Whenever I see the New Line Cinema logo, the first film that comes to mind is the live-action “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” The crime fighting teens have been a staple of my childhood for as long as I can remember. Everything from action figures to owning all of the films AND animated series on DVD to shattering my foot playing Ninja Turtles outside at a friends house (yes, really…a very long story for another time). Needless to say there has been no shortage of turtles in my life. With that kind of dedicated fandom comes a lot of misfires, with Hollywood constantly trying to reboot and redo the series with a relatively low success rate. Naturally, I approached this new iteration with bated breath and cautious optimism, not wanted to live through yet another heartbreak and lackluster attempt at bringing the heroes to life.
Thankfully, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” gets almost everything right, delivering a cowabunga blast of movie fun with a solid blend of heart, humor, and action.
Directed by Jeff Rowe (“The Mitchells vs The Machines“) from a screenplay by “Supebad” duo Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is the 7th theatrical film featuring the heroes and only the second animated outing in 30 plus years. “Mutant Mayhem” follows Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello as hyperactive teens who wish to be more than just living in the sewer with their father, Splinter. Desperate to be accepted and a part of the human world, the turtles decide that if they can be heroes, the world will accept them. With the help of April O’Neil, they decide to try and takedown Superfly, a criminal mastermind who has been stealing high tech equipment from TCRI to build something destructive. The teens quickly realize that not everything is as it seems and they just may be in over their heads. They will have discover themselves as a team as well as their place in the world all while trying to save the city, even if it may cost them their dreams of acceptance.
There is a lot to love about “Mutant Mayhem,” starting with its bold narrative choices that are starkly different than any of the previous iterations. Rather than rehash the same origin story and villains, “Mutant Mayhem” cuts a little deeper into the lore and centers the narrative on the turtles instead of the age old rivalry between Splinter and Shredder. This allows the turtles to be the main characters of their own story, and allows them to operate within the teenage youthfulness that has been missing from so many other iterations. Rowe captures the frantic and hyperactive nature of teenagers, layering his turtles with the invincibility of naivety to make plenty of mistakes as their imaginations clash with reality. A tried and true to the typical coming of age hero and origin story, but the choice to actually let Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actually BE teenagers is one that pays off big time. At its core, “Mutant Mayhem” isn’t necessarily anything new when it comes to storytelling, and does get a little messy despite its rather quick runtime.
But what it may lack in narrative competency it makes up for in spades with its dazzling animation and terrific blend of heart and humor. “Mutant Mayhem” is yet another example of how far animation has come, delivering incredible pairings of 2D animation juxtaposed against 3D imaging. Someone took notes from “Spiderverse,” and smartly decided to double down on those strengths. If this is the future of animation, sign me up for as many of these kinds of films as animators are willing to make. Casting actual teens is a smart move that elevates this new story, filling the film to the brim with a ton of humor from all of the main characters. Goldberg and Rogen’s script instills all of their comedic tendencies toned down for children but clearly targeted towards adults, all without an overuse of innuendo. “Mutant Mayhem” allows their leads and performers to run wild with their dialogue, making them all feel deeply authentic for the first time in a long time. They are instantly likable, and helps to make all of the emotional beats land near the third act.
Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr, Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon as Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael are near perfect with their voice work. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their commitment to their characters shine bright as we watch them bicker and laugh and fight. [We actually got to chat with them, too! Check out our interview here.] They feel like brothers and are all fully realized and unique in all the ways the turtles should be. “Mutant Mayhem” may have just found the secret formula for success, and the voice casting is a huge contributing factor.
They overshadow most if not all of the other performers despite their not being a weak link. Jackie Chan is great as Splinter, able to tap into his onscreen charisma and channel it into the animated father figure. Ice Cube as Superfly should be the odd man out, but surprisingly works really well as the film’s villain. There’s a laundry list of other famous performers voicing nearly every character, and while none of them are bad they are rarely the focus of the story to warrant too much commentary on them. Just know the voice cast of “Mutant Mayhem” is kind of like the “Oppenheimer” casting announcements; who DOESN’T voice a character in “Mutant Mayhem?” is the better question.
The last piece of the success puzzle is in the music, both the soundtrack and the score. “Mutant Mayhem” is powered by a stellar 90s hip hop soundtrack and one hilarious needle drop that may make the top of the list this year. It is perfectly New York, with tracks from A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, M.O.P, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Naughty by Nature and more all featured throughout the film. Its a jolt of nostalgia in a film ripe with it, and really brings “Mutant Mayhem” together as a complete, realized vision. This is paired with another unbelievable score from Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The Reznor/Ross duo (both of Nine Inch Nails) remains undefeated, once again demonstrating why they’re shockingly two of the best film composers in the business. They really know how to capture the essence of the films they’re scoring, and “Mutant Mayhem” is made better by their fantastic musical nodes.
There is just so much to like in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” and it perfectly captures the adventure and mass appeal of the franchise. It taps into both the childlike wonder and adult nostalgia that makes it genuine fun for the whole family. There’s a reason these turtles have survived in the cultural zeitgeist for so long over so many generations, and “Mutant Mayhem” feels like the first version in a long time to capture that magic and keep the Cowabunga alive.
Now, who wants pizza, dudes?
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
