What came to mind before I experienced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was the famous term …COWABUNGA! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is full throttle family fun. The humor is perfect, the action is perfect, and it is colorfully creative with the nostalgia that adults and children love.
As a childhood lover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (dating way back to the days of VHS), I feel like this is the perfect remake. It actually beats the ones produced by Michael Bay. The turtles have the moves and the sarcasm for awesomeness. In fact, the awesomeness does not stop with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
This is the plot of the film. The setting is New York City. Turtles Leonardo (voiced by Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (voiced by Micah Abbey), Raphael (voiced by Brady Noon) and Michelangelo (voiced by Shamon Brown Jr.) are being shunned by human society. Their guardian, Master Splinter (voiced by Jackie Chan) prohibits them from being around humans. Deep down though, they want to be heroes of their city and they believe they can protect the public by putting their ninja skills to work.
One human who has faith in the turtles is April (voiced by Ayo Edebiri). She’s a journalist and she sees the positive cause of the turtles. And despite Master Splinter’s strictness, the turtles have a job to do. They must protect the city from the enemy, Superfly (voiced by Ice Cube). They also face a variety of other creepy creatures ranging from Rocksteady (voiced by John Cena), Leatherhead (voiced by Rose Byrne), and more. The turtles believe their skills are up to the task and they want to serve and protect.
What I loved about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was how it mixes 80s classics with what’s popular in present society. There are references to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off from 1986 and there are also references to artists who are popular today. So this animated masterpiece keeps its tune with what is current today while staying fictional and enthralling. It is one invigorating ride and is tons of joy.
The film is also brilliant because it keeps its audience of all ages connected. There is a joyful tune for everyone, whether they be adults or children. The turtles are sarcastic at times, but it’s not over the top and doesn’t detract from the positive vibe of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. It was also fun to remember how much the turtles love pizza.
Ultimately, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is just one fun ride of positive action. It will bring its audiences back into the Ninja Turtle groove, and it will have viewers craving pizza. But above all, it will bring its audience many memories of turtle mayhem. The film can be slightly cheesy at times, but I found it memorable and a great time.
Three out of four stars.
