Jul 28, 2023

-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem- Review Summary: The reboot of this franchise is a knockout.

We're just a week away from the Nickelodeon movie's theatrical debut and Paramount Pictures' latest push for a reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and critics have been chime with its latest animated entry to the franchise.

Directed by Jeff Lowe (Mitchell's vs. Machine) and co-directed by Kyler Spears, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the film's ambitious A

Praise for this film was almost unanimous among critics. If there is repeated criticism, that knock is not omnipresent in the initial reaction, but that the film may be a little light on the story.

The most common aesthetic comparison among reviewers makes sense since Sony's Mitchell vs. Machine, Lowe co-directed that film. That said, reviewers largely agree that the film takes a step back from what was done in Mitchell and does a great job of embracing the roots of the Turtles comic book.

Many Mutant Mayhem reviews favorably compare the film to the super–successful Spider-Verse franchise, and the reason is clear. That franchise has set the standard for the adventurous hand-drawn aesthetics of cg animated films, and has also earned box office.

It's worth noting, especially to parents trying to introduce young ones to the franchise, many critics have commented on the film's often violent action scenes, which may have pushed the film to more adult ratings if they star in live-action films. Few people have shown that violence is a downside, but that's something viewers should know before buying a ticket.

Mutant Mayhem was written by Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg, and Rowe. In addition to Nickelodeon and Paramount, Mutant Mayhem is produced by Image Comics and Point Gray Pictures. The animation was processed by Mikros Animation and Cinesite Vancouver.

Overall, Mutant Mayhem has proven to be a hit with critics. Rotten Tomatoes has 97% of reviews, with 73% critical approval rating, an average of 16 points and a 3-point average.

Here's a more specific look at what critics say about the latest Turtles movie.

For variety, Peter Debruzzi praised the risk of the film's adventurous animation:

Behind the scenes, Helmer Jeff Rowe takes the loose, pseudo-hand-drawn style of Mitchell's vs. The Machine (which he co-directed) and pushes it further here so that every frame has a scribbled, street art aesthetic. It's a radical choice - in both strategic and surfer - that speaks a sense of the word- and it's no more different with the dark atmosphere and photorealistic textures seen in the last two theatrical outings of turtles

Clarisse Loughrey At The Independent writes:

Mutant Mayhem suggests that studios are actually allowing animated filmmakers more than mindlessly hops to the latest trends, like Mitchell vs The Machines and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish before it. The film, born out of an independent comic book scene, sees exactly what the franchise, enhanced by Saturday morning comics, will look like.

In her review for Mashable, Kristi Puchko said:

Lowe and Spears proudly avoid the sophisticated look of their movie companions animation star throughout the film, with settings, props and characters painted in slap and color, highlighting the human hands involved in their making. There is a graffiti to be painted. (Think of Spider-Man's drafting line: Beyond the Spider Verse.This style brings texture and personality to every frame of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, reminding the audience that beyond the bland precision of photorealism, there are much more interesting things that can be done in computer animation.

Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck is definitely a fan:

It resembles the Spider-Verse animated film and resembles an underground comic with deliberately rough characters and background design, directed by Lowe and directed by Kyler Spears. The film, co-directed by the band, features vivid inimitable visuals that perfectly fit the rambunctious and frequently violent proceedings. The dialogue consistently proves interesting (not surprising given Rogen's participation), and the fact that the young actors who express TMNTs were teens when they actually recorded their performances infuses a welcome youthful energy into the progression.

And Indiewire's Kate Erbland said:

The film's dynamic animation style - both painterly and graffiti - was intended to look like a product of neon-heavy, vibrant, punchy, free sketchbook - probably reminiscent of Mitchell vs. the audience. "I'm not going to let that happen," he said. The machine Lowe has written and shown before is the primary reference point for the look and feel of this film. Its animation style also allows the film, rated PG "for violence and sequence of action, language and rude material,"it would probably have landed a live-action version pretty solid R to escape the amazing violence and real grotesquerie moments.