Originally published to 8newsnow.com on July 29, 2023.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the latest go at a franchise starter based on the titular reptilian heroes popularized by the 1987 cartoon television show and 1990s film series. Those, of course, were preceded by the 1984 comic series.

This newest incarnation of the Turtles takes the form of an animated film, very much borrowing its style from the Spider-Verse series of Spider-Man movies. The animation itself does have downsides. Action can sometimes be hard to track, but its positives outweigh the negatives as its unique hand-animated style lends itself to the film’s young and fresh direction.

It’s that direction that makes Mutant Mayhem a breath of fresh air. The voice actors that play Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Raphael (Brady Noon), and Michaelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) are all actual teenagers. These casting choices immediately give the film a genuine feel. These Turtles feel like modern teenagers. They use smartphones and social media and listen to a lot of classic hip-hop and K-pop. Paired with natural and unforced dialogue, Mutant Mayhem is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by way of Superbad, and it’s a wonderful combination.

Most know the story by now, four baby turtles and their rat patriarch come in contact with radioactive materials and grow into human-sized turtles. This version of Splinter, however, isn’t trained by a ninja master, and his sons aren’t necessarily ready for their first fights, as seen in Mutant Mayhem. Here are not the polished ninjas we’ve seen in other incarnations of the Turtles.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide a score that highlights the film’s heart during emotional beats, and supporting voice performances from Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, and Paul Rudd add depth to what could have been flimsy children’s fare.

Mutant Mayhem earns a recommendation by not overstaying its welcome. It’s an entertaining and efficient story that leaves open the opportunity to tell more of these Turtles’ stories, maybe even allowing kids who become fans of Leo, Mikey, Donnie, and Raph to grow up with these turtles as they move forward into more mature sequels.