“Mutant Mayhem” tells the origin story of the Turtles along with their father and mentor, the rat known as Splinter (Jackie Chan in an inspired casting choice). All four turtles have been trained in the ways of the Ninja (through some truly amusing methods, I might add) and are told to stay away from the evil humans. Splinter says on more than one occasion that their home in the sewers is the safest place for them to be, but the Turtles, like any other teens, want to get out and see the world for themselves. After a chance meeting with high school reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri) the foursome decide to help her to help catch a new super criminal known only as Superfly (Ice Cube, clearly having the time of his life). In becoming heroes, the foursome hope to become accepted by humanity at large. Trouble is, Superfly is really a giant fly with a gang of mutants with a plan to kill all the humans on the planet, which presents the young Turtles with something of an ethical dilemma.
Writers Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg, and director Jeff Rowe invigorate the series by having the Turtles behave as normal teens, albeit ones with extraordinary abilities. Leanardo(Nicolas Cantu) is not the noble leader yet (he’s actually more of a snitch, actually), Donatello (Micha Abbey) isn’t the tech guru yet, and Michaelangelo (Shaman Brown Jr.) and Raphael (Brady Noon) are still newbies to the crime fighting game, although Raphael’s anger issues are fully developed by this point. Even Splinter has some growing to do as he holds on too tight to his kids in fear of the unknown. It makes for a mostly compelling story that adds fresh life to these well-known characters.
The animation here is wonderful. It kind of resembles the hand-drawn look of the “Spiderverse” films but feels a little rougher, almost a Claymation sort of texture. But the action is fluid and well-choreographed, with the fight between Splinter and a bunch of goons holding the Turtles captive being one of the highlights. The colors and lighting are likewise amazing with a full-bodied appearance that makes for a one hour, forty-five minute jolt of eye candy.
The script doesn’t quite live up to the imagery. The problem is, ironically enough, the Turtles act like real teenagers. It may be authentic, but it isn’t always entertaining. In fact, it can be downright irritating at times. There are several scenes in the first half of the film that feature all four Turtles talking over each other in an effort to be heard. The end result is an unintelligible cacophony of noise that made this old man’s ears hurt. It was like a David Mamet script on crack. That said, the film actually levels out a bit as the foursome gradually come together as a team. The values embodied by the film are still relevant and the cast does a good job of making us empathize with these characters.
Speaking of the cast, although the Turtles are voiced by unknowns, the rest of the cast is quite impressive, including such stars as Rose Byrne, Paul Rudd, John Cena, May Rudolph, Giancarlo Esposito, Seth Rogan, and even Post Malone. All do very good work, and Chan is a standout as Splinter, but the MVP has to go to Ice Cube as Superfly. His turn as the genius-level insect and overall baddie is a joy to watch. Cube takes his rapper personality and turns up to eleven (all in a kid-friendly manner, of course. although he does get to quote Ice-T’s “Six In The Mornin'” for a nice laugh.) Cube is able to express the anger Superfly carries and his need for vengeance while being supremely entertaining at the same time. You can just tell he loves voicing this character and that energy is infectious. The movie improves greatly whenever Superfly is on screen.
So overall, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is a pretty darn good film. It’s energy can be a little overwhelming at times and the dialogue, especially in the first half of the film, can feel like nails on a chalkboard, but the overall story, performances and beautiful animation make this a film worth checking out for the whole family. 3 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!
