Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem REVIEW NO SPOILERS 2023
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem REVIEW NO SPOILERS 2023
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00:00 I am NOT a Sonic fan, I'm not a Super Mario Bros fan, and I'm not a Teenage Mutant Ninja
00:06 Turtles fan, but these have all had very successful films.
00:11 Film adaptations.
00:13 So with Sonic, I thought those films were pretty good.
00:16 I couldn't get into them as much as fans could, but I found them entertaining.
00:20 For what they were.
00:22 With Super Mario Bros, of course as you know I felt that film was very inaccessible to
00:26 non-fans, but of course there are more than enough Nintendo fans that they don't need
00:31 anybody else to join the party.
00:33 But when it comes to this, and I think that the past Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies
00:38 by the way have been for me more like the Sonic films.
00:42 I think Sonic is a touch better.
00:44 But this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Mutant Mayhem, oh I loved this movie.
00:50 I thought it was phenomenal as a fan of genre storytelling.
00:54 But I think if I was a child, this movie would blow my mind.
00:59 Oh my goodness.
01:00 If you know any child, you should take them to this.
01:04 Because they are just going to have such a special experience.
01:07 And not only will they be entertained, but I think it will introduce them to the world
01:11 of art.
01:12 Isn't that cool that a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie would do that?
01:16 Oh, it's so exciting.
01:18 And for sure, Spider-Verse has had a huge effect on the animation industry.
01:24 Inspiring other animation studios to up their game creatively, both in terms of artistry
01:30 and camera placement and movement.
01:32 Ah, exciting stuff!
01:34 And then also to realize that finally, outside of Asia, adults in the West are now showing
01:38 up in a major way for animation.
01:40 We've been talking about this, I think a lot of it has to do with streaming and all the
01:44 animated adult content that's been put there, and I think it's finally broken down that
01:49 barrier which has existed for way too long!
01:51 It's ridiculous!
01:52 But anyway, animation in the West - no longer primarily for families and kids.
01:58 You know, there have always been animation fans, but this is like I said, we're really
02:02 starting to see animation be as much a commercial product - you know, it still is - but also
02:11 now an art form.
02:13 And that's really exciting!
02:15 Now speaking of varying degrees, Puss in Boots, which was also clearly inspired by Spider-Verse,
02:23 I think is a slightly more mainstream version of that.
02:25 But on the flip side, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I would say is slightly more artistic.
02:31 Whoa, whoa, whoa!
02:32 No disrespect to Spider-Verse.
02:35 Spider-Verse certainly plays up the art of animation, comics and graffiti.
02:40 But Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dabbles in experimental art - oh, that's so cool!
02:46 - reflecting its indie comic book roots and the nature of its protagonists.
02:51 Mutant experiments!
02:52 The ooze!
02:53 The ooze!
02:54 I love the ooze!
02:55 When you see the title treatment, that was one of the coolest things I ever saw at the
02:59 beginning of the movie.
03:00 I won't spoil it, but when they have some cool visual effect and then they go into the
03:04 logo, I was like, "Oh, that's just genius!"
03:10 The Best Animated Feature Oscar this year is gonna be competitive!
03:14 And Disney, once the animation pioneer - for instance, Sleeping Beauty was considered really
03:19 ahead of its time and it did a lot of new stuff in the space.
03:23 I know it doesn't seem as experimental as these newer films, but you know, Disney used
03:27 to be pushing the edge of the envelope.
03:30 And they're getting left behind!
03:31 I mean, Wish is certainly innovative, right, to a degree?
03:34 I mean, I haven't seen the film yet.
03:36 But based on the trailers, it just doesn't seem as bold as what these other animation
03:41 studios are doing.
03:43 Although, of course, a major studio like Disney has become, you know, I guess understandably
03:48 very risk-averse.
03:50 But they're gonna have to get past that if they want to stay a leader in their field.
03:54 And 2023 is indeed the year of movies based on toys!
03:57 We've got Super Mario Bros, Barbie, and now Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
04:02 And while Barbie does a fantastic job highlighting the personal growth of girls and women, I
04:07 thought on the flipside it was really great to see this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shine
04:12 a light on teenage boys.
04:15 And also, I think, guys as well, through Splinter.
04:17 And I thought that was really nice.
04:19 And fascinating to come so close to Barbie.
04:23 But to hear the Turtles talking about their hopes and dreams, what they want out of life,
04:28 was really moving.
04:30 And end their relationship with their adopted dad, Splinter.
04:33 Not only are Splinter scenes hilarious, but his love for his sons is equally moving.
04:40 And he's not just their dad, as I said, his own life journey and what he's thinking and
04:45 hoping is also explored.
04:46 And I thought that was really great.
04:48 I loved it.
04:49 And I would hope that, you know, everybody would check out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
04:53 just as I would hope everybody would check out Barbie!
04:55 Don't you want to know what people are thinking about?!
04:58 And this is all conveyed not just through stellar animation and writing - we'll get
05:02 to the script - but first I want to talk about the incredible voice work.
05:06 Ugh, the young actors voicing our heroes do a phenomenal job.
05:10 And it makes such a difference casting age-appropriate actors for these roles.
05:14 But keep in mind, very talented young actors!
05:18 And their scenes, when I was watching it, I was like, these are either highly improvised
05:22 or so good, they feel like they're improvised.
05:25 They're that organic.
