Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem arrives in theaters this week (it's already out in some regions), and we're breaking down the animated reboot's biggest moments, surprises, and reveals.
If you haven't seen the movie yet, major spoilers follow.
Between the original comics, various animated series and live-action adaptations, the Turtles' origins and "established" lore have undergone numerous alterations over the years, but Mutant Mayhem makes some bold changes that we haven't seen before - especially when it comes to the Heroes in a Half-Shells' character arcs - that may not sit well with long-time fans.
Some more minor retcons include making Splinter a random New York rat (no Hamato Yoshi) who learns martial arts from watching movies, and basically erasing the origins of multiple characters such as Wingnut, Leatherhead, Mondo Gecko and Bebop and Rocksteady by making them Baxter Stockman's experiments.
But it's the very end that we can see the TMNT faithful taking issue with.
After saving the city from Superfly and becoming accepted as heroes, Mikey, Leo, Raph and Donnie ditch their signature bandanas and enrol in high school with April O'Neil. While this does feel like the most logical way to end this particular story, it also drastically alters the Turtles' status as heroic outcasts, constantly seeking acceptance while also striking from the shadows as the city's mysterious protectors.
If a sequel happens, we're sure the Fearsome Foursome will suit-up to fight crime again, but this just seems more like something that should have been saved for the final film in the franchise.
What do you think? Did you have a problem with Mutant Mayhem ending on this note? Be sure to drop us a comment down below.
“After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their 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 upon them.”
Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon will voice the roles of Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, respectively. The cast also includes Jackie Chan as Splinter, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Ice Cube as Superfly, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom.
Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. the Machines) directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which is produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.