Movie review can be read here.
These days, it seems recognition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle as a comic book series isn’t as widely recognised. And as for why director Jeff Rowe and head writer Seth Rogen do not say a thing in the home video release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem, my guess is that neither of them doesn’t want to get involved in that quagmire of talking about how the IP changed hands over the years.
Although his love began with the cartoons, I like to know if either read the comic books. Until there’s a definitive answers, what this writing team is rewriting won’t have everyone interested.
The reason for my loyalty to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird‘s concept is that Splinter hailed from Japan, thus giving him the credibility to teach the turtles not only the bushido code but also what being a ninja is about. Rogen’s redesign changes all that when everything is learned from kung fu movies, and perhaps a bit of Jackie Chan. I found it strange he doesn’t talk the influence of all those ninja movies as they were very popular throughout the 80s cinema landscape.
As for past takes, animated or not, to discuss all those incarnations can get confusing; and yes, a multiverse exists because of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Amazon link)–which may be the best presentation to date which understands why the Japanese connection is important! Also, the turtles did not go dimension hopping. Instead, they hail from New York City, and Metropolis exists somewhere else. Their visit to Gotham is because they’re chasing after Shredder ever since he got his hands on some mutagen!
While most of the works released in the past decade try to get back to the roots, just what’s made will depend on the director and writers involved. With this latest, the revelation in this disc’s featurettes all say the same thing: it’s about recognising these turtles as teens and giving them a place to belong. This strong message gives this latest version a solid grounding in this cinematic reboot, and I’m glad to be riding on the half shell, and hope the turnpike isn’t too left field. And the best bit comes from showing how the cast are working together during recording instead of separated apart in individual booths.
I had to watch these shorts first so I can understand the Rowe’s intention with this work. And as a result, can be forgiving regarding what got made. However, there are days I wish the the original creators would say something about whether they miss their baby and give their seal of approval on those works developed after the transition to being corporate owned.
While Eastman hasn’t given up because he’s developing a newer series with IDW Publishing, this continuity is its own universe.
This movie is good for what it is. Even after rewatching it at home, what’s presented has its moments. The presentation looks better on my home setup than at the theatre in 4K. All that grime and splatter look better saturated, and the pastels nicely defined. Plus, the ATMOS sound mix is far better in Dolby ATMOS when compared to the limited sound range my local theatres present the film at.
And for those naysayers who grew up with the original print material rather than watch it, I’d say give it a chance rather than simply ignore it. When this film hints at Shredder for its sequel, that’s enough to keep me curious. Although the interviews don’t say anything about plans for this reboot’s future, at least the information from Variety confirms this universe will be around for a while.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Mutant Mayhem Movie Trailer
