Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

Despite the very iffy weather (and that’s putting it mildly), the summer continues to move ever-onward and so too does the summer blockbuster season, which this week arrives at the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The computer-animated family adventure movie from director Jeff Rowe and co-director Kyler Spears, is the latest entry in a long line of Turtles films and features the voice talents of Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon, Shamon Brown Jr., Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Seth Rogan, and John Cena.

Opening in UK cinemas today (in the US from Wednesday), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem provides a brand new jumping on point for audiences. So, if you’ve never watched a Turtles movie before, you’ll have no problem with this one, as it is very much a standalone affair which re-introduces the pizza-munching mutant heroes for a new generation.

In the movie, it has been 15 years since four baby turtles and a rat were mutated by a mysterious ooze and transformed into humanoid creatures. Within this time they have become an unusual, but not entirely unconventional family, with Splinter the rat as the father figure, and mutant turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo his teenage sons.

But as much as they act like a family (like everyday folk), they cut themselves off from the real world and live within the sewers of New York. Splinter distrusts humans due to a bad experience in his past and believes the Turtles will be much safer living in the shadows.

However, with the Turtles being curious teens they have reached an age where they want to live above ground. And after meeting and befriending high school student, April O’Neil, they feel it is the right time to show the world who they really are.

So, when New York becomes the target of a series of robberies from a criminal called Superfly, Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey believe now is the time to make their move. If they can stop Superfly and show the world they’re heroes, maybe they will be accepted and can finally step out of the sewers.

But as the Turtles soon discover, the path to heroism is a bumpy ride. In order to achieve their goals, they may have a bit more growing up to do and they may require help from some fellow mutants.

Ever since I was a little ‘un, I’ve been a huge fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’ve followed the franchise through comics, television, toys, games, and movies.

Of those movies, some have been good (1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Netflix’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie etc); some have been OK (2007’s TMNT, 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows); and one has been downright bad (2014’s awful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). So, I’m very pleased to say that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem sits above all of these films as it is excellent.

I’m saying this as a Turtles fan, but I’m also saying this as someone who watches a lot of movies. The film is a superb TMNT movie, but it’s also a fab animated movie in its own right.

From the story, the voice acting, and the eye-popping visual aesthetic, through to the gags, the soundtrack, and the overall tone of the picture, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a magnificent movie. It is a tour de force of excellence, and if you’re a fan of these ninja heroes, it’s Turtle-y terrific.

I’ll start with the animation, because it is the most prominent talking point, and as with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem raises the bar when it comes to animated movies. The design of the lead characters themselves is quite quirky, and a lot of fun to look at, but moving beyond the awesome-foursome the entire world they exist in is spellbinding too.

The animation style used in this film is computer-generated 3D art, but it’s a style which appears to take inspiration from both sketch work and claymation. At times it looks as if this world is one big doodle, while at other times it’s almost as if it exists slightly adjacent to something from Aardman Animation.

There’s something about the way in which this movie has been animated that not only makes it feel incredibly tangible, but also effortlessly cool. It is also vibrant, imaginative, and exciting, which is a lot of things for one art style to achieve.

All four Turtles have their own unique look, which makes them stand out, but so do all of the other major characters in this film. And for the record, there are a lot of characters in this film.

As the title suggests, Mutant Mayhem features a number of mutants, ranging from the fairly well-known Bebop and Rocksteady, to the more obscure Mondo Gecko and Ray Fillet. Each of these characters boasts their own personality traits and idiosyncrasies, and each looks like a work of art on screen.

After watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, I can’t wait to see this movie again, just to take in all of the little design details I missed during the initial screening. From a design stand point alone, this film is loaded with so much to look at and it feels instantly rewatchable.

Moving beyond the animation now, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem also benefits from a solid script, which takes an almost 40-year-old franchise and finds a way to keep the story fresh. The origin of the Turtles has been told many, many times, and yet here in Mutant Mayhem it feels almost new.

All the main story beats are the same, but a few tweaks here and there make all the difference. The script has clearly been put together by a team who love the material AND understand the importance of telling a relatable yarn, and the end result is something which really hits the spot.

This film doesn’t just offer up a rehash of the Turtle’s backstory, it provides a fully-fleshed out tale which humanises the core characters. Leo, Donnie, Raph, Mikey, and Splinter are shown to have real fears and feelings, and I’d argue this is easily the best version of the characters on film.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a ‘PG’ certificate film, released during the summer holidays, so I expect it will attract family audiences, especially tweens and teens. And while I’ve long since fallen out of this age demographic (by decades), I believe tweens and teens will adore these characters and see themselves in the Turtles.

The Turtles have been written as contemporary teens, so anyone of a similar age will connect with their problems, as well as their general outlook on life. A number of the previous Turtles films fail to land this key component of the characters and that’s what makes this film stand above what has come before.

Incidentally, the story for Mutant Mayhem was written by Brendan O’Brien, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Jeff Rowe (four people), while the screenplay was the work of O’Brien, Rogen, Rowe, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (five people). Ordinarily, I’d be wary of a film with so many writers, but on this occasion this sizeable ensemble delivers.

Outside of the animation and story, the film is very funny, it has an excellent soundtrack, and it has a funky vibe. There are a number of stand-out sequences too, including a whacky car chase and a fun fight scene between Splinter and some armed soldiers.

The finale of the film does wander into familiar territory, with the Turtles against a huge foe (the default ending for most super hero films these days), but it is without doubt the best sequence in the film. The climax of this picture is emotionally charged and should restore everyone’s faith in humanity.

The real world might be falling apart, with everyone splintering off into different groups and finding fault with each other, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem demonstrates that being different doesn’t have to be bad. It’s a simple message in the movie, but one which is conveyed very well – and is especially important to get across to a younger generation who are just finding their way in life and who sadly view too much hate online.

I could waffle on endlessly about how much I love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but I don’t need to. This is a delightful, thrilling, energetic movie which deserves to be a big hit this summer.

Outside of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Barbie, many of this year’s big releases have really struggled at the box-office over the past few months, so I hope this one bucks the trend. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a fantastic film which should be seen on the big screen, so book your tickets and load up on popcorn.

Kids will love it, adults will find it a blast too, and if you’re a TMNT fan it’s a no-brainer. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a visual treat, with a contemporary edge, that offers plenty of humour and heart.

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