Movie of the Week
Mutant Mayhem hits the movies
The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is a box office smash – and there’s still time to see it in cinemas.
The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is a fun adventure that follows the turtles as they set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. A new friend, April O’Neil, helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed on them.
The animated movie is rated PG for sequences of violence and action, language and impolite material, which has probably helped it to box office success. Opening in cinemas last Friday (11 August), it is expected to cross the magic $100-million mark shortly after release. It can’t hurt that it has attained a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie is a lot of fun and it has a lot of heart. The turtles are all well-cast and they do a great job of capturing their personalities. Leonardo is the leader of the group, always calm and collected. Michelangelo is the jokester, up for a good time. Raphael is the hothead, always ready to fight. Donatello is the brains and comes up with the new gadgets the Turtles use.
The movie is also visually appealing and features some great fight scenes, as the turtles use their ninja skills to take down some bad guys.
It’s not without its flaws. The plot is somewhat predictable and the ending a bit anticlimactic. Some say it can be a bit too dark and violent for younger viewers, but that is part of its appeal too.
The movie does a great job of capturing the spirit of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise and has some touching moments that will resonate with viewers of all ages. It explores the teenage aspects of the turtles’ lives as they try to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. This adds depth to the movie and makes it more relatable.
The movie is directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears, and features a screenplay by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. The movie stars Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, Nicolas Cantu, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Brady Noon, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph.
