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Gladiator II doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the original. It justifies its existence but could have been better.
Posted in: Movies, Review | Tagged: Mutant Mayhem, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, tmnt
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Thrills Fans Old & New
TMNT fans will fall in love for Mutant Mayhem, a perfect blend of things for the old fans and a new generation. Get ready for a fun time.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, both young and old, will find a ton to enjoy from Mutant Mayhem. A fresh start of sorts, the film avoids most of the negative trappings of origin stories, telling a fresh and exhilarating story for 95% of its run time. The third act feels a little stretched out, but other than that, this is an excellent jumping-on-point for a new generation and will surely put a smile on the face of long-time fans. The humor is fast-paced and quite funny, and the central story will tug at your heartstrings. Plenty of easter eggs for long-time fans as well.
A POINT GREY Production "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM" ©2023 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved.
Mutant Mayhem Could Lead To A New High Point For TMNT
Long-time fans should be thankful that this fresh take exists. The four brothers, voiced by actual kids for once (Nicholas Cantu, Shamon Brown Jr., Brady Noon, and Micha Abbey), feel like actual…people. They are very fleshed out and full of nuisance and humor. It is always interesting to see how each version of the TMNT will subtly tweak the formula and character traits of each Turtle, and this one is one of the most interesting yet. Ditto for April O'Neil, expertly voiced this time out by Ayo Edebiri. The five of them give off such a cool vibe and play off each other so well once they come together. There are some surprisingly powerful emotional beats from all five characters in ways we have not seen before in a TMNT adaptation.
Mutant Mayhem also does a good job of bringing an icky feeling to everything. TMNT fans can admit that there has always been an undercurrent of grossness and horror to the property, and this is the first time that it feels like the filmmakers really leaned into it. The animation style is fresh and gnarly, setting the stage from the start that this will be unlike anything TMNT fans have seen before. The mutants themselves are really well done as well; none of them are presented as anything other than their gross, authentic selves and get way more time to be established than anyone walking into the theater would expect. This is the product of a pretty tight script, credited to director Jeff Rowe, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. There may be a few too many pop culture references here and there, but the jokes and dialogue land more than it doesn't.
At the end of the day, the best part of this new start for our heroes is the amount of heart surrounding it. It is nice to see them treat the property with respect and a story that reminds us that, at its core, the TMNT are teenagers trying to navigate their place in the world, and by the end, we get something we have never really seen before, and it rules. It sets up an excellent future for the franchise and this version of it, and with the quality of Mutant Mayhem, it will be something to look forward to.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
8.5/10
Mutant Mayhem is exactly what the doctor ordered for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans. Clever, thrilling, and laugh out loud funny, there is plenty great here for old fans and a new generation.
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