by: Chris Conkling

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has seen its fair share of ups and downs when being adapted to the silver screen. The original film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, premiered in 1990 and is still touted by some as one of the best comic book adaptations ever made. The strength of the franchise, and the key to its longevity since its inception in 1984, has always been its ability to adapt and shift with the times. The most successful outings being those which reflect current trends while maintaining the classic interpersonal dynamics between the four turtle-teens, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” not only captures said dynamics perfectly, but enhances them by doing something no other TMNT project has ever done, cast actual teens as its leads.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” follows the four Turtle brothers as they attempt to gain the acceptance of the denizens of New York, while simultaneously taking down an up-and-coming mutant gang. The film is directed by Jeff Rowe (co-director of the 2021 animated film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines), with a screenplay by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. Mutant Mayhem was produced by Rogen and Goldberg as well, and packs an absolutely star-studded cast. Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Shamon Brown Jr, and Micah Abbey star as Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie respectively, with Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil. The rest of the cast includes Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Natasha Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Jackie Chan, Paul Rudd, Post Malone, and Hannibal Buress, with Ice Cube playing the film’s antagonist, Superfly.

Mutant Mayhem boasts a tight script with themes of acceptance and finding ones place in the world, however, the real charm of the film stems from its four leading teens and its unique look. Each actor imbues their character with the attributes and personality recognizable to long-time fans of the franchises, however, their portrayal is distinctly grounded in 2023 teen culture. Not only did the creative team have the ingenious idea to cast age-appropriate actors, but they allowed them to record all of their dialogue together, an unconventional approach considering most animated features have their cast record alone at varying stages throughout the production. This method allows the conversations between the Turtle brothers to feel fun, energetic, and natural. In regards to the film’s look, Mutant Mayhem employs a unique animation and art style akin to sketches scribbled in the margins of a teenager’s notebook. This distinctive look sets the film apart from its contemporaries and adds to the youthful excited energy it is working to evoke.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is the perfect, fun, family-friendly film to round out the summer movie season before kids go back to school. It has a unique, energetic animation style, and a leading cast that fully embodies the “teenage” aspect of the TMNT. For long-time fans of the franchise, it is familiar, however, still manages to sport a distinctly contemporary and fresh feel. It has been wonderful to see the animation medium get pushed forward this summer, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” continues this trend!

Grade: 4.5/5