Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem
Released in theaters on August 2, 2023
Stream on Paramount+
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Rated PG
They're the world's most fearsome fighting team (they're really hip). They're heroes in a half-shell and they're green (hey, get a grip).
Everyone’s favorite mutant, pizza loving, ninja turtle teens are back for a reboot with a unique art style and an origin story that is familiar, but also different at the same time. As with any teen, our heroes have a longing to be accepted, in the case by humankind. In order to receive the acceptance they so desire they decide to thwart the evil plans of another mutant, whose origin is linked to theirs, all while keeping curfew.
Themes:
Family, friendship, dating, pizza, illegal experimentation, animal testing, chemical waste, fatherhood, brotherhood, growing up, being accepted, courage, teamwork, following rules, overbearing parents, living you life based on one bad experience, New York City, high school, prom, outcasts, bullying, being made fun of, crushes, being milked, mutations, being fifteen, evil vs. good, change, going good, changing sides, and ninjitsu.
Language:
This movie had more cursing than I expected. D*mn and Hell are each said around five times in the movie. The words piss, sucks, and crap are all used a few times. There is also name calling and several religious exclamations.
Stuff to be aware of:
There is lots of ninja fighting that includes marital arts weapons (duh dude!). Some people/characters die (mostly off screen). One person is seen dead, lying on their back. The action intensity is about the same as past turtles movies and shows. A character violently throws up. This is shown over and over again for humorous purposes. There are several other gross things. There is a very large disgusting monster that is made up of different types of animals. A male and female mutant kiss and it is gross looking (one of the characters that shares the kiss in past Ninja Turtles shows/comics has always been a boy, but you find out before they kiss that she is a girl in this universe). A bug character spits nasty looking slime and drools. A cockroach gets stepped on and a character talks about eating it.
The last thing I will mention is a running gag throughout the entire movie. One character refers to “having your blood drained” as “being milked for blood.” The turtles bring up multiple times that they have no nipples so they can’t be milked. This is brought up over and over again throughout the movie.
Overall:
This is a really fun, and creative (and at times gross) reboot of the beloved ninja turtle franchises. I loved how the turtles are voiced by actual teenagers. All the banter and cutting up feels like a high school classroom during break time. It is perfectly executed. All the turtles root personalities are there (Leader, brains, brawn, and party animal), but they are more toned down to where the turtles aren’t shoved into a stereotypical character boxes. They feel like teens, each with strengths and weaknesses.
The turtles origin story is a bit different, but it works for this slightly lighter and campier version of the turtles. The story overall is not anything we haven’t seen before, but the voice work, and family aspect give this worn super hero story lots of heart and fun. The aspect of Splinter being a single dad has always been there, but this rendition of the turtles brings the aspect of family and fatherhood to the forefront in a great way that evolves the story into something that feels fresh.
The art style is very neat. My understanding is that the creators wanted it to feel like something a teen drew. My only complaint about the style is the way some of the humans look. Some of the human characters faces, are not proportional on purposes and it looks a little like a Picasso painting.
There is not a post-credits scene, but there is a mid-credits scene. Don’t leave until the real black background with white words start scrolling.