“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” has been released as the newest edition to a series that has run on for 40 years now. It features a cast full of award winning actors, accompanied by wonderful animation and constant attempts at comedy throughout. The movie has been a hit amongst critics, receiving a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has absolutely confused me, however, I left the movie theater asking myself one thing. Who exactly is this movie for? 

The animation stands out as being the most enjoyable part of the movie by far. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem follows the same formula of animation that was kickstarted by Sony’s “Into the Spider-verse” back in 2018, while still maintaining its own unique style. Everything, from the backgrounds to the character designs, are filled with creative colors and details. It’s clear in every single frame that the animators put so much effort into making this film visually appealing, and their efforts did not go unnoticed. 

The voice actors for each character were a great addition that added to the experience, bringing each of their respective roles to life. The movie casted a series of absolute superstars, such as Jackie Chan (Splinter), Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman), and Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko). The best performances are delivered by the turtles themselves, played by Micah Abbey (Donatello), Brady Noon (Raphael), Nicolas Cantù (Leonardo), and Shamon Brown Jr (Michelangelo). The actors display great chemistry throughout the movie that makes them feel like real brothers. 

Unfortunately, the movie starts to fall apart at the script. While there are good lines sprinkled throughout, which are elevated thanks to the actors, there are many instances of lines that were either unnecessarily dumb or simply unneeded in an attempt to make the turtles seem more teen-like. Instead, they ended up making exaggerated caricatures of how adults think teens act and talk. 

There’s a similar problem that occurs time and time again in the movie’s humor. A majority of the jokes in the movie revolve almost entirely around references to pop culture. At times, it feels like the movie focuses more on spouting buzzwords at the audience than telling actual jokes. While there are quite a few genuinely funny jokes mixed in, cheap one liners overshadow them and remove the movie’s potential for complexity.

After watching the movie, it was hard to tell who the movie was for. The tone of the movie is polarizing, with traditional fun and colorful action being shaded by additional dark plot lines. Along with that, there were plenty of references that I knew would have gone over the heads of a younger demographic, even leaving me confused at times. But the more I thought about it, and the more I read through reviews, I came to a realization. This movie was made in mind for those who grew up with the original TMNT movies from the ‘90s, capitalizing on their nostalgia and giving them a way to share a part of their childhoods with their own children. And through that perspective, the movie excels as a lighthearted family movie to relax with and enjoy. Maybe if I had been born a bit earlier or a bit later this movie would have clicked better, but unfortunately it fails to resonate with 2000’s kids.