by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I was born at the wrong time for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mania.
I was too young to grow up with the ‘80s cartoon or OG ‘90s movies, and too old by the time that the cartoon was rebooted, though I was obviously aware of how popular the franchise was. When staying at my older cousins’ house, we’d sleep in TMNT sleeping bags, and I’d catch the odd episode of the (relatively) recent Nickelodeon series while working at the family friendly hotel restaurant during college summers. I certainly never had any interest in the Michael Bay film adaptations.
All that to say, before checking out the latest animated film reboot, I didn’t have much of a connection to any previous version of the ooze-transformed reptiles, and I couldn’t be happier about that. The version of the teenage reptilian superhero crew presented in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is exactly what I wanted from a franchise I’d heard so much about, but experienced so little of.
In this newest version of the crime fighters’ origin story, Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Raphael (Brady Noon) hope to break free of their sheltered sewer existence, under the watchful eye of their guardian, Splinter (Jackie Chan), and gain acceptance from humankind by becoming heroes and thwarting the plot of fellow mutant, Superfly (Ice Cube). To do so, they team up with a fellow teen looking for acceptance, reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri), to make a name for themselves.
This movie is a vibe that I was 100% on board for.
The chemistry between the turtles sings from the get go. The banter is perfection, with a back and forth that feels so on brand to how kids of this age interact, whether they be siblings or just friends. Each of the turtles have a role in the group dynamic and play off each other with a bond that you really buy into. The interplay also taught me that, while I have certain aspects that I share with each turtle, I am most definitely most closely aligned with Donatello. The fact that each of the voice actors aren’t names that you’re going to immediately recognize helps the focus remain on the characters, and not trying to place the voices. This version of April fits in with the dynamic flawlessly and fills her need exactly, even if she’s not voiced by another teen.
When we get to the more recognizable voice cast, a couple of performers stand out. When I first heard that Jackie Chan had been cast as father figure and mentor, Splinter, I thought it was perfect casting, and I was not disappointed. Even if it’s just animated, watching Jackie Chan do martial arts will never not be fun. The other big standout to me is Ice Cube as our main antagonist. He knows exactly the kind of movie he is in, and plays it perfectly. At times, he is menacing, and at other times, you can tell he is just having a grand old time.
One of the other major highlights is the music. It is bangers only when it comes to the needle drops, and they’re all used so well. Before this movie, I didn’t know I needed a fight montage set to “No Diggity,” but I wasn’t quite prepared for how perfect a montage backer it would make. It was reminiscent of the Super Bowl LVI halftime show musical experience. The movie itself may be marketed toward the kids, but the soundtrack is sure to get millennial heads bopping.
As a TMNT noob, another point that attracted me to this movie was something that’s an ongoing trend in recent animation: It looked different. Don’t get me wrong, “traditional” looking animation can be beautiful. I love my classic Disney and Pixar as much as the next guy. However, studios being more willing to let the artists cook when it comes to style is a recent development that’s incredibly exciting. Ever since Into the Spider-Verse came out, animation has been less likely to fit within the general box we’ve come to expect. Just this summer alone, Mutant Mayhem joins the likes of Across the Spider-Verseand Nimonaas animated offerings that aren’t afraid to push boundaries and get creative. The overall aesthetic is a huge plus for this film. It is bright, colorful, and artistic — with every frame looking like a doodle, and some fun undulating of the sketch lines that always leave something catching your eye.
The excitement of the creativity in the animation is what makes the action feel a bit disappointing at times. When every frame’s a painting, I want to see every frame. While some of the action set pieces come off beautifully, too often it is choppy, disorienting, and hard to follow — sometimes both good and bad in the same sequence. When you’re able to draw everything exactly how you want it, leaving me confused and disoriented at times is befuddling — particularly when I can see the creativity on display throughout. As previously stated, however, anytime it’s time for a montage — whether training based on karate instruction videos and films, or trying to track down a lead — that’s when the action is perhaps at its best.
The issue with the action is one of the reasons why I think the final confrontation doesn’t quite come to the crescendo I hoped it would, falling a little flat. The other major problem is not necessarily the fault of the movie, more bad timing. The overall interwoven lessons of the film, not judging a book by its cover, what truly makes a monster, and how sensationalized news coverage can impact society, are well intentioned. It’s just that I just saw it done better a month ago, when Nimona dropped on Netflix. Again, that’s not necessarily all on the movie, but it’s certainly hard for me to ignore.
Even with its imperfections, this is the perfect family movie for the summer — especially in the dog days — as it truly has something for everyone. The kids (and the kids at heart looking for some TMNT nostalgia) will have a blast watching the colorful feast for the eyes, while the adults can jam out to the soundtrack — regardless of their previous TMNT history.
As the mid-credits scene makes apparent, Paramount is hoping to have a franchise on their hands. If a future sequel is to be ordered up, I’d more than happily gobble it up like it was the last slice of pizza.
Rating: Liked it
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd