---
title: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem"
year: 2023
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem"
fi1m_id: "teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem"
imdb_id: "tt8589698"
tmdb_id: 614930
wikidata_id: "Q110271518"
fi1m_score: 77
critics_score: 78
critics_reviews: 21
published: "2026-09-10"
updated: "2026-10-06T12:12:33.800840+00:00"
region: "VN"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

Directed by Jeff Rowe · 1h 40m · Animation, Comedy, Action, Science Fiction

## Identity

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem
- **IMDb ID:** tt8589698
- **TMDB ID:** 614930
- **Wikidata ID:** Q110271518
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8589698/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/614930, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110271518

**Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 78 from 21 reviews

*In a sentence:* Nearly forty years in, someone has finally read the first word of the title

> Jeff Rowe’s animated reboot treats the turtles as what they have always been called and never been: teenagers. It is funny, drawn as if scribbled in a school jotter, and it runs on a plot you could recite in advance. We recommend it.

## Synopsis

Four mutant turtles live in the New York sewers with Splinter (Jackie Chan), the rat who raised them and taught them to fear humans. Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey) and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) sneak to the surface at night, watch the city from rooftops and want what they see: school, friends, a normal life. They meet April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri), a student who wants to be a reporter, and offer to catch the gang of thieves she is chasing, hoping the city will accept them in return. Cynthia Utrom (Maya Rudolph) wants mutants for her laboratories, and the gang, which includes Bebop (Seth Rogen) and Rocksteady (John Cena), has plans of its own.

## Review

The word has sat at the front of the title for nearly forty years and nobody making these films has paid it much attention. Jeff Rowe’s *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem* does. Its four heroes are voiced by teenagers, talk like teenagers, and spend their nights on rooftops staring at a high school they are not allowed to attend. It is funny, it is drawn as though someone doodled it in the back of a maths book, and it is the best film these characters have had. We recommend it, with the caveat that the plot arrives pre-assembled.

Splinter (Jackie Chan) found the turtles as babies in the sewer and brought them up on one rule: humans are to be avoided. Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey) and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) obey it about as well as any teenager obeys anything. They meet April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri), a school reporter, and decide that if they catch the gang she is chasing the city will have to love them. Cynthia Utrom (Maya Rudolph) runs a company that wants mutants for its laboratories, and Baxter Stockman (Giancarlo Esposito) is the scientist who made the ooze that made everyone.

Yashar Kassai’s production design is the reason to go. New York is drawn in smudged neon and pencil shading, the lines do not quite meet at the corners, and the turtles are four different shapes rather than one shape in four colours: Donatello lanky and stooped, Michelangelo small and never still. Shadows look rubbed in with a thumb. It owes an obvious debt to [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse) and is scruffier and less pleased with itself. There is a night-time car chase, early on, in which the streets smear and stretch as though the artist could not keep up with the car, and we sat up. We had not expected a Turtles film to do that to us.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score it with low, buzzing synths that sound like a substation after dark, which suits a film that hardly sees daylight, and they know when to step aside for the songs. Greg Levitan’s editing keeps four boys talking over one another and somehow lets you follow all of it; the jokes come in overlapping half-sentences and the cut lands on whoever is losing the argument. At 100 minutes nothing is left in that should have gone.

The casting is the film’s real idea. Abbey, Brown, Cantu and Noon bicker about pizza and about who gets to do the flip, and they sound like brothers rather than a writers’ room. Edebiri plays April dry and slightly cross, a girl who has decided to be a journalist because she is not much good at being a teenager. Rudolph gives Utrom the voice of someone reading out a redundancy notice. And Chan’s Splinter has the scene that got at us: a short flashback to the one time he carried the babies up into the daylight, and how the crowd reacted. It lasts perhaps a minute and it explains everything he does afterwards. We were moved more than a cartoon rat had any business moving us.

The plot is another matter. Five people are credited with the screenplay, Dan Hernandez, Rowe, Seth Rogen, Benji Samit and Evan Goldberg, and between them they have produced the standard one: the outsiders want to be accepted, a villain wants the opposite, and the last half hour trades the jokes for something enormous in the middle of the city, which we will not describe because you have seen it before. The pop-culture references, of which there are a great many, will not all be funny in five years, and a few are not funny now. The gang the turtles are chasing is a crowd of mutants who each get a name, a shape and a line; Rose Byrne and Natasia Demetriou, as Leatherhead and Wingnut, get a handful apiece.

Against the series’ own record this is an easy win. The 1990 live-action film is the only earlier one anyone recalls with affection, and this is warmer, shorter and better drawn. Most critics have landed roughly where we have, and the few who called it hyperactive have a point about the opening ten minutes, which talk fast in case you leave. Stay. It is a PG and behaves like one, so take a child if one is to hand, and if not, do not let that stop you. The drawing is worth an evening on its own, and the boys are good company.

*Fi1m score 77, published 10 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like this one, and they like it for the same two things. The first is the animation: a scribbled, hand-drawn look, often compared to the Spider-Verse films, which the reviews describe as scruffy, sketch-like and a relief after years of glossy computer imagery. The second is the decision to cast actual teenagers as the turtles and to make the film about being an awkward adolescent who wants to be accepted; nearly every review says this is what makes the franchise feel new. Most also find it funny. The spread is narrow.

The reservations, where they appear, are about the plot: Variety and Den of Geek find the story by-the-numbers, and RogerEbert.com thinks the speed hides a lack of substance. The one clear dissent comes from The New York Times, where Maya Phillips finds the film trying too hard to be cool, with clichéd messaging. Nobody dislikes the look of it.

## Straight answers

**Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem worth watching?**

*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem* is worth watching, and we scored it 77. It is funny, drawn as though scribbled in a school jotter, and it is the first film in the series to treat the turtles as actual teenagers. The plot is one you could recite in advance, so go for the drawing and the four boys talking over one another rather than the story.

**How long is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and what is it rated?**

*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem* runs 1h 40m. It is an animation and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in Vietnam?**

*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem* is available to rent from Apple TV from ₫39,000. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem compare to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?**

*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem* learned to draw from [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse), and the earlier film remains the more inventive of the two. The Turtles film is scruffier, shorter and less pleased with itself, with a plainer plot and jokes that come in overlapping half-sentences. Choose the Spider-Man film for ambition and feeling; choose this one for a looser, funnier evening with a child.

**What should I watch after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?**

After *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem*, try [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse) (2018, Fi1m 87): The film this one learned to draw from, and still the more inventive of the two. Then [*The Mitchells vs the Machines*](https://film.one/film/the-mitchells-vs-the-machines) (2021, Fi1m 76): Rowe’s previous film, same scribbled energy, aimed at a family rather than four brothers; and [*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*](https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles) (1990, Fi1m 71): The live-action original: rubber suits, real sewers and more heart than it is remembered for.

