Saturday, 5 August 2023

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - The scoop and digest

Jeff Rowe reboots franchise for the second time on the big screen.

Micah Abbey - Donatello
Shamon Brown Jr. - Michelangelo
Nicolas Cantu - Leonardo
Brady Noon - Raphael
Jackie Chan - Splinter
Ice Cube - Superfly
Ayo Edebiri - April O'Neil
Maya Rudolph - Cynthia Utrom

Summary

Baxter Stockman creates a mutagen which turns animals into mutants, beginning with a housefly.

After Techno Cosmic Research Institute executive Cynthia Utrom sends a team to hunt rogue scientist down, he's killed in an explosion, with mutagen falling into the sewers of New York City.

15 years later, the turtles have been raised by their adoptive rat father Splinter, teaching them the ways of ninjutsu.

Rodent became proficient in martial art by watching a video of Kerry Li's Guide to Self Defense.

When a criminal known as Superfly commits a series of TCRI related robberies, Leo and co meet and team up with budding journalist April O'Neil to stop him from destroying humanity.

Mid-credits

While the turtles are enjoying the school prom, Cynthia is surveying their every move.

Intent on capturing the heroes in a halfshell, she orders "Bring me the Shredder."

A mysterious caped and armoured figure is seen from behind.

Pizza time

Nostalgic, current, funny and charming, both noobs and ardent fans should be more than satisfied. 

While art style isn't as aesthetically pleasing as Spider-Verse, it's very distinctive, awash with energy, lively scribbles and uneven outlines.

Kudos must be given to leads, with each personality separated by more than the colour of respective headbands.  

Rocksteady, (John Cena), Bebop (Seth Rogen), Genghis Frog (Hannibal Buress), Leatherhead (Rose Byrne), Wingnut (Natasia Demetriou), Ray Fillet (Post Malone) and Mondo Gecko (Paul Rudd) are a hoot.

Ice Cube's Blaxploitation villain (who becomes a whale Kaiju) is eminently likeable, but Jackie Chan's delivery steals the comedic show.

Along with a bunch of other songs, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross compose a killer score.

Despite an unnecessarily loud third act, some disorientating action sequences and saccharine ending, I hope a sequel is commissioned.

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