A New Mutation!!! Ninja Turtles Cinematic Return Is Hilariously Fun Intro To New TMNT Universe!!!
Review By Brandon Porter
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| Teenage. Mutant. Turtles. Teens!!! |
Story Description
New York has always been a bustling nest of intrigue, opportunity, and chaos. But what the city doesn’t know is that there is even more going on just below the Burroughs of the big apple. Deep within the city’s depths, four eager teenagers are thirsty for exploration and discovery. But one thing sets these youngsters apart… they are genetically mutated turtles that talk and are trained in the art of ninjitsu. For Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown, Jr), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Raphael (Brady Noon), a little ounce of “normalcy” is something that sounds pretty good compared to being forced to hide out with their loving but strict Master Splinter (Jackie Chan). When an army of mutants begins to wreak havoc on the city, these four heroes in a half shell must rise to the occasion and become NYC’s newest protectors and bring order to the age of mayhem.
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| Mikey, Donnie, April, Leo, and Raph form an amazing bond despite their differences |
Film Review
Since their monumental debut in the 80s, the teenage mutant ninja turtles have become one of the biggest pop culture brands in history. With a plethora of comics, films, and television shows, the adventures of Mikey, Donnie, Leo, and Raph have captivated generations of fans for over 40 years. Now returning for the third theatrical adaptation, Seth Rogen ushers in a new era of turtle power in a brand new animated adventure with an all-star voice cast and a unique animation style. After kicking it with the heroes in a half shell for some mutant mayhem and ninja antics, TMNT Mutant Mayhem is a welcome change of pace both visually and narratively. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have captivated generations of fans. Through award-winning TV shows and multiple film adaptations, there is a variation of the heroes in a half-shell that is out there for someone. With this latest take on the TMNT mythos, Seth Rogen takes some liberties with the material. The film has his brand of humor yet still manages to greatly capture the spirit of the world and characters. I would be remiss if we didn't address one of the major highlights of this film which is the animation. Obviously, upon seeing it, comparisons to the Spider-Man spider verse films were pretty much guaranteed from the jump. I am happy to report however that despite similarities to the Spider-Verse films, Mutant Mayhem still manages to sport an animation style that is unique to the genre. Mutant Mayhem leans even more heavily on comic book art style with character designs, art direction, and fluidity all mashing together to create something truly stunning. It's crazy how the movie manages to be "like" Into and Across The Spider-Verse yet still be its own entity. Aside from the animation, the voice acting of our 4 shell-based heroes is another huge strength of the film. The quartet of Nicholas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon, and Shamon Brown, Jr is an absolute joy to listen to in this movie. The chemistry is impeccable and is truly the heart and soul of this film. The fact that all of them are actual teenagers themselves makes these variations of Mikey, Donnie, Raph, and Leo so earnest and pure. As much as other animated versions of the characters are iconic and memorable, everything feels authentic with the way that all four of these actors react to situations and play off of one another. The decision to cast actual teenagers is one of several things this movie gets right. Ayo Edebiri's April O'Neil is another gem as she adds quick wit and humor to the film while Jackie Chan's Splinter is probably the funniest take on the character we've had yet. As for the other mutants, while a lot of them are in the background, a number of them do stand out significantly. Paul Rudd's Mondo Geeko and Post Malone's Ray Filet were great in the screen time they were given but it's Ice Cube's Superfly that is the real scene stealer. Cube is having the time of his life playing this character while still making him an intimidating adversary for the turtles to take on. His motivations line up well with the other characters and play into the main theme of the movie.
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| A Ninja Must Always Be Strong in Painful Situations. |
The film's main message about doing things for the wrong reasons is a strong one and helps transform all of our characters. We see the motivations of each one and how it affects them and their choices. By the film's end, they come out differently than they did before. I appreciate this film's narrative structure allowing for growth and change as we see our heroes step into their own and rise to the occasion. I was impressed with how Rogen balances his style of improvisational comedy while still keeping to the spirit of the franchise which is hard to do in a culture that is overly protective of IP like this. It's one of the reasons why I am so interested to see where this team takes these characters in this universe. The world that has been set up is vastly different from any other Turtles universe that has come before and that creates excitement when thinking about what or who we'll see in the next chapter of this particular story. All in all, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem is such a fun addition to the turtles' portfolio. It has a visual style all its own and the universe that it has created is one where I'm excited about the possibilities of where characters will end up and how the story will play out moving forward. In the end, it's great to have the shell-shocked pizza kings back and their return breeds a bright future for the series at large.
Rating and Final Thoughts
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An action-packed and hilarious new take on the heroes in a half-shell that breeds a new universe with a boldly unique animation style and an intriguing narrative trajectory moving forward. |
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| We're OZZING with anticipation on what comes next out of this new universe. |
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