Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

SPOILERS AHEAD

One of the most exciting franchises I’ve ever experienced has actually been the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From the old animated TV shows back in the day to the infamous live action Michael Bay adaptation, Donnie, Raph, Leo, and Mikey have never failed to be captivating characters with compelling stories. It’s thus an undeniably achievement that this latest entry into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pantheon has to be one of its best! It incorporates amazing storytelling, beautiful animation, and some of the best chemistry amongst characters and voice actors alike.

As the medium of animation becomes more prevalent and popular, its obvious evolution in the past few years has been jaw-dropping. With clear influences from films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Mutant Mayhem is filled with lively comic book imagery. The heroes are neatly arranged and drawn, as opposed to the grotesque and monstrous appearances of the villains and humans. One of the best scenes in the film comes during the halfway point, as a montage depicts the turtles battling their way through various crime syndicates to find the “big boss” Superfly. The animation in this scene is seamless, with each shot melding into one another and blending each character gorgeously. The animation is also paired marvelously with a fitting score and soundtrack. Animated movies tend to have eye-rolling music drops that don’t always fit the vibe the film is going for, but that isn’t the case with this one. It has an excellently curated soundtrack with each song perfectly placed into its scene.

The narrative is also a highlight and stands out as one of the best stories we’ve seen these turtles in. Since Leo is the central character, the screenwriters can play with the ideas of leadership among brotherhood and camaraderie among the turtles. Leo’s role as leader feels earned by the end of the film and goes hand in hand with the progression and pace of the film. Mikey is once again the goofball of the group, while Donnie brings the quirky brains and Raph is naturally the tough hot head. Yet the non-turtle characters manage to also be lovable and fun to watch. Splinter and April are a blast to watch on-screen, whether they’re with our favorite turtles or not. This is undoubtedly an achievement since movies with such a popular IP often tend to drag when straying away from the main cast. While TCRI and Cynthia Utrom felt very underutilized and unnecessary as villains, Ice Cube delivered my favorite performance as the main villain Superfly. Superfly’s crew was such a hilarious bunch, and while I was looking forward to seeing Bebop and Rocksteady as their more villainous counterparts, I was ultimately satisfied by their eventual redemption. 

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an expertly crafted and designed movie with a great cast, amazing chemistry, and a definitive sense of style. While the final battle may have been a bit underwhelming, the perfect gift-wrapped ending of the story and the delightful sequel tease ultimately resulted in a solid ending to one of the best movies of the year.

9/10