Movie Review: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem"

 

Some franchises have such longevity because they revitalize themselves every decade, bringing the concept into a then-modern setting that allows them to be different from before and add something new to enjoy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one such franchise, specifically their animated adaptations. From the late 80's/90's series to the 2003 and 2012 versions, the past three decades have had their own Turtles kids could grow up with; and even if you've watched all three, you can see how each have their merits that any could be someone's favorite. The 2020's begin the cycle again with the film "Mutant Mayhem". In addition to being declared the best TMNT film by a wide margin (and I totally agree with the sentiment), we can bid welcome to the Turtles for a new generation that can also be enjoyed by the older ones.

A good way to look at "Mutant Mayhem" is kind of like a "Year One" story. While we see the Turtles here trained in martial arts and their iconic weapons, it takes them awhile to get in the groove of battle since they've been sheltered their whole lives and never been in a real fight. This plays well with the big draw the film has compared to past adaptations, that being more emphasis on the "Teenage" part of the title than ever before. In addition to giving the Turtles real teenage problems like dealing with an overbearing parent and trying to find their place in the world, actual teenagers voice the characters for the first time ever. The cast recorded their lines together and would improvise things that made it into the film, giving the brothers such natural dialogue and feel like their age. It even makes the pop culture references not feel so forced; they're teenagers in 2023, of course they'd be making these references.
Joining these fresh faces is a good cast of established actors who bring just as much fun to the film, including Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, and Jackie Chan as Splinter. Ayo Edebiri and Ice Cube also do well as April and main villain Superfly, respectively. April fits right in with the Turtles while Superfly initially gives them a sense of belonging before he goes full Magneto.

"Mutant Mayhem" uses the same animation style as the "Spider-Verse" films, which naturally ensures some dynamic action scenes. To help it stand out though, I notice they give it a gritty and scratchy style that evokes the original TMNT comics. There's even some nice artistic choices of including stray pencil/marker lines and painted looking backgrounds. And while it's in 3D, there were times where the movement and character designs kind of reminded of stop motion films, with "ParaNorman" the one most springing to mind.

Without going into spoilers, this film takes the Turtles in a very different direction some may be used to. But like I said, new interpretations need to do something different from before while still maintaining the spirit of the franchise. "Mutant Mayhem" does that and Paramount and Nickelodeon are going all in with this version; along with a sequel being greenlit, an animated series and video game are also in the works. All in all, it's a safe bet that the Turtles have a bright future ahead of them.

TV Review: Echo - The New Defender

 

2023 was a rough year for Marvel Studios, as I explained in my review for "The Marvels". 2024 was looking to continue said rough patch with the first project of the year, "Echo." Along with reports of a troubled production, the Disney+ series was breaking the pattern by only having five episodes rather than six or nine and dropping all episodes at once rather than weekly; it seemed they were just throwing it out there to rip off the band-aid of another dud. As it turned out though "Echo" is the shot in the arm Marvel has been in need of.

As part of Marvel revitalizing their plans, "Echo" is the first series to be released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner, designed to tell grounded stand-alone stories. Based on what we've seen with this series, this could be Marvel's way of bringing back the type of tone not seen since the Netflix line of series. Being the first TV-MA rated production from Marvel Studios, "Echo" breaks the mold and evoked the same feelings I had when "Daredevil" first began nearly a decade ago. The grittiness and ultra violence that helped each Defender series stand out has returned here, giving us some down and dirty action that will get your heart pounding; there's even a long tracking shot involving Daredevil in the first episode. While Marvel Studios has delivered (mostly) great series, "Echo" shows they can stray from the family friendly tone and still deliver the goods.
The release strategy was probably beneficial as well. This was a story that needed to be told all together (another Netflix comparison), and much like season two of "Iron Fist", cutting the episode count down shows they know when a story doesn't need to be stretched out if there's no substance.

Reprising her debut role in "Hawkeye", Alaqua Cox shines as Maya Lopez. As a deaf actress and character, she does so well at conveying her feelings and emotions without saying a word. It's rare for a movie or series to have a main character like that, but it's nonetheless easy to become invested in her. I especially like the moments where all the sound goes away to experience things from Maya's perspective, which seems to happen during pivotal moments such as her (presumably) first kill.
What makes Maya's arc so interesting is that she's not initially heroic. Her goal at the start is to usurp control of Kingpin's criminal empire and she doesn't seem to care about putting her family in the crossfire to achieve that. As the series goes on though, Maya learns to break free from Kingpin's influence and embrace not just her living family, but her ancestors. Like their projects with diverse leads before, Marvel once again does a great job at portraying cultural heritage, this time showcasing Maya's Native American roots; it plays a part in her powers manifesting as well as receiving her "supersuit" and the Echo codename in the final episode.
Maya's interactions with her family are enjoyable as well, with good performances from each actor in their respective role. They also each played an important part of the series' climax, further cementing the theme of familial bonds; the grandfather (played by Graham Greene) isn't present for that, but he's still a great character throughout the series.

Vincent D'Onofrio still casts a terrifying presence as Wilson Fisk. The series dives deeper into his father figure role to Maya, evoking a Thanos/Gamora like relationship. He cares for her and will go to any lengths to protect her, but goes to even greater lengths to avenge her betrayal. Looking to the future with projects like "Daredevil: Born Again" and "Spider-Man 4", Marvel is definitely building Kingpin to be a street-level Thanos, making my earlier comparison apt. The post-credits scene sets the stage for that, though I feel they'll be somewhat retreading ground from season three of "Daredevil."

"Superhero fatigue" may be affecting some, but "Echo" will give fans of all kinds a unique character along with what's been missing from Marvel lately. If you're a fan of what came before from Netflix and wanting something new of that variety, "Echo" should sate your appetite.