### Reviews we read (28)

- **Slant Magazine**, Justin Clark (3.5/4): The film stands out by truly portraying the turtles as awkward modern teens, with strong pedigree in writing and direction delivering earnest characterization, fresh cartoony action, and a questioning homage to the property without pandering. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (85/100, inferred): Nimbly directed with a funny script, the film is an unexpectedly delightful franchise entry that embraces a hand-drawn, sketchy aesthetic and turns mutant alienation into an effective, lightly worn metaphor for otherness. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-03/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-seth-rogen-animated)
- **The AV Club**, Manuel Betancourt (B+): The film succeeds by embracing its absurd premise with winning voice work, textured animation, sight gags, and a strong score; it refreshingly focuses on teenage angst and fitting in while delivering zippy action. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/review-of-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-1850681327)
- **Little White Lies**, Kambole Campbell (3/4/4): The critic praises the film's energetic, hilarious reinvention and charming animated outing that embraces the turtles' adolescent spirit. Singles out the expressive, gangly design and teenage voice cast for praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem)
- **Radio Times**, Terry Staunton (4/5): Full of heart, smart movie-making that breathes fresh life into the genre; praises the focus on teenage experience and striking visuals. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/scifi/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): After many tries, finally a winning adaptation; irreverent yet charming, with hip youthful energy, fresh and funny story. Praises the sweetness and voice cast. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/5184264.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (80/100, inferred): The critic finds this new animated origin story unexpectedly funny with a stylish crepuscular design and a starry voice cast. The crime-fighting mission is amiable and enjoyable with lots of funny pop-culture gags, though it avoids deeper exploration of the turtles' names. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/27/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-evergreen-superheroes-jackie-chan-ice-cube-giancarlo-esposito)
- **The Telegraph** (4/5): The film is a surprisingly good, thrillingly kinetic pop-art piece with genuine wit, colour and sass, drawing on Spider-Verse aesthetics for energetic scribbly verve and funny PG-rated humour. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-seth/)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): Belly-laugh-inducing and visually stunning coming-of-age reboot; praises visual effervescence, big laughs, and the teen voice cast's likeability. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-2023)
- **Total Film**, Matt Maytum (4/5): This is the Turtles’ most enjoyable outing since their '90s heyday, reinvigorating the franchise with actual teenage voices, consistent humor, and a rad sketch-like art style inspired by Spider-Verse. The father-child dynamic provides heart amid the absurdity, leaving viewers wanting more time with the characters. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's charming teen-focused take, rapid-fire banter, and entrancing handmade-feeling animation that evokes Spider-Verse possibilities and ends in a chaotic, genre-blending finale. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/tmnt-mutant-mayhem-review-a-marvel-of-animation.html)
- **Variety**, Peter DeBruge (65/100, inferred): The reboot’s fresh comic-book look is its biggest asset, allowing for truly weird and memorable moments like a surreal car chase, while the teenage shtick and script feel less original and more like familiar Rogen-Goldberg fare. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-1235680377/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (55/100, inferred): The film is hyperactive but shallow, using its fast pace to mask a lack of substance. It has strong visuals and voice work that make it watchable, though the coming-of-age theme feels light. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-2023)
- **The New York Times**, Maya Phillips (45/100, inferred): The movie has charms and replicates cartoon chaos well in fight scenes but tries too hard to be cool and relevant, resulting in clichéd messaging and a film stuck in its own adolescence. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review.html)
- **Empire**, John Nugent: The film feels fresh and engaging thanks to its scruffy hand-drawn animation style and authentic take on teenage outsider experiences. It is inventively animated, giddily funny, and charming despite some narrative and action shortcomings. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan: The movie is peppy, anarchic, and visually scrumptious with a smart plot that elevates it above recent TMNT entries. It benefits from strong voice work, especially Ayo Edebiri as April, and a distinctive animation style, though it lacks the depth of Spider-Verse films. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-seth-rogan-paul-rudd-b1096942.html)
- **IndieWire**, Kate Erbland: The review praises Jeff Rowe's animated take as a fresh, satisfying new entry in the canon, emphasizing its youthful appeal and inventive approach to the classic characters. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-2023-1234887640/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck: The critic calls it the most engaging TMNT film encountered, highlighting the youthful energy from actual teen voice actors, consistently amusing dialogue, and vibrant Spider-Verse-like visuals that suit the rambunctious story. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-seth-rogens-spin-on-beloved-franchise-is-a-rowdy-good-time-1235544784/)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★☆☆): After many poor prior entries this is comparatively solid and the Turtles’ best movie yet, with a punky scrappy outing, appealing splotchy visual style and fun voice work, though it reverts to automatic superhero settings. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-finally-these-mutants-have-a-little-power-j9bx7bkmh)
- **Consequence** (A-): The critic describes it as the franchise at its finest and packed with teen spirit, noting the distinctive individual character designs for the turtles and how it elevates the material through strong character development and attention to detail. [Read](https://consequence.net/2023/07/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it the best TMNT movie yet thanks to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s script and Jeff Rowe’s direction, which emphasize the teenage aspect with heart and clever pop-culture humor. They single out the distinctive, rough-around-the-edges animation style that evokes a high-school notebook doodle and the strong voice work by the young cast. [Read](https://deadline.com/2023/07/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-seth-rogen-e-best-tmnt-movie-yet-1235449141/)
- **/Film**, Rafael Motamayor (9/10): The critic calls it a fantastic and bold new take on the franchise. They single out the bold visual style suited for the big screen, the heartfelt script about the turtles' longing for acceptance, and the phenomenal soundtrack as standout elements. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1349202/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (B+): The critic praises the film for focusing on the teenage side of the turtles, making it the best in the franchise, with authentic energy from teen voice actors and a unique hand-drawn animation style paired with a strong soundtrack. [Read](https://collider.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **The Playlist** (B+): The review finds the film a delightfully dorky reboot full of laugh-out-loud moments that cleverly plays with the premise's ridiculousness. It singles out the fresh, non-reverential perspective that makes the Turtles endearing misfits yearning for acceptance and ultimately cool again. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review-seth-rogen-evan-goldbergs-reboot-is-delightfully-dorky/)
- **The Ringer**, Daniel Chin (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights how the film emphasizes the often-under-explored teenage element with young voice actors and an imperfect, sketch-like animation style that captures youthful energy and makes the long-running franchise feel fresh and authentic. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2023/08/04/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-tmnt)
- **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The review describes the film as a sweet and spirited passion project that delivers a fresh, Spider-Verse-influenced animation style and light, stylish fun in an economic runtime. It singles out the kaleidoscopic visuals that subvert soulless CGI and the inclusive message of acceptance and heroism, while noting some predictable story elements. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (3.5 out of 5): The critic finds it a refreshing reset due to authentic teen voices and behavior, but notes the plot is by-the-numbers and generic. Praises the art style and youthful energy. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review/)
- **Paste**, Tara Bennett (9.0): The critic calls it the most creative adaptation yet, praising the hybrid 2D/3D hand-drawn animation aesthetic and the authentic portrayal of the turtles as awkward teens voiced by actual teenagers, along with emotional depth on themes of otherness and acceptance. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-review)

