Time: 116 Minutes
Age Rating: PG – Violence & coarse language
Cast:
Micah Abbey as Donatello
Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo
Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo
Brady Noon as Raphael
Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil
Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom
John Cena as Rocksteady
Seth Rogen as Bebop
Rose Byrne as Leatherhead
Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut
Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman
Jackie Chan as Splinter
Ice Cube as Superfly
Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko
Austin Post as Ray Fillet
Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog
Director: Jeff Rowe

I’m not a big fan of the TMNT, but I had seen some of the movies. I have watched the 2007 animated film, the live action Michael Bay produced movies of the 2010s, and the live action TMNT movie from 1990. Some people were highly praising the newest animated movie, so I decided to check it out, and it turned out to be pretty good.

The story isn’t anything special, its straightforward and familiar for the TMNT. It definitely isn’t anything groundbreaking, but its handled quite well. It really embraces the silliness, the comedy works, and it is entertaining throughout. Usually, modern-day pop references annoy me, but I actually didn’t mind all the references in the movie. One benefit is that the titular teenage characters actually sound like they are teenagers, instead of adults in their 20s and 30s attempting to act like teenagers, which of course is helped by actually having actual teenagers play them. The characters are distinct and entertaining, and the voice cast perform them well, with Jackie Chan and Ice Cube being the standouts.  

The animation is one of the highlights, it’s incredibly visually striking. Many have compared the style to the Spider-Verse movies, and while you can definitely see the similarity, it has its own grungy and grimy feel and aesthetic, almost doodle inspired. It felt fresh and original, the action scenes are entertaining, and the movements are fluid, energetic and smooth. The score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also added a lot to the movie.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is fast paced and very entertaining, with highly stylised and energetic animation, and a great voice cast. I enjoyed it more than I was expecting, worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the TMNT. For what its worth, so far it’s the best movie I’ve seen from the franchise.