A newTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmovie is on the way this summer andMutant Mayhem’sfirst trailer has already won it plenty of praise from longtimeTNMTfans, partly thanks to an art style inspired bySpider-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 theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and while 2019’sOut of the Shadowsdelivered a harsh reality check for the live action reboot, thesuccess of last year’sTNMT: Shredder’s Revengemade 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.
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The Art Style Is Eye-Catching And Unique
This is undoubtedly the biggest standout fromMutant Mayhem’strailer premiere, asThe Mitchells vs. the Machines’director has taken on a new challenge to makeInto the Spider-Verse’sbeloved 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 itharder to compare toAcross the Spider-Verse, which comes out beforeMutant Mayhem.
Recently,Puss in Boots: The Last Wishtapped into that style to portray its action sequences and the results do speak for themselves as theShrekspinoff became one of 2022’s best animated movies. Looks aren’t everything, yetTNMT: Mutant Mayhemis off to a great start on that front.
Just The Right Amount Of Nostalgia
The ninja turtles hit their peak thanks to theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesseries in the 80s, as it was that show that led to massive toys sales and their successful jump to the video game realm with severaltitles 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 inMutant 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 thanMutant Mayhem’steaser 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 withMutant Mayhembeing 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 allowMutant Mayhemto 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 theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -like Rogen- still love the franchise, yet this animated reboot to succeedMutant Mayhemwill also have to lure new fans.
An All-Star Voice Cast Of Mutants
Mutant Mayhemmade 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 forTNMT. Sure, having famous actors is almost a norm in animated films, but that can easily backfire, with no better example thanChris Pratt’s casting inSuper 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 MayhemChecks 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. ForMutant Mayhem, a new animation style unlocks new possibilities from an aesthetic and storytelling standpoint that were not available in 80s or 90s,asInto the Spider-Verse’svisual identityis 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, soMutant Mayhemwill 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 Mayhemis scheduled for release on June 16, 2025.
