Most people know or even love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the franchise's most loyal fans know the iconic team from the cartoons aired on TV since their first iteration in the 80s. However, the original ninja turtles were creations from the minds of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as they first started in comics before they became the wide phenomenon they are today. Now, of course, the Ninja Turtles are no stranger to movies. Regardless of what you think about the Jim Henson puppetry-influenced movies of the 90s or the CGI/Live Action Micheal Bay-directed films from the 2010s, they have garnered their own respected fanbases of love or even hate regardless of the movie. It was no surprise that Nickelodeon announced a new animated Ninja Turtles film, but what did get people’s attention was that not only the animation style was gonna be Spider-Verse influenced, but it would bring in some fresh new talent such as Actor Seth Rogen, who co-wrote the screenplay and Director Jeff Rowe who has worked on shows like “Gravity Falls” and helped direct Sony Animation’s The Mitchell’s vs the Machines. What transpired was a movie that not only brought a fresh new coat of paint to an already successful franchise but it may just be one of the best movies Nickelodeon has ever made.
Baxter Stockman’s (Giancarlo Esposito) experiments have been intervened by an unexpected strike force, resulting in some leftover ooze being drained into the city sewers. The ooze lands on four turtles and a rat named Splinter (Jackie Chan), who decides to raise the turtles as his own. Over the years, Master Splinter taught the four turtles about the art of ninjitsu and has kept them closed off from humans, fearing that they will see the turtles only as freaks. Now teenagers, the four ninja turtles, Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Raphael (Brady Noon) and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), long to live everyday lives outside of the sewers, unbeknownst to them that a typical teenage girl named April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri) discovers of the turtle's existence and the turtles beg her to help them be seen in a positive image despite Master Splinters refusals and warnings. Little do they know that there is a group of villainous mutant creatures led by Superfly (Ice Cube), and once the heroes and the villains interact, things get even more hectic than ever.
The Story will pay tribute to references and easter eggs to past Ninja Turtle incarnations. Still, you don’t have to be a die-hard Ninja Turtle fan to appreciate just how well-thought-out this storyline is. There will be plenty of action-packed moments and funny one-liners. Those things are also balanced by intelligent writing and down-to-earth sentiment; there is a youthful feel to the entire narrative that captures the feeling of being a teenager, similar to Pixar’s Turning Red. Many character arcs are set up initially and pay off very well in the end, making everything come full circle in the best way possible. If I did have to make any nitpicks, I would say that without giving too much away, the ending feels a little too happy. While it is significant that things go well for the main characters, I feel like a little bit of realism could have made the ending feel a little more exciting and impactful. Still, even that argument can’t bring down what is ultimately a fantastic story that is great for Ninja Turtle fans and for anyone who is a fan of movies like Into the Spider-Verse and wants something similar.
The Characters are so much fun, not to mention they have a star-studded cast to help bring these personalities to life. Most of us know the personalities of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themselves. Leonardo is the leader, Donatello is the nerdy one who works on machines, Raphael is the self-centered brute, and Michelangelo is the one who always loves to party. While these are the common traits for all those characters, what makes them stand out in this incarnation is how they act and feel like real teenagers. Heck, they are even voiced by real teenagers, which most other incarnations have never tried to do. They are also given flaws and challenges that come with being a typical teenager, which provides them with even more of an identity. Other voice actors also bring such a fun and lively performance to their respected characters. Jackie Chan, who voices Master Splinter, the father of the Ninja Turtles, has a fascinating backstory that helps the audience understand his dilemma with keeping his family close to him. April O'Neil, voiced by Ayo Edebiri has a sweet character arc of becoming the laughingstock of her school to becoming something she never thought she would become. There are many other great standouts, such as Ice Cube voicing the antagonist Superfly, Seth Rogen himself voicing Bebop, or John Cena voicing Rocksteady. Overall, this movie has a fantastic cast, and the movie knows how to bring out the best of their talents to enhance the feelings and turmoils they all go through.
The Animation is by far the best thing this movie has going for itself; it is evident, even from the trailers, that the style of animation is heavily based on the success of Sony’s Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse” and I see that as anything but a bad thing. This proves that The Ninja Turtles are destined to work only in the animation medium because live-action would only restrict the film's visuals and comic book-styled imagery. These visuals have a 2D painterly-like aesthetic painted on CGI models to create a unique effect. Sometimes, just the 2D animation can create effects like smoke and action lines that help the film’s visuals become a moving piece of comic art. The character designs are very stylistic, and even the Ninja Turtles are given unique features to let their personalities shine through, such as Donatello wearing big square glasses to further show his nerdy personality. The action-packed moments are so accelerating and the animation helps those scenes feel even more gigantic than any other ninja turtle movie has ever done before. Nickelodeon needs to consider doing more movies like this visually cause this film sure does stick out, seeing it's pretty unique from anything they’ve done before.
The Music is done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. these composers have worked their magic in Pixar’s Soul, which I absolutely loved, and I’m excited to say that they have pulled off a great soundtrack once more. The feel of the soundtrack goes for a very modern and youthful spirit. At first, I thought the contemporary music would get old and boring fast as I prefer a timeless movie soundtrack. Surprisingly, this soundtrack kept me intrigued and made me feel like a teenager again, thanks to how well each track is paced from one another. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have so far never disappointed me, and this movie counties their incredible streak of success.
Before this movie, I only knew bits and pieces of the Ninja Turtles Franchise. After seeing Mutant Mayhem, this film not only became one of my favorite movies of 2023, but it also managed to transform me into a Mega Ninja Turtles fan who is curious about what else the franchise has in store. That is how much I adored it. It has a youthful and colorful story brings a new perspective to our ninja turtles characters. Character arcs are well thought out, and personalities are as big and bold as their voice cast. The animation is heavily inspired by movies like Into the Spiderverse and The Mitchells Vs the Machinces to create a unique style that not only pays tribute to the Turtle’s comic origins but also gives the franchise a much-needed visual facelift. Let‘s also not forget that the music score is stellar as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross create fresh new music compositions that are modern but also very fun and lively. I have some problems with how the movie ends, but that is only a minor nitpick in the grand scheme of how great this movie truly is. Fans of the Ninja Turtle franchise and newbies will all have so much fun. This is one of the best movies Nickelodeon has ever put out, and it makes me hope for another great Ninja Turtles movie in the form of a sequel to this brilliant film.
(Final Grade: A-)