'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' - Turtle power is back

A scene from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' (Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures International)

Just when you thought the sewers were no fun anymore, everyone’s favorite amphibious quartet is back, and these boys are bringing with them some pizza, and a whole lot of mayhem.

The turtles have had a number of reboots over their long history, both on the printed page and the big and small screens, with varying levels of success. This particular reimagining goes back to the beginning yet again, with a very tweaked origin story. Be warned though, these are NOT your mommy and daddy’s turtles. If like most fans you were introduced to the pizza-loving foursome through the hit 1980’s cartoon, then this will be a definite departure. There is a lot going on, but if your heart is with the old-school turtles, just remember your mileage may vary.

As far as the story goes, there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking. And that’s ok, the turtles on screen have usually been more goofy and fun than dramatic and hefty anyway. It's another origin story redo, one that the turtles have had many times before. However what it does really well from other versions, is really emphasize the TEEN in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The brothers are all 15 years old in this one and like most humans at that age, are not entirely sure of themselves. They’re presented in a more three dimensional way, and aren’t defined by the single trait we usually know of them, such as Leo being the serious leader, Raph always being angry, Donnie being a tech guy and Mikey being the family jester. Here they have interests and nuances which are fun and refreshing to see develop. They’re longing to belong, but aren’t sure if they even really belong anywhere except the sewer. In a sense, they’re still a bit uncomfortable in their own shells, so to speak.

Another angle this version explores really well is the idea of Splinter as their dad, and not just their sensei. It’s easy to overlook that little fact, but not only did he teach them how to fight and vanish into the shadows without a trace, he also taught them how to read and write and made them brush their teeth before bedtime. The brothers always refer to him as Master Splinter, but this movie is one of the few instances they call him dad.

Like a number of animated movies of late, Mutant Mayhem eschews the prolific Pixar look, the hyper-realistic, polished, detailed representation of reality, for a more stylized, scribbly aesthetic. It is reminiscent of the art style of the Spiderverse movies, but more rough around the edges. The intent was to have the movie look like it was drawn by teens, in keeping with the whole coming-of-age theme, and it works. It has an energy and a vitality you expect of youth, when everything was a big deal and you weren’t hindered by little things like art teachers telling you how to do art properly. Stylistically, it is closer to the turtles’ indie comic roots.

The voice work is top notch with Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey played by actual teenage actors, Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Micah Abbey and Shamon Brown respectively. Jackie Chan delivers a very different but sympathetic father figure as Splinter. The rest of the cast though, with the exception of Ice Cube as the big baddy Superfly, were great but sadly underused, not getting much screentime to let their characters breathe.

The humor can be a bit on the gross and juvenile side of things. But aside from that, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is like catching up with the gang from highschool for an hour and a half where you can let your mask down and you don’t need to hide how much of a weirdo, oddball, geek, nerd or goof you really are.

The movie opens on Aug. 23, don’t forget to watch, and don’t forget to bring pizza. COWABUNGA!!!