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Read Critics Reviews. With fantastic visuals, an excellent voice cast, and lots of laughs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem might be the best film in the franchise. Read...
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- Jeff Rowe
- PG
- Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Jul 27, 2023 · Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem First Reviews: Clever, Visually Distinct, and Irresistible Critics say the latest iteration of the Heroes in a Half Shell is a lively,...
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- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Review
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By Tom Jorgensen
Updated: Jul 31, 2023 2:31 pm
Posted: Jul 27, 2023 6:38 pm
The Spider-Verse movies cast a long web of shadows over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: Those vibrant Spidey adventures and the Turtles’ latest cinematic outing all represent modern reinventions of beloved superheroes that use the freedom of animation to express their stories in ways their live-action counterparts can't. Mutant Mayhem may be surfing onto the scene in Miles’ and Gwen’s wake, but the broad similarities fall out of focus quickly and, thanks to a punkier, more ground-level approach, Mutant Mayhem – from The Mitchells vs. The Machines co-director Jeff Rowe – is a vibrant, hilarious adventure from which the Heroes in a Half Shell can (and will) build a Turtleverse all their own.
Mutant Mayhem takes the broad strokes of Turtle lore largely for granted, opting for a streamlined introduction to Splinter (Jackie Chan) and his adopted sons: Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), and Donatello (Micah Abbey). From the start, the movie is far more interested in their relationship with Splinter as a father than as a master, with Splinter’s strong prejudice against humans forcing the Turtles to disobey him so they can be a part of the surface world like they’ve always dreamed. Mutant Mayhem makes the simple, yet seismic choice to do what comparatively few adaptations of Eastman and Laird’s comics have done before and lean into the “Teenage” aspect of the Mutant Ninja Turtles. There’s no going back: the infectious, talky banter the 15-year-old brothers generate amongst themselves and others is effortless and quotable, with an unpredictable dark streak that ensures laughs from all age groups.
Seemingly anticipating comparisons to other superhero stories, Mutant Mayhem opts to go with the flow and use that masks-and-capes landscape as the very context in which the Turtles hope to be seen. These are Turtles who know what’s going on in the MCU, and have learned (or been taught) that their abilities are the quickest way to win public approval. It’s that tension between what the Turtles want from the world, and what the world expects from them in return, that sees Mutant Mayhem’s storytelling at its most mature.
The boundless energy and wonderfully drawn characters make up for a predictable plot, which itself feels like a bit of a mutated amalgamation of other superhero movies. It’s hard to begrudge Mutant Mayhem too much for that – it’s got as much right to celebrate its comics roots as any other superhero movie – but the notion that Everyday, Normal New Yorkers are the real heroes of these movies is losing its impact. And with how grounded the Turtles’ emotional throughline actually is, the world-ending stakes that mutant villain Superfly (Ice Cube) represents isn't as interesting as whether or not Splinter’s gonna let the kids go to the arcade more regularly by the end of the movie.
Superfly’s mutant henchanimals are the best character designs in the movie, with proportions and rough edges that make them feel like notebook sketches that have burst to life. The mutants are largely voiced by actors in co-producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s orbit: John Cena plays the Rocksteady to Rogen’s Bebop, while the earnest enthusiasm for life expressed by Paul Rudd, Rose Byrne, and Hannibal Burress makes the genetic monstrosities they’re playing as endearing as the heroes. Special mention here goes to Byrne as Leatherhead – someone told her “sound more Australian than anyone has ever let you sound” and her performance is so Aussie, it'd make a toilet drain clockwise.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem oozes confidence, energy, and heart, and the animated adventure represents a new high for the Turtles on the big screen. Top-notch voice acting, anchored by Jackie Chan’s Splinter and four instantly lovable teen Turtles, plus a killer Reznor and Ross score ensure that Mutant Mayhem isn’t getting by on loo...
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem oozes confidence, energy, and heart, and the animated adventure represents a new high for the Turtles on the big screen
Tom Jorgensen
- Tom Jorgensen
- 2 min
Aug 2, 2023 · Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. As the leads in Jeff Rowe ’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” spoke with all the momentum of my kids when they have a bottle of Prime—it’s a new energy drink for those out of the loop—I thought about the difference between fast-paced and hyperactive when it comes to this kind ...
Aug 2, 2023 · ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Review - The New York Times. Advertisement. ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Review: Superfly’s Revenge. This...
Aug 4, 2023 · Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a fun and visually striking animated feature directed by Jeff Rowe. Paramount Pictures. Rebooting a superhero origin story is a bit like...
Jul 27, 2023 · Reviews. Jul 27, 2023 9:00am PT. ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Review: Seth Rogen-Produced Toon Reboot’s Look Is Fresher Than Its Script. Director Jeff Rowe runs...
