Oozing with awesome action, hits of nostalgia, heartfelt moments and the best bits of previous iterations Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a must watch for all.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Mutant Mayhem utilises an array of artistic techniques to create a colourful, well-rounded and grounded depiction of a world full of child-like wonder, where 4 baby turtles who, once seeped in toxic ooze, become a tight knit vigilante crime fighting family of mutant ninjas, even if they do demonstrate fighting techniques more closely associated with Taekwondo (Korean), Kung Fu and Karate (Chinese)…Ninjas are objectively cool.
The sketched line work and the unapologetic harsh blends of discoloured paint strokes form an animation approach unlike any other, mirroring the unrefined enthusiasm, unfiltered expression and wonderment Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michealangelo possess. As the movie progresses, the animation style begins to become tidier and from my point of view, a hell of a lot smoother. Almost as if the frame rate intentionally increased in tandem with the broadening horizons of our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Making for a rambunctious, totally bodacious and super stylised cinematic experience, for the first time in their long history, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are, get this, portrayed by teenagers! The stellar characterisation and voice work between each turtle, mutant and character is a huge component in the success of such daring and new techniques flourishing on screen. No more so than in the perfectly depicted group dynamic of teenage brothers, and in addition, April O’Neil, who, through the utilisation of goofy banter, that teens tend to use as a soft veil of concealment, attempt to distract from deeper frustrations, emotions, and wrongly suppress points of conflict. Conflicts that are conquered in creative ways leaving the audience with a heart full of hope, joy and a desire for more as lessons of self-acceptance are learned by all.
April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri), an outcasted wannabe teenage reporter, struck with waves of embarrassment, regret, yet ultimately drive. On multiple occasions let’s her desire to succeed lead her to doing “the right things for the wrong reasons”, a trait she shares with our favourite green crime fighters.
Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), as the leader of the group, desperately tries to provide a steady and unwavering sense of bravery and responsibility, however, no child is free of fear or mistakes, a lesson Leonardo learns the hard way.
Raphael (Brady Noon), tends to allow his anger to dictate his actions, getting his brothers and himself into sticky situations that he believes is his duty and his duty alone to get them out of.
Donatello (Micah Abbey), not as assured in his intelligence as other iterations have been, questions his decisions and his hypotheses at every crossroad, as each and every decision could be his last in a fast paced race against time to stop the mysterious superfly…
Finally, Michealangelo (Shamon Brown Jr), is trying to find ways to embrace his creativity, his silliness and his out of the box thinking, as he and his brothers feel progressively isolated from the world at large, who, or what, will allow our loveable carefree dude to let loose?
Not that an already epic action/adventure coming of age movie, with NINJA TURTLES needed anything else to aid in its digestibility to audiences of all ages, it’s soundtrack is loaded with adrenaline pumping, feet stomping bangers! With complementary slow jams to perfectly match the beats of the movie, cradling the audiences’ emotions as the Teenage Turtles battle complex emotional themes such as isolation, imposter syndrome and just general childish awkwardness, as their desire to fit into a world full of unaccepting human monsters creates turmoil between a loving father and his rebellious teens.
If you want to recline into a world of teenage naivety, heroism and overall fun, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Mutant Mayhem is that and a whole lot more.
Enjoy!
