Movies…with a little bit of obscure culture and sports mixed in
Blending a unique scribbly visual with the maniac fast-paced stream-of-consciousness mind of a teenage boy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem makes sure to remind the audience that mutant ninja turtles named after famous artists is a nonsensical amusing premise in the best way possible.
“The film follows the Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants.”
Director: Jeff Rowe, Kyle Spears
Writers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman
Staring: Micah Abbey, Shannon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Giancarlo Esposito, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Paul Rudd, Post Malone, Hannibal Buress, Natasia Demetriou
Release Date: August 2, 2023
IMDB
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) is a personal-feeling, culture grazing, vibe conducting animated adventure that manages to reboot a franchise that desperately needed a shot of childhood exuberance. Blending a unique scribbly visual with the maniac fast-paced stream-of-consciousness mind of a teenage boy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem makes sure to remind the audience that mutant ninja turtles named after famous artists is a nonsensical amusing premise in the best way possible.
Back in the day, I would watch VHS tapes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Saturday afternoons after playing in the pool and dominating in yard games. For some reason I still can picture Pizza Face and his oozing face staring down at me from my monstrously oblong heavy television.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has us join the turtles when they are 15 years old living in the sewers under the watchful eye of their rat father, Splinter (Jackie Chan). The rebellious mindset of a male teenager comes through all the lads as they extend errand runs and explore the human aspect of New York City against their guardian’s wishes.
Raphael (Brady Noon), Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) and Donatello (Micah Abbey) yearn to live the traditional high school experience. A doorway into that world opens when high school student and intrepid reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri) gets struck in the head by an errand throwing star. Don’t worry she had a helmet on.
April educates the four turtles about this mysterious criminal mastermind known only as Superfly (Ice Cube) and the fast friends come up with a divine plan. With the end goal of being accepted into everyday society, April will document the turtles and their quest to take down Superfly. The world will see that these kung fu fighting turtles aren’t a threat, and therefore they can be trusted to walk NOT in the sewers.
Naturally it’s not the easiest sledding for the brotherly quartet. Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello have to put their Ninja training to the test for the first time. They have to learn to trust one another in a way they never have before, and they have to learn that not all mutants want the same thing. Mutant Mayhem plays it perfectly putting high schoolers into a different friend group they think is cool before ultimately learning isn’t all that grand.
Come the end of the story, the brothers and their father must take down a seemingly unstoppable force and do so before it’s too late and those they care about are hurt. Yes, it’s vague and cliche, but it’s a kids movie. Are you expecting something grandiose? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has the firecracker finale that grabs your attention and doesn’t let up. The crayon outside-the-lines visual style shines as the action intensifies, capping off an all-around engrossing feel good viewing experience.
One of the best scenes of the movie is when we get to see Splinter showcase his skills. The father of the turtles is voiced by Jackie Chan, the Mutant Mayhem pays fantastic homage to the kung-fu movie legend by having Splinter fight exactly how Jackie Chan would. The nimble rat uses his environment and his enemies to his advantage, amusingly knocking out any gun-wielding enemy that comes his way.
Also have to give credit to the makers of Mutant Mayhem for overcoming a classic action movie pitfall. Often when the heroes are captured and eventually escape, they magically have their weapons back. Or someone comes running in with a duffel bag of goodies. This time around, the screenwriters pen a very satisfying method for Turtles to reacquire their weapons. It is often an easily forgettable moment when done wrong, but Mutant Mayhem doing it right will give you a tinge of unexpected glee.
The fast-paced nature of the story is also showcased in the dialogue, which flows naturally as if it’s taking place in a dungy odor filled basement. In reality, all the dialogue took place in recording studios. Unlike most animated films, Seth Rogen and all in charge of Mutant Mayhem made sure to have as many in person recording sessions as possible. And guess what, it really pays off. The back-and-forth verbal roucous that the Ninjas attack each other with (in a friendly way) reminds me of Community Park pick-up games and trash talk.
The careful care in creating a fun atmosphere isn’t just in the story and characters, it is also in the music. The best description of the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is Garage Band. It is chaotic but in a cheerful way.
But the score is not the money maker. There are a ton of massively popular songs infused into the story that make it feel as if you are rocking cargo pants, track suits, capri pants or track suits with text on the butt.
Below is the list of many
You will be singing along throughout Mutant Mayhem. Even if you don’t know the songs by name, you know them by their beat, and its head bopping.
Alright, now that I am closing it out, we have just a paragraph of spoilers (that aren’t even that spoilery).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem also makes the excellent strategic move of not including the franchise’s most famous villain. Everyone wants to see Shredder face off against the turtles, and this foundation-setting yet wonderfully satisfying origin story lays the groundwork for a larger battle that is sure to happen.
By the end of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, one of the following urges will come over your body. You will want to order pizza. You will want to scream “cowabunga”, or you will want to draw the straight-lined Superman “Cool S” that infested all book covers and high school desks in the 1990s and into the 200s. Whatever happens, you’ll be doing it with fond memories of Mutant Mayhem.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is streaming on Paramount+.
STANKO RATING: A-
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