Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Director: Jeff Rowe
Written by: Seth Rogen
Editing: Greg Levitan
Music by: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Production: Nickelodeon & Point Grey Pictures
Distributer: Paramount Pictures
If you love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you’ll have a blast with the newest film in the franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This movie, directed by Jeff Rowe and written by Seth Rogen, is a fun and action-packed adventure that will make you feel like a kid again. Admittedly, I was a bit worried about Seth Rogen’s comedy style when I heard he was writing TMNT, but he really nailed it. His writing shows a heavy level of respect for the Turtles franchise as well as some surprisingly mature messaging.
And how the heck did they get away with that soundtrack in a kids movie? I doubt the kids will notice, but it was a bold choice and fit perfectly! Within all of that, Rogen and Rowe manage to do something that I don’t think has ever actually happened in a TMNT film or TV history: Mutant Mayhem actually lets the Turtles be teenagers!
As a dad of a teen, experience has taught me a few truths. Teens are frustrating, stubborn, brave, goofy and often choose the most complex way to solve a problem. These Turtles are all of those things, and you love them for it. Their longing to be accepted for who they are is the central point of the plot and the film masterfully shows the lengths they’ll go to to make that happen. It ultimately puts them up against a foe who’s given up on that dream and just wants the world to burn.
One of the best parts of Mutant Mayhem is its amazing voice cast. Nicholas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr, and Brady Noon perfectly voice Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael respectively. Each of them gives performances that would have you believe that they’ve been friends, brothers even, for years, and are just having fun hanging out together. Ice Cube does his thing as the villain Superfly, a true cracked mirror version of the Turtles whose cynical view on acceptance has turned him into a hard, no compromise leader for his own mutant family. The most remarkable performance in this movie is Jackie Chan as Splinter. I grew up watching TMNT, but Splinter never felt like a real father to me. Jackie Chan brings Rogen’s script to life with his amazing voice acting and shows us that Splinter cares for the Turtles not just as his pupils but as his sons. He has a deep desire to shield them from the dangers of the world, and to be cherished and trusted by them.
If you’re a TMNT fan, you’ve probably already seen it. If you haven’t, you should. It was a love letter to the fans, and a great introduction for new ones. I urge you to go see it on the big screen if you can: it’s worth every penny. And don’t forget to bring the kids along, they will love it too. This film really respects the TMNT legacy in a way that Michael Bay wishes his live action films did. It may be the best TMNT film released since the first one all the way back in 1990.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is in theaters now.
Eric Snell
esnell@comicattack.net
