After years of living in the sewer with their adoptive father, Splinter (Jackie Chan), four turtles decide that it’s time to go out into the real world. They are dying for acceptance from humans, but that acceptance has always evaded them–mainly because humans are the absolute worst. Now, however, with a new friend, April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri), and a new threat, Superfly (Ice Cube), the four brothers, Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Rafael (Brady Noon), must band together and attempt to survive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and find the acceptance they are looking for.
I’m not sure a single second of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem fails to deliver. It feels like every aspect of this film was so meticulously developed that this team left no chance for failure. Starting with the most prominent aspect of the film, the animation, this film lives up to and exceeds any expectations that viewers could have had going in to watch the first time.
The animation reminded me so much of what viewers got recently in the Spider-Man animated films, which, to a degree, is a good thing. I think the animation team behind bringing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem to life was well aware that they needed to compete with the aforementioned series, but they also needed to set themselves apart. I actually think that this film exceeds what viewers see in that other series, and I think that’s because of the attention to detail. Every scene is filled with minute details that help to bring this world to life, to allow viewers to suspend their disbelief and become fully immersed in what they are seeing on screen. I always find myself questioning the validity of animated films, not because they aren’t good or don’t possess the same important qualities of live action films, but because it can sometimes be difficult for me to put myself in the shoes of an animated character. I never had that issue with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and that almost entirely comes from the fact that this animated world was so believable and honest.
To further pull viewers into this immersive world is the voice acting. To my knowledge (of which I have very little in regard to the TMNT) this is the first time that actual teenagers have been used to voice the titular characters. Honestly, how the hell did it take so long to figure this out? And, again, I’ve only been told this–I can’t confirm whether or not this is true. Regardless, however, the young voices of Cantu, Brown Jr., Abbey, and Noon help to bring these characters to life–and they allow the turtles to feel interestingly real. We’re obviously watching animated characters roam the animated streets of a fictionalized New York City, but their voices remind viewers of real teenages, ones that we likely know. The sometimes prepubescent sounding voices add a layer of believability to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem that allows the film to take a step past other animated films of a similar nature.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem manages to incorporate some adult themes and adult comedy into the narrative. They accomplish this in a way that sees them remain subtle enough for young audiences not to understand, but forward enough for mature audiences to quickly pick up on. However, mature comedy is only a small part of the comedic repertoire of Writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, and the others. It seems that at every turn this team finds a way to incorporate comedy, to bolster the comedic nature of the film, and, if it was even possible, pull viewers further into this film. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem captivated me from the opening moments, and the comedy kept me laughing out loud from beginning to end.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the surprise hit of the summer in my opinion. Every aspect of this film was developed beautifully. From the animation to the voice acting and the dialogue to the set design, not a moment of this film passes that does enthrall viewers. Everyone is brilliant throughout the course of this film, but the core pieces of the film, the turtles, Splinter, and April are everything that this film needs and more. Their ability to harness emotion, to deliver endless jokes, and bring this film to life with a massive energy is incredible–and they are ultimately what will find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem success.
Directed by Jeff Rowe & Kyler Spears.
Written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Brendan O’Brien, Peter Laird, & Kevin Eastman.
Starring Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Paul Rudd, Austin Post, Hannibal Buress, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
Comentários