TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM – “A whole lotta punk-infused juvenile fun”

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RATING

DIRECTOR

Directed by: Jeff Rowe

MAIN CAST

Micah Abbey as Donatello
Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo
Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo
Brady Noon as Raphael
Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog
Rose Byrne as Leatherhead
John Cena as Rocksteady
Jackie Chan as Splinter
Ice Cube as Superfly
Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut
Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil
Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman
Post Malone as Ray Fillet
Seth Rogen as Bebop
Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko
Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom

SYNOPSIS

It is the seventh theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film and a reboot of the series.

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.

REVIEW SUMMARY

What can you expect from Jeff Rowe’s animated TMNT reboot? A whole lotta punk-infused juvenile fun, that’s what! Yes, there are many reasons why this iteration of the turtle foursome works so well, but chief among them is the unique animation style. While it admittedly does take some getting used to, the unrefined and squiggly stylization, not to mention throwback colour pallet, pair perfectly with the zany teenage shenanigans at play. Speaking of which, the filmmakers really lean into the “teenage” aspect this time around, nailing the awkward angst and adolescent banter. The turtles’ young voice actors have great chemistry together and easily depict our heroes’ fun-loving brotherly charm. As for the other characters, well, I am not 100% sold on some of the drastic changes taken. For one, the turtles’ sensei, Splinter, is all but played for laughs here, being portrayed as an overbearing and dopy single father type. Sure, Jackie Chan gives the character a sympathetic and likable read, but gone are Splinter’s important lessons on “the way of the ninja” and self-discipline. As for franchise mainstay April O’Neil, I get why they chose to also make her a teenager, but I prefer April to be another parental figure for the turtles (at least she wears yellow). While this adaptation will no doubt ruffle some die-hard fans feathers, one thing everybody can surely agree on is that the soundtrack rocks! With Trent Reznor and his team tackling the score, and plenty of nostalgic needle drops thrown in, the energy never lets up! So yes, I say get your best green duds on and skateboard your way to the nearest movie theatre for a rad good time. Cowabunga!

BOX OFFICE TOP 5

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8.5

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