“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is an animated movie released in 2023. It follows the heroes in a half-shell as they search for a way to earn the acceptance of humans. It stars Nicholas Cantu as Leonardo, Shaman Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Micah Abbey as Donatello, and Brady Noon as Raphael. Of course I can’t forget to mention that it was directed by Seth Rogan himself, which definitely shows. Mutant Mayhem is a funny, thrilling, and heartwarming ride, and frankly one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen in recent memory.

When the trailers first started coming out, it was already clear they were putting a lot of money into this. It features an all-star cast that includes Ice Cube, Jackie Chan, Paul Rudd, and Post Malone. The soundtrack consists of some major artists as well, including A Tribe Called Quest, Vanilla Ice, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. All of these appearances prove that they planned on going all out from the very beginning.

The animation is even more unique. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s certainly inspired by movies like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” that use 3D animation in a way that gives off a hand-drawn feel, but it’s different enough that it still seems completely original. It’s not necessarily pretty like most art styles you’ll see in movies. It’s dirty, grimy, crooked, and it works perfectly for a movie about mutants that live in the sewers. Don’t think it’s hard to look at, though. As perfectly ugly as it is, it’s still packed to the brim with stylish color.

I mentioned the soundtrack already, but I haven’t brought up the score yet. Its original soundtrack has a mix of acoustic and electronic sounds that work so well you won’t even notice it most of the time. It’s overall atmospheric, but knows exactly when to be tense or epic when the story needs it.

The story itself is amazing. It’s nothing too crazy and focuses mostly on the characters. It’s amazing at getting you to care for the turtles in a way that hasn’t been done before. You relate to them immediately and want them to win. This keeps you interested in what’s happening from start to finish and doesn’t let up. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is a heartfelt and exciting movie and an amazing way to introduce the new generation to the turtles. I give it a 9/10.