05:26 And I looked into it when I was doing this review, and I found out that co-producer/co-writer
05:32 Seth Rogen did insist on actors recording their voice work together based on some of
05:37 his past experiences.
05:38 And also watching these younger actors interact behind the scenes.
05:42 So they had up to seven actors recording at a time to get that organic feel and to allow
05:47 them to improvise.
05:49 Which is different than what's usually done, is that actors record their lines separately
05:53 and they're mixed together in post.
05:56 Jackie Chan, as I said, hilarious as Splinter.
06:00 So well cast.
06:01 While Ayo Edibiri really shines as April O'Neil.
06:05 Now I know that some people have been upset about race-bending April O'Neil, and I put
06:09 it in quotation marks because I think there's a very valid argument to be made that April
06:14 O'Neil was originally a character of color in the comics.
06:17 But really, once you see what the animation team and the script and Edibiri do here, I
06:23 mean you should be delighted.
06:24 I don't see how anyone could have a problem with this character and not just absolutely
06:28 fall in love with her.
06:29 The Bear fans know what I'm talking about.
06:32 Ah, she's great here.
06:34 Ice Cube is also perfect as the very menacing but very cool villain Superfly.
06:40 His scenes have a Tarantino-esque quality to them which I really liked.
06:44 Such a surprisingly menacing villain for what I guess could be said - I mean I think it
06:49 appeals to everyone - but for a kids movie, it's cool to see them go that far with the
06:53 villain.
06:54 As for other standouts, Paul Rudd is a real scene-stealer here.
06:58 He's so good.
06:59 And who doesn't love some Giancarlo Esposito?
07:02 Although I think he's this close to being overexposed.
07:05 Cause he's doing so much voice work these days, I just hear him everywhere.
07:09 And while I couldn't tell it was Maya Rudolph voicing Cynthia Ultron while I watched the
07:14 movie, I did note that that character had a really interesting voice.
07:17 I thought there were some cool choices made there.
07:20 And pay attention to this character because while her role is small, she sets up some
07:24 elements that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans will be very excited about.
07:27 I got one right off the bat, and then the other one when I was looking into her character
07:31 I was like "Oh, I see now where they're going with this!"
07:34 There is one extended mid-credits scene.
07:37 But there isn't anything at the very end.
07:38 So once you see that mid-credits scene, you can go.
07:42 So yes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been around for a very long time, and there
07:46 have been plenty of movies based on them.
07:48 But this one is the most organic and authentic.
07:51 I never got into the animated series, which itself has had a lot of versions, but I've
07:57 seen all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies because I'm a movie fan.
08:01 But this is the first one that I would watch again.
08:03 That I'm excited to watch again.
08:05 And that I want to share with other people, because again I feel it's a work of art.
08:09 Seth Rogen don't miss, especially when it comes to superheroes and animation.
08:13 Not only does he have a small voice cameo here - very small, everybody else in the movie
08:16 has a very small role - but he co-wrote and co-produced this film as I said, and it's
08:22 just as good as The Boys and Invincible, which he's also behind.
08:26 The script is not just funny and very moving as I said, but it's also full of tense moments
08:30 and tons of action.
08:31 Ah, loved it.
08:33 And while I didn't like The Mitchells vs The Machines, as some of you know, director
08:37 Jeff Roe deserves credit here as well.
08:40 He's been an animation writer for a while in television, and he co-directed Mitchells.
08:44 But this is his first solo outing as a director, and I think he's got a very bright future.
08:49 I could even see him jumping to live action.
08:51 But he does a phenomenal job.
08:54 And the score!
08:55 Ah, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross doing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie?
09:00 Glorious!
09:01 I am getting this soundtrack for sure.
09:04 There were so many scenes in the movie that were already at an 11, but when the score
09:08 kicked in, it went up to 12.
09:10 Ah!
09:11 There was also a lot of 80s and 90s references, not only to the heiress themselves, but the
09:16 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during that time.
09:19 When they were arguably at the height of their popularity.
09:21 And there were some other - I think there were some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans
09:24 in my press screening, because they were laughing at some things that I think were specifically
09:29 Easter Eggs and jokes for hardcore fans.
09:32 But I was just having a great time anyway.
09:34 I would strongly recommend that you see this movie in theaters.
09:39 Now I can't recommend 3D, because they showed us the movie at the press screening in 2D.
09:43 And my rule usually is that if the studio doesn't bother to show it to the press in
09:47 3D, that means they don't totally stand behind that version of the film.
09:50 But I gotta say, based on how cool this movie is, and it already has like a really cool
09:56 depth of field already in 2D, it could be cool in 3D.
10:00 So if you've seen it in 3D, be sure to write down below whether or not you would recommend
10:04 that experience.
10:05 But the reason I say you should see it in theaters is that the film, it takes place
10:09 entirely at night.
10:10 And it like GLOWS.
10:12 It is so atmospheric.
10:13 I can't imagine watching this movie in a brightly lit room during the day, out about in the
10:18 world or at home.
10:20 So if you DO wait for digital or streaming, be sure to turn out all the lights and watch
10:24 it at night to get that experience.
10:26 But it's meant to be seen in a theater, and it's good enough that it should be.
10:30 So that's my review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem!
10:34 Share your own thoughts down below, subscribe today, and of course as always, you can check
10:38 out some more videos right now!
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