube-Boyz n the Hood, Friday trilogy, 21/22 Jump Street) who plots to have him and his mutants pals rule the Earth and destroy mankind unless the Turtles and April can stop him in time. 

            The film also features the voices of Hannibal Buress (Neighbors 1 and 2, The Nice Guys, Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne (Insidious franchise, X-Men franchise, Instant Family) as Leatherhead, John Cena (The Marine, Bumblebee, The Suicide Squad/Peacemaker) as Rocksteady, Seth Rogen (50/50, This is the End, The Super Mario Bros. Movie) as Bebop, Natasia Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats, What We Do in the Shadows, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) as Wingnut, Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian) as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Paul Rudd (Clueless, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, Big Hero 6, The Mitchells VS the Machines) as Cynthia Utrom. 

            Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a totally tubular blend of beautiful comic book-style animation, exciting action, tons of meta humor, and a bold story with themes of acceptance and prejudice. It is definitely more comedic in tone than other films based on the property which may be a turnoff point for those who prefer their Turtles gritty like the original comic or 1990 movie which is understandable. 

            For me personally, I don’t care whether it’s a funny or gritty take on the Turtles as long as it works to the film’s advantage and fits the tone. Given that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were involved in it, I was not expecting it to be like the original 1990 movie or even the recent Michael Bay-produced live-action films from 2014-2016.

I knew it was going to be a lot more comedic and light-hearted in tone (Aside from a few intense and potentially scary moments for kids) and I think it works quite nicely. The best way I can describe the humor is like a TMNT version of The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, or the Spider-Verse movies where it has a lot of in-jokes, references to the franchise’s lore (Hearing Vanilla Ice’s Go Ninja Go from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in the movie was absolutely delightful BTW), and visual gags that utilize different art styles. 

From an opening sequence reminiscent of the comics or cartoons where the Turtles have no pupils in their eyes and then cut to the more comedic-looking Turtles throughout the rest of the film to a fantasy sequence about going to high school in an art style similar to drawings you’d see on school paper or pages of textbooks. Like the animation in Spider-Verse, you can tell the animators were pouring their heart and soul into every piece of animation and showing the love they have for their work. 

I certainly hope this film at least gets a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination because this is a visually dazzling feast for the eyes that looks incredible on the big screen. It is very Spider-Verse-inspired animation in terms of the art style and frame rate while still being unique on its own merits with a more 3D paint-like style rather than a living comic book as well as a few design choices similar to Rowe’s previous film, The Mitchells VS the Machines. 

I also found the characters to be extremely likable and what’s very refreshing about this film compared to other cinematic TMNT outings is that the Turtles are voiced by actual teenagers which makes their dynamic together feel more natural than if they were voiced by A-list celebrities or voice actors. The fact that they’re voiced by teens this time does sell the Teenage part of their name and I like how they start off as arrogant and reckless in their heroics but gain responsibility and grow over the course of the film which I think any teenager can relate to. 

 As mentioned before, I was very invested in the plot and its themes of how the Turtles just want to be accepted into society. Granted, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows already covered it, but this film does it way better because it’s a main focus of the story and didn’t feel like an afterthought. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a stylish, creative, and fun animated superhero film for the whole family and the Heroes in a Halfshell’s finest cinematic outing, Cowabunga indeed!