From left, Leonardo (voice of Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey) and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Paramount Pictures
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is “Barbie” for teenage boys. Not only is it just as visually innovative and just as funny, but it has a similar mission: to examine and celebrate the complexity of an experience – in this case, what it’s like to be a 15-year-old boy – through the lens of a pop culture phenomenon. To a lesser extent, it’s also about what it’s like to parent one.
The story of TMNT, as the cool kids refer to the chelonian quartet, begins in the mid-1980s with comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It’s the story of four turtles, mutated by a mysterious ooze, being raised by their adoptive father and mentor, Splinter, a mutant rat. Over the years, the foursome became a marketing juggernaut, with an animated TV show, thousands of toys and tie-ins, a couple of live-action movies, a concept album turned stage musical (yes, really), and an appearance on a Barbara Walters special (really, really). They never entirely went away but continued to lurk in the pop culture shadows with another mediocre movie here and an animated series there. Now they’re back – and what a joyful return it is.
“Mutant Mayhem” begins, unsurprisingly, with a bit of backstory about how Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo (voices of Nicholas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon and Shamon Brown Jr., respectively) came to be. Splinter (Jackie Chan) raised the anthropomorphic amphibians from infancy after they all became infected by a substance created in a mysterious laboratory. Having experienced plenty of discrimination as an ordinary, pre-mutant rat, Splinter understandably has shunned the human world, convincing his young wards to stay in the New York City sewers to keep safe. But, just as human teens would, they decide that they know better than their perfectly rational (and much more experienced) parent and venture into the world above.
From left, April O’Neil (voice of Ayo Edebiri), Raphael (Brady Noon), Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey) and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Paramount Pictures
There they meet high school journalist April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri of “The Bear”), looking for the story that will save the world (and prom). She befriends the protagonists, and they start working together – the turtles to take down a gang of other mutants, led by the insect-like Superfly (Ice Cube), with April reporting on it. It’s a win-win: April impresses her peers, and the city recognizes that the turtles are heroes, giving them the acceptance they crave. Meanwhile, Splinter is grappling with the fact that his boys need him a little less and want to be on their own a lot more.
Two things make “Mutant Mayhem” stand out from the crowd: the voice acting and the visuals. The young actors voicing the turtles not only bring a unique presence to each character, but when the four are together, it’s an absolute cacophony of ribbing ridicule. Edebiri is also a standout, showing why she was a sought-after voice actor. And though Ice Cube always sounds like Ice Cube, it works.
The animation also soars. A combination of what looks like hand drawing, visible brushstrokes and a vaguely stop-motion aesthetic is reminiscent of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” but it also feels looser and more graffitilike (and not quite as good, but what is?). Fight scenes teeter on the brink of chaos without ever going over it, and the editing is both lovely to look at and integral to keeping things on track. Throw in a few deep cuts for the parents in the audience and you’ve got a movie that your 15-year-old might actually want to see with you. Just don’t be weird or breathe too loud, and definitely don’t hug them in public and – fine, we get it. Gawd.
Seth Rogen and longtime writing partner Evan Goldberg, heading up a large team of writers, clearly have a love for the source material and a sense for how it fits into the modern world. Moreover, “Mutant Mayhem” is the rare TMNT outing that emphasizes the “teenage” part of the title, rather than “mutant,” “ninja” or “turtles.” This is a story of family and of friendship, with enough humor to keep it from getting too sappy and enough restraint to keep it from getting too sophomoric. While there’s nothing overtly inappropriate for the younger set, there are a few times when the quartet are in perilous situations that may be too much for sensitive viewers. They pass quickly.
Any parent of a boy who has turned around one day only to find that the Minecraft-obsessed child they knew has turned into a hairy, kind of stinky quasi-psychopath intent on either injuring himself or giving his mother or father a heart attack in the process will be reminded of just how special a time this is. (For parents whose sons aren’t quite there yet, buckle up, and plan on doubling your food budget.) Seeing a child start to grow into the adult they’ll become – and seeing a movie together that grapples with what that means – is a gift. A messy, loud, confusing, joyfully chaotic, over-too-soon gift.
Talk about Turtle Power. This film’s got it.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
