Mutant miracle: ‘Ninja Turtles’ a visually splendid adventure

As a lifelong fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I’m probably not the most objective critic when it comes to a new film about the pizza-loving heroes on a half shell.

Over the years with The Press, I’ve spilled ink praising things like straight-to-home video animated features, multiple Nickelodeon television series, and the mostly forgotten 2007 film, “TMNT.” I’d put the 1990 live-action film (with the Jim Henson puppets) on a list of the Top 5 comic book movies of all time).

And even though I bashed the Michael Bay-produced live-action films from 2014 and 2016 alongside everyone else, I probably had a couple nice things to say about them. Maybe. Seems hard to imagine now.

So I suppose readers are right to be skeptical when I declare the new CG-animated film, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” as one of the best family-friendly movies of the year.

To combat any potential accusations of bias, consider the near-universal acclaim “Mutant Mayhem” has garnered from audiences and critics across the country: A mid-90s score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive 74 on the more “highbrow” review counter on Metacritic and an “A” Cinemascore from audiences surveyed on its opening weekend.

“Mutant Mayhem” succeeds for fans and non-fans alike because it prioritizes story, character and dazzling visual style over the kind of vacant nostalgia-baiting that’s floundered past “Ninja Turtles” entries, as well as so many other beloved properties of the 80s and 90s.

The sketchbook-like character designs, intentionally grimy backdrops and dynamic CGI cinematography are gorgeously executed, crafted by a team led by director Jeff Rowe, a writer and co-director on the acclaimed Netflix-released “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” (one of the best movies of 2021, animation or otherwise).

For perhaps the first time in the franchise, “Mutant Mayhem” prioritizes the “teenage” component of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” focusing on a story of four-sheltered brothers (who, yes, happen to be sewer-dwelling mutants) hoping to be accepted enough by society to attend high school and do other regular teen activities. The turtles are all voiced by actual teenagers this time around too, and producers/co-writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (mining their “Superbad” expertise) opted to record the young actors’ dialogue at the same time in the same recording booth. It results in endearing, frequently hilarious banter from Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo and Brady Noon as Raphael.

Most importantly, the brothers’ unique personalities appear in more subtle ways within these interactions. While the four characters share a common mission, the chatter reveals distinct motivations and approaches to their desire to be normal.

Series regular April O’Neil arrives early to befriend the Turtles as well, here as a teenager who copes with her own outcast status by diving into novice investigative journalism. Her reasoning: If she can expose the criminal mastermind currently terrorizing the city (and canceling prom), then maybe her classmates will accept her too.

The Turtles’ father-figure, giant rat Master Splinter, also highlights a major subplot, as his own hatred of humans makes him blind to his sons’ unhappiness underground. Voiced with gusto by Jackie Chan, Splinter becomes the surprising heart of “Mutant Mayhem,” and Rowe and the team even give the character an exciting action sequence inspired by Chan’s memorable fighting technique.

With no Shredder in sight, bad guy duties belong to Superfly, a giant, vengeful mutant fly voiced by a fun/menacing Ice Cube. Superfly has assembled a collection of henchman both iconic and obscure from Turtle lore, including Bebop (Rogen) and Rocksteady (John Cena). The side characters don’t play a huge role in the movie, but a strong bench of comedic voices make their appearances memorable (especially Paul Rudd as surf-bro Mondo Gecko).

Fast, funny and filled with distinct action and a strong focus on its characters, “Mutant Mayhem” is animated IP made with passion and devotion to story. It’s a visual delight with strong core mechanics, much like the summer’s biggest hits, “Barbie” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse.”

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.