One of the greatest surprises of the year has to be “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” a film that I never would’ve expected to be as terrific as it is. Co-directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears and co-written by Rowe, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, this animated feature is confident, action packed, funny, and is a visual delight. It’s a crowning achievement in animation, and the perfect summer movie to boot.
The film tells the origin story of four turtle brothers, Raphael (Brady Noon), Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), who were mutated after a dangerous laboratory explosion left them covered in radioactive ooze. Their adopted father Splinter (Jackie Chan), a kind and elderly New York City sewer rat, has sheltered his teenage sons from the harsh, dangerous, and judgmental human world for over a decade. Deciding that they want to be accepted as normal teenagers, the brothers head out into the city on their own, crossing paths with young reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri). A fast friendship develops, and the turtles find themselves taking on a mysterious crime syndicate that’s run by fellow mutants.
It’s a good story that’s elevated by across-the-board talent. Spears and Rowe’s crackerjack direction is on point, especially when it comes to orchestrating thrilling action scenes. This is easily one of the most well-directed animated features I’ve ever seen. Energetic and bursting with enthusiasm, it’s nearly impossible not to have a blast watching this movie.
The characters are great, too. The turtles may be mutants, but they still act like regular, dumb teenage boys, finding humor in the silliness of everyday experiences. The voice performances are outstanding too, with a talented cast and a diversity that feels natural and appropriate. Everyone (including Paul Rudd, Ice Cube, John Cena, Rose Byrne, and Giancarlo Esposito) gives top-tier turns, and it makes the movie even better.
It’s worth noting that this animated film isn’t made for little kids, and youngsters will likely be very bored and fidgety. This is more of a movie that’s geared towards ‘tweens, teens, and their parents (especially dads over 35 who grew up with the Ninja Turtles in various iterations). I would think longtime fans would be enamored with what the film does to their classic heroes, because a person like me who had very limited knowledge of the characters was quickly won over.
Films like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” are exciting because not only are they breathing exciting life into the animation genre, they are setting the highest standards for quality, edgy animated films for adults. We should all hope for more projects of this caliber.
