“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” Movie Review by Rafy Mediavilla (@RMediavilla) #TMNTMovie
After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. Their new friend, April O’Neil, helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem can be best described as the franchise reboot the Ninja Turtles finally needed. And to me, as someone who grew up with the Ninja Turtles this is a welcome and refreshing change, I can happily get back on. The movie truly serves as a reintroduction to the characters and their story that everyone can enjoy, and finally, a 90 minutes family movie that I can fully recommend.
Story wise the delivery is simple enough, full of GenZ lingo, and have on pop culture references, that are easy to be understood by its intended target audience, meanings kids, yet entertaining enough to be enjoyed by young adults and their parents that grew up with these characters. We are introduced to the title characters as infants being raised by their rat splinter as they grow up wanting to be part of the human world and be accepted by them as they are. With this one being the core message behind the story, self-acceptance and the reason being unique set you apart from the rest. The bad guys are also introduced and need for the story to develop, but while we don’t go deep into their backstory at any moment during the development of the story by the final act their unique characters do play a pivotal role in the final outcome, with Bebop and Rocketsteady being the most noticeable bad guys in the story. If anything the only main big change that may rub some people the wrong way is the introduction of a new April O’Neil which I for one absolutely loved.
The performance by the superb cast that screams diversity and inclusion which is something that standout from Ice Cube as the main bad guy Superfly, Jackie Chan as Master Splinter, to John Cena, and Seth Rogen, that also serves as writer and producer, as Rocksteady and Bebop respectively, with Paul Rubb and Post Malone added to the mix as Mondo Gecko, and Ray Fillet added another layer of comedic touch to the already adorably funny and charming story, Yet what completely took me by surprise is how the title characters, meaning the Ninja Turtles itself are voiced by a cast of relativity unknown actors that truly gave the Ninja Turtles their unique and standout identity something I absolutely lloved the second I heard them talk.
The animation is yet another aspect that stands out since only by looking at the trailers and promos you can clearly see the impact of movies such as Spider-Man Into The Spider-verse and Across the Spider-verse made in the animated movie industry because of their unique art style and how much the animation resembles or dare to say pay tribute to the are of animation, from 2D art, hand-drawn, and even stop-motion. In my book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is hands down in competition as one the best-animated movies of the year. And It would not surprise one bit if we see a nod for said category once award season comes by.
Finally, I cannot let pass by a mention of how much I loved the soundtrack of the movie, and the tracklist chosen for it, as it truly plays a role in many scenes. Specifically when Paul Rubb and Post Malone characters Mondo Gecko, and Ray Fillet screen time comes by. The soundtrack truly sends me back to the early and late 90s and my This Is My MTV’s full of hip hip-driven tunes and had me and surely will have many in the theater jamming to the music, singing, or dare to say make you jump in your seat.
In the end, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is the must-see family movie of the summer, that everyone should run and go see with the whole family, and prepare for a fun time with the Ninja Turtle that will surely bring smiles, and tons of laughs.
