Look you don’t have a lot to work with here, so this is probably as good as it could be. I like it more than the live action adaptations from the 2010s, that’s for sure. The plot and characters are nothing special, it’s really the stylistic animation and score that carry the entire movie. I also quite liked the voice acting, the turtles all feel distinct and I’m not surprised that Ice Cube’s expressive voice (given his background) works really well for animation. The problems start to reveal themselves as soon as you start to pay attention to the material that the actors are working with. The comedy mostly sucks and tries way too hard, as expected for mainstream American movies now. Some of the banter and dialogue felt like it got a pass by Marvel’s staff, it’s that embarrassing. It also has some of the weirdest, out of place pop culture references I’ve seen in a long time (you’ll know when you see them), as well as 90s needle drops that serve no purpose besides serving up empty nostalgia (seriously, even _Transformers: Rise of the Beasts_ had the decency to at least set their film during the 90s). Its moments of action can be fun, but unfortunately it zips through a lot of them by montage during the first half, which was the wrong choice. The second half is definitely more entertaining in that regard. Overall, I don’t recommend this if you’re past the age of its target audience, but the beautiful visuals definitely made it more palatable compared to other movies like it.

5/10

I have a lot of thoughts about this movie and it's pretty much all positive. _Mutant Mayhem_ is a winner.

First, hats off to the entire animation department. This is even more proof that we're in a new age of 3D/CGI animated movies. I know a lot of people are going to compare this to _Spider-verse_, which in essence is fair because this is yet another "on two's" style animated movie. That said, I don't think they are very similar stylistically other than that. Mutant Mayhem employs thicker, bolder textures and looks almost claymated, whereas Spider-verse uses thinner, sharper lines and lends a lot more inspiration from comics.

Voice cast killed it, including Rogen. The turtles feel like they're actual teenagers in this movie which is refreshing. [spoiler]Superfly[/spoiler] (Ice Cube) was a great villain with plenty of range. [spoiler]Mondo Gecko[/spoiler] (Paul Rudd) also deserves a special shoutout for being a very likable character.

Went in without knowing Trent Reznor made the soundtrack but it immediately stood out to me as a high point for the movie, the licensed tracks especially never felt out of place, quite the opposite.

I think the only thing I would criticize this movie for would be the storyline, it's not remarkable or new, even for the turtles. This being said it's hard for me to put fault on that when the movie is casually self-aware about this. It's also not annoying or self-referential like I was expecting, since many movies like this are.

If you're a Tutrtles fan you're already watching this, but for those who are fairly unfamiliar with the franchise (like me), this is an origin story and you won't feel out of place watching it. I'm stoked for any potential sequel!

The popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Franchise has taken a break from the recent live-action updates and has returned to animation to reboot and modernize the franchise.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is a loving and updated look at the story as Seth Rogen and his creative team have shaken up the franchise but remained true to the core characters and universe.

The film follows the four Turtles Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), who are looking to find acceptance in the world despite their father Splinter (Jackie Chan), warning them not to trust humans and that they will never be accepted.

As typical teens do, the boys frequently rebel to sneak out and use their Ninja skills to travel New York to do tasks ranging from shopping to watching outdoor movies which only fuels their desires to be accepted and
have normal experiences such as High School.

At the same time as a crimewave is happening attributed to a menace known as Superfly (Ice Cube), who is gathering all kinds of high-end gear for his nefarious scheme.

When the brothers become aware of this while helping a human named April (Ago Edebiri), they become obsessed with her and desire to help her get to the bottom of the thefts and hope to win her approval as well as human acceptance in the process.

What follows is a madcap adventure with plenty of action and humor and
several celebrity voices which adds a new level of fun to the expanded
cast of supporting characters.

The animation style is at times a bit rough to watch over an extended
period but as the film progressed I became used to it and it did much like the two recent Spider-man animated films grow on me even if it can be distracting at times.

The cast is solid and the film seemed to play well to viewers of all ages
as there were jokes and references for all ages and the storyline was engaging even if it did at times seem to drag in places.

In the end the film is a loving and solid entry into the franchise and one that I am sure we will be seeing more animated entries from in the near future and is a must watch for fans of all ages.

4 stars out of 5

One of the greatest surprises of the year has to be “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” a film that I never would’ve expected to be as terrific as it is. Co-directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears and co-written by Rowe, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, this animated feature is confident, action packed, funny, and is a visual delight. It’s a crowning achievement in animation, and the perfect summer movie to boot.

The film tells the origin story of four turtle brothers, Raphael (Brady Noon), Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), who were mutated after a dangerous laboratory explosion left them covered in radioactive ooze. Their adopted father Splinter (Jackie Chan), a kind and elderly New York City sewer rat, has sheltered his teenage sons from the harsh, dangerous, and judgmental human world for over a decade. Deciding that they want to be accepted as normal teenagers, the brothers head out into the city on their own, crossing paths with young reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri). A fast friendship develops, and the turtles find themselves taking on a mysterious crime syndicate that’s run by fellow mutants.

It’s a good story that’s elevated by across-the-board talent. Spears and Rowe’s crackerjack direction is on point, especially when it comes to orchestrating thrilling action scenes. This is easily one of the most well-directed animated features I’ve ever seen. Energetic and bursting with enthusiasm, it’s nearly impossible not to have a blast watching this movie.

The characters are great, too. The turtles may be mutants, but they still act like regular, dumb teenage boys, finding humor in the silliness of everyday experiences. The voice performances are outstanding too, with a talented cast and a diversity that feels natural and appropriate. Everyone (including Paul Rudd, Ice Cube, John Cena, Rose Byrne, and Giancarlo Esposito) gives top-tier turns, and it makes the movie even better.

It’s worth noting that this animated film isn’t made for little kids, and youngsters will likely be very bored and fidgety. This is more of a movie that’s geared towards ‘tweens, teens, and their parents (especially dads over 35 who grew up with the Ninja Turtles in various iterations). I would think longtime fans would be enamored with what the film does to their classic heroes, because a person like me who had very limited knowledge of the characters was quickly won over.

Films like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” are exciting because not only are they breathing exciting life into the animation genre, they are setting the highest standards for quality, edgy animated films for adults. We should all hope for more projects of this caliber.

Helpfully, for those us who are not turtle-heads, we are provided with a little potted history of just how the four shelled super-heroes were discovered in a sewer by 'Splinter" having had a drink of some secret formula that had accidentally dropped down a sluice. Spin forwards a few years and the four are living a clandestine life, discouraged by their father with having anything to do with human beings. On one evening though, whilst out "shopping", they encounter "April" who gets her scooter pinched. They quickly try to get it back for her, she follows them and a series of adventures follow as we are quickly immersed in a city-wide battle against other, less convivial, mutants bent on destruction and mayhem. I was expecting little from this but it is actually quite an enjoyable action-packed animation. Some effort has been put into the script to enable some fun in the dialogue and for the characterisations to not just be sword-swinging would-be painters, but to have just the tiniest element of depth to them as the story develops. I didn't love the slightly bloated-head style of the animation, the proportion to the rest of their bodies was all a bit "Scooby Do" and I found there to be way too much soundtrack that drowned out the speech a lot of the time, but it was better than I was anticipating...