When comparing to the previous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, how does Mutant Mayhem stack up? The latest cinematic entry starring the heroes in a half-shell features the turtles wanting to fit in and be normal teens. They meet teenager April O’Neil and get involved with a potential uprising with other mutants led by Superfly. Mutant Mayhem is a very atypical TMNT movie, using a unique art style and focusing on the brothers’ teenage drama. The new film goes in a different direction than the previous iteration of the turtles on the big screen.
Mutant Mayhem Connections to the Previous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Film
Mutant Mayhem is the seventh motion picture in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The previous entries include the original live-action TMNT trilogy from the 90s, the TMNT computer-animated film from 2007, and the two live-action reboots produced by Michael Bay.
The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is a live-action adaptation of comics and cartoons. The film launched during the height of Turtle Mania when the brand was at its peak. The first Turtles movie is darker than the show, following more closely to the original comics. The first sequel, The Secret of the Ooze, is a more lighthearted film that features slapstick and silly humor. The third live-action film has the turtles travel back in time to feudal Japan.
TMNT from 2007 is a computer-generated, animated film that was meant to be the dark and gritty reboot of the franchise. The film didn’t succeed, and a few years later, the franchise rebooted again for live-action in 2014.
The 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was another darker and more serious take on the franchise. The sequel, Out of the Shadows, had a more outrageous premise and included elements from the show, like the alien Krang.
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Besides several callbacks, including Vanilla Ice’s “Ninja Rap” from Secret of Ooze, Mutant Mayhem has no direct connection to the previous films.
How Does Mutant Mayhem Compare?
Every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie has had various opinions from across the spectrum. While the first live-action film is classified as a 90s classic, the following films had a more mixed reaction. Fans and critics derided the lighter direction in the two sequels from the 90s. However, TMNT and the two Bay-produced live-action films similarly received criticism for being too gritty.
Mutant Mayhem goes in an intentionally more kid-friendly direction and tone. More so than the previous adaptations, Mutant Mayhem has the turtles act and talk like real teenagers. A big plot point in the film is about the turtles wanting to go to high school as normal teenagers, a slight contrast to the previous movies’ themes and premises.
It’s also the first film in the franchise where Shredder isn’t the lead antagonist. Instead, the film chooses to lean more heavily on the mutant side of the turtle’s world, featuring a plethora of mutant characters.
Even though Mutant Mayhem uses a lot of heavy shadows to evoke the comics, the movie isn’t nearly as dark or foreboding as its source material. Nonetheless, the film expands the world of the turtles beyond the four brothers and the Foot.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise has had a lot of ups and downs. Fortunately, Mutant Mayhem successfully blends the iconic imagery of the series with updated visuals and themes. It takes characters in a new direction that hasn’t been shown in the film series before, creating something kid-friendly and charming.
Mutant Mayhem may lack the biting edge that made the original live-action film popular. But it is still the most triumphant film in the franchise since the first. With more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects line-up, including a potential series and sequel, the turtles’ future looks bright.
