A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is on the way this summer and Mutant Mayhem’s first trailer has already won it plenty of praise from longtime TNMT fans, partly thanks to an art style inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Nevertheless, there's a lot more to be excited about for this new generation of ninja turtles.
It hasn’t been that long since Hollywood took a swing at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and while 2019’s Out of the Shadows delivered a harsh reality check for the live action reboot, the success of last year’s TNMT: Shredder's Revenge made it clear that there’s still interest in this quintessential piece of 80s pop culture. So once again the ninja turtles are back, only this time, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Brendan O’Brien are not reviving these reptile siblings just for the sake of nostalgia.
The Art Style Is Eye-Catching And Unique
This is undoubtedly the biggest standout from Mutant Mayhem’s trailer premiere, as The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ director has taken on a new challenge to make Into the Spider-Verse’s beloved graphics work for the ninja turtles. Judging from first impressions, the ninja turtles look better than ever as the animation fits their playful personalities. The film’s darker color palette and character designs give it a real identity that will make it harder to compare to Across the Spider-Verse, which comes out before Mutant Mayhem.
Recently, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish tapped into that style to portray its action sequences and the results do speak for themselves as the Shrek spinoff became one of 2022’s best animated movies. Looks aren’t everything, yet TNMT: Mutant Mayhem is off to a great start on that front.
Just The Right Amount Of Nostalgia
The ninja turtles hit their peak thanks to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series in the 80s, as it was that show that led to massive toys sales and their successful jump to the video game realm with several titles hitting the NES, SNES and Arcades. Perhaps that’s why it’s no surprise to see the character designs from that era for Bebop and Rocksteady show up in Mutant Mayhem, however, rather than basing the entire movie on member berries, the trailer includes a few clever nods here and there (April’s comic book look, rooftop scenes, baby turtles and pizza), albeit also leaving some room for innovation.
There’s no bigger tell of this than Mutant Mayhem’s teaser starting with a film score version of the ninja turtles theme, but that aside, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael seemed quite suited to newer audiences.
The Turtles Actually Act And Sound Like Teenagers
Hardly a surprise with Mutant Mayhem being a Nickelodeon movie, but the ninja turtles come off like genuine teenagers in this first trailer. Not only are the character models some of the younger versions of the ninja turtles ever seen, but by ditching the bulky design of the live action reboots, writers can also play with a different brand of humor, especially in animation, that should allow Mutant Mayhem to target newcomers to the franchise, as well older fans.
More than that Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael have actual teenagers playing them, something that goes a long way in establishing genuine personalities for each ninja turtle, with everyone playing to their respective traits, even in this short trailer. It’s beyond doubt that those who grew up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - like Rogen- still love the franchise, yet this animated reboot to succeed Mutant Mayhem will also have to lure new fans.
An All-Star Voice Cast Of Mutants
Mutant Mayhem made a great call casting young voice actors to play the turtles, yet having the likes of Jackie Chan, John Cena, Ice Cube, Rose Byrne, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Rudd, Post Malone and Rogen himself on the supporting cast will do wonders for TNMT. Sure, having famous actors is almost a norm in animated films, but that can easily backfire, with no better example than Chris Pratt’s casting in Super Mario Bros.
This film will live and die by its ninja turtles, yet the presence of bigger names will boost its marketing appeal, while also adding somewhat experienced actors in the genre, without placing too much of a burden on them.
TNMT: Mutant Mayhem Checks All The Right Boxes For A Reboot
In an era of countless remakes, sequels, reimaginings and reboots, few projects can justify their existence on their own merits over nostalgia. For Mutant Mayhem, a new animation style unlocks new possibilities from an aesthetic and storytelling standpoint that were not available in 80s or 90s, as Into the Spider-Verse’s visual identity is almost as comic book as it gets for a modern film.
Donatello getting stabbed by one of Raphael's sai is a scene that wouldn’t fly past old censorship, so Mutant Mayhem will see a new brand of ninja turtles being presented to a generation that might have never seen them before. Add the endless punchlines granted by contemporary humor and the ninja turtles time traveling past, and suddenly this is one reboot that can really make a case for itself in the trailer.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is scheduled for release on August 4, 2023.