Mutant Mayhem Impressions
A couple of Fridays ago, the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie Mutant Mayhem made its debut on Paramount Plus. I was excited to see what the latest iteration of the Turtles were like and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely a different approach, but I think it’s a great addition of the lineage of TMNT.
In 2017, the Turtles were relaunched with Rise of the TMNT which was aimed at a younger audience than the previous cartoons and movies. It was an interesting approach to snag fans in the four-six age group, but it just wasn’t something a guy like me in my thirties could appreciate. I’m glad so many kids got their first introduction to the Turtles, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Mutant Mayhem raises the demographics back to the eight-to-thirteen-year range, but also contains stuff that younger fans and older fans can enjoy. The animation style is gorgeous, the voice acting tremendous, and the teen voice actors are fantastic. I wasn’t thrilled with the departure from the traditional accents that are voiced for each of the Turtles, but the characters each felt like their own. They weren’t trying to recreate something from the past and I can respect that.
The new April was modern and useful. Jackie Chan’s take on Splinter wasn’t my favorite, but the arc of the character was spot on. The villains are tremendous and the inclusion of fan favorites like Mondo Gecko made for a rewarding watch.
The film was so intriguing that my wife even put down her phone and got into it and then the next day was still talking about how much she enjoyed it.
One of my favorite moments involved 4 Non-Blondes song “What’s Up?” which is not a line I ever expected to write about a movie, even more so a TMNT movie.
As usual, you can find a bazillion reviews online, but I recommend going into the movie cold. Just kick back and enjoy a fun, easy watch. I really enjoyed it.
I’m excited to see what the new series on Paramount+ will be about next year, and I’m definitely looking forward to new movies in this franchise.
It always brings a smile to my face when the Turtles are successful and I’m glad to see they are sticking around.
