Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

I think from the initial teaser I could tell this was gonna be an amazing animated movie since it adopted the "Spiderverse" style fantastically aswell as adding its own charm. And after watching it I can safely say that it is...almost amazing.

First of all, the animation is very clearly gorgeous and was another great addition to the animated Disney rebellion we've been having over the past few years. The action sequences were also very good and expressed each characters unique fighting style very well. The voice acting was also surprisingly amazing from both the main 4 characters and the villains. The comedy was solid it didn't really have much that made me laugh out loud but at least it consistently made me smile. The story was actually very good aswell. Sure it's got the cliche "I want to be accepted in society" plot line but they actually do a good job at making me feel for these characters during just the first 15 minutes of the movie. The script was...well it was mostly good (I'll explain the issues later). The chemistry between the brothers is great and the villain's dialogue was amazing. So from the sound of it this movie is amazing, right?

Well a couple of issues I had like I mentioned before was the script. So for a large portion of the movie they kept adding as many pop culture references as possible within their speech mentioning a huge range of movies and shows specifically like Attack On Titan. Whilst these are fun at first, it just keeps happening again and again and like I get it they're all nerds but just calm down a bit.

Also one of the main problems I had was the music. You have these big over the top colourful action sequences yet you're listening to the most boring emotionless music on top of them. WHY? They had a massive opportunity to create something unbelievably special to rival something like Spiderverse yet kept the music to a minimum. I've always said that music can make or break a scene. You can have one of the greatest scenes visually in cinematic history but if the music misses and doesn't match with the emotion of the scene, it DRASTICALLY reduces the quality of that scene. I felt next to no emotion during most of the climax since the music was just boring and didn't really feel like there was any build up.

The other big problem was the lack of character arcs within each brother. I get that they're all in this together but I would have liked to see some specific character moments in the climax that act as pay offs to their own characters. We did get a great character moment for Splinter but that's about it.

Overall this movie is just a very fun and unique movie with a somewhat lack of emotional depth. The characters are solid and help to create an engaging quite funny story. Solid 7/10. Could have been an 8 if the music was improved.

Pretty much everything I've wanted in a TMNT movie for decades, just a ton of fun in the theater. I'm as surprised as anybody that we have Seth Rogen to thank for this, but hey, whatever works. And there's plenty to be said about the art style borrowing from the Spiderverse movies, but it just fits. The Animation is vibrant, kinetic and absolutely lends itself to both the action and the humor. The whole movie looks like the margin drawings of a high schooler's notebook, that unrefined pencil and marker aesthetic.

For me, the biggest present under this Christmas tree is the age-appropriate cast. Their chemistry is incredible and the turtles actually sound and feel like teenagers for once. As much as I gravitate towards Mikey in any given iteration, Donatello had all of the killer one-liners here; I loved Micah Abbey's performance.

Maybe it's because of this Summer's frustrating movie season, but I left the theater with a real high after this. If the turtles needed a reboot, this was the way to go, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Even that feels like an understatement ... I had a blast!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) is a movie that my daughter and I caught today at an advanced screening. The storyline follows the Ninja Turtles as they become teenagers and obsessed with the human world. They run into a reporter, named April, who accidentally convinces them that becoming heroes will help people adjust to them. They target a recent crime spree that happens to be executed by mutants that may be tied to their past.

This movie is codirected by Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells versus the Machines) and Kyler Spears (directorial debut) and contains the voices of Jackie Chan (Rush Hour), John Cena (The Suicide Squad), Ice Cube (Friday), Seth Rogen (Superbad), Paul Rudd (Ant-man), Post Malone (Wrath of Man), Giancarlo Giuseppe (Breaking Bad) and Rose Byrne (Insidious).

This is a rather uneven addition to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. The storyline set-up, and background of the turtles, is perfectly executed and entertaining. The animation was excellent and almost had a claymation feel it at times. The voices were well selected and it was impossible to not love Ice Cube and Jackie Chan, who were both terrific. Despite how good Ice Cube was in this, I don't think I loved his character as the main villain. They took too many non-traditional twists with the mutants and turtles that it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I will say the soundtrack was excellent. It might have been the best part of the movie.

Overall, this is definitely entertaining and worth a watch but I'm not sure it's the reboot we were looking for. I would score this a 6-6.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Prior to showering it with compliments, I'd like to address a couple of minor criticisms. To begin with, Splinter underwent significant changes from the familiar and beloved character. Certain villains were left with insufficient screen time to truly shine, and Raphael's anger wasn't adequately explored.

Moving on to the positives: The animation boasted exceptional uniqueness, accompanied by superb pacing. The humor was genuinely delightful, and the turtles authentically conveyed their teenage nature through their dialogue. The voice acting was skillfully executed, capturing both the tone and essence of teenage voices. Particularly notable was Jackie Chan's portrayal of Master Splinter, which stood out significantly. Overall, this movie provides a highly enjoyable viewing experience.

This is one of those animations that pleases everyone, from a 5-year-old to a 15-year-old teenager, a 35-year-old adult and a 75-year-old.

The story can be minimally complex for the little ones, but in itself, it is extremely fun and brings some interesting reflections throughout its plot. Both in the original language and in the dubbing (Brazilian Portuguese), the voices and their slang are perfectly matched to the characters, what a perfect cast! Only the jokes with references to PT-BR, made me laugh more than I should.

Mr. Spilnter is a little left out, but nothing that bothers him. What bothers you is that some drama cliches are present in your character. However, only in him... (which I find strange, as the story of the film is not predictable).

I thought changing April's ethnicity was just another way to cash in on diversity, but it doesn't seem like that, and yes, I like this version of the character.

The movie is amazing for those idiots whose middle school jokes still occupy their mind! Did I describe you?

Watch it in the cinema right away!