Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Evaluation: A Charming, Entertaining Animation

Editor’s observe: This piece was written in the course of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With out the labor of the writers and actors presently on strike, the [series/movie/etc] being lined right here would not exist.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem deserves the hype. Even earlier than the movie landed in theaters, a sequel and a spin-off collection have been introduced. Directed by Jeff Rowe from a screenplay by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit, Mutant Mayhem boasts an animation type with persona, enjoyable characters, and a narrative that doesn’t develop drained. With a wonderful voice solid, fashionable animation that stands out, and a enjoyable, respectable story, Mutant Mayhem goals to please and succeeds.

Mutant Mayhem opens with Baxter Stockman (Giancarlo Esposito), a loner scientist who plans on mutating a number of creatures. The plan seemingly goes awry when Cynthia Utrom (Maya Rudolph), the pinnacle of a secret group known as TCRI, orders an assault on Baxter in a bid to steal the ooze. It’s by no means discovered, as an alternative falling into the sewers the place 4 child turtles — Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Leonardo (Nicholas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Midday) — and an older rat, Splinter (Jackie Chan), are reworked into human-sized, speaking creatures. 15 years later, the Turtles, towards Splinter’s needs, and with the assistance of highschool journalist April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri), battle Superfly (Ice Dice), Baxter’s mutated creation, earlier than his villainous plans destroy the world as they realize it.

The animated movie holds loads of allure and vitality; it’s virtually bursting on the seams with it. It’s infectious, and I discovered myself shortly drawn into the movie’s world, empathizing with each the Turtles and Splinter, who could be very a lot a involved father who places concern above all else. He learns simply as a lot in regards to the world as his sons do, and it’s their familial relationship that performs such a big position in endearing the characters to the viewers. The Turtles’ friendship with April — who can also be dealing with a number of the identical struggles and acts as a connection between the 4 mutants and the human world — can also be a giant a part of what elevates the movie.

The message on the movie’s core is that of acceptance, and whereas it doesn’t have something notably deep to say about that, or the comparisons the story attracts between Superfly and the people he so despises, Mutant Mayhem addresses the subject properly sufficient. It makes the story all of the stronger for it, too, as a result of the movie could be very a lot a coming-of-age story for the Turtles, who’re extra involved with being appreciated and altering folks’s perceptions. There’s a variety of love poured into the movie, and it exhibits. The filmmakers clearly loved delving into what makes this world, in addition to the Turtles as youngsters who’re coming into their very own.

The result’s a enjoyable, thrilling animation that retains us hooked all through. Sure, there may be the occasional lull within the story, nevertheless it doesn’t linger earlier than selecting again up with some new story flip or motion sequence. There’s one joke, nonetheless, that goes on for too lengthy, repetitive in a manner that can make any grownup need to roll their eyes (although the youngsters at my screening have been entertained by it). In the end, although, the movie has a lot vitality that you may’t look away, and the character dynamics and motion sequences will keep curiosity.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is now enjoying in theaters. The movie is 99 minutes lengthy and rated PG for sequences of violence and motion, language and rude materials.