Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Originally published Sep 12, 2023
As goofy as its title sounds out loud, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is certainly a franchise that has seen its fair share of interpretations over the last few decades. While I’m certainly not a diehard fan of the series, I admit I was interested to see producer/writer Seth Rogen’s take on the turtles with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and I’m happy to say I was not disappointed. Going into the movie, I knew Rogen’s intention of fleshing out the teenage aspect of the turtles, and that intention truly met dividends. The chemistry between Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey, all played phenomenally by the first all-teenage voice cast for the characters, really made me believe I was watching a comedy-action movie about four teenage brothers desperate to find acceptance in the world while still having plenty of energy to fight crime and goof off. The wide array of characters, as well as their voice actors, all bring their A-game to the table, although some can feel a bit underutilized given the size of the cast.
Three more areas where Mutant Mayhem excels in is its comedy, action and animation. Despite being a Seth Rogen production, there isn’t nearly as much gross-out humor as one would expect. While comedy is hard to recommend due to its subjective nature, all I can say is if you enjoy watching characters overlap each other with chaotic energy, as well as a few out-of-pocket pop culture references, you won’t be disappointed. Some might say a few jokes run the risk of making the movie feel dated in years to come, but I prefer to think of it as a time capsule for this time period in terms of what was popular or funny. Meanwhile, the action is consistently fast-paced, heavy hitting, and exhilarating, really delivering on that ninja element. One of the highlights of the movie involves a series of masterfully edited shots of the turtles fighting against multiple foes across various locations in search of intel on their enemy. As for the animation, while it has been compared unfavorably to the Spider-Verse films, it still has its own gritty and asymmetrical sense of flair that keeps it distinct among other animated movies. The designs of the mutants really made the most of the animation medium, although a lot of the humans were more off putting than the mutants.
As enjoyable and charming as Mutant Mayhem was, there are still a few minute issues that hold it down, most notably in the film’s third act. Due to spoilers, I won’t go into too many details, but there are certain aspects of this section of the movie that feel a bit disingenuous in comparison to the otherwise great writing. In addition, while the extensive voice cast gives it their all, a few of them can’t help but feel underutilized by the end.
All in all, for a casual enjoyer of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mutant Mayhem lived up to its name, delivering a movie with a ton of flash, wit, and heart to back its action and animation. It may not be for everyone, but I don’t hesitate to give this movie a 9 out of 10. What else can I say but “Go, ninja, go, ninja, go!”?