## Details

- **Director:** Jeff Rowe
- **Director:** Jeff Rowe
- **Screenplay:** Evan Goldberg, Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez, Jeff Rowe, Seth Rogen
- **Story:** Jeff Rowe, Seth Rogen, Brendan O'Brien, Evan Goldberg
- **Editor:** Greg Levitan
- **Music:** Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor
- **Production design:** Yashar Kassai
- **Producer:** Seth Rogen, James Weaver, Evan Goldberg
- **Cast:** Micah Abbey as Donatello (voice); Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo (voice); Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo (voice); Brady Noon as Raphael (voice); Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil (voice); Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom (voice); John Cena as Rocksteady (voice); Seth Rogen as Bebop (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **First release (Italy):** 28 July 2023
- **Genres:** Animation, Comedy, Action, Science Fiction
- **Budget:** $75 million
- **Box office:** $181 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhXRNRmuYcc

## Where to watch in Vietnam

- Apple TV: rent ₫39,000, hd
- Apple TV: buy ₫169,000, hd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2024: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (nominated)
- Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2023: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2023: Best Animated Feature (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* (2018), Fi1m 87: The film this one learned to draw from, and still the more inventive of the two. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse.md)
- *The Mitchells vs the Machines* (2021), Fi1m 76: Rowe’s previous film, same scribbled energy, aimed at a family rather than four brothers. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-mitchells-vs-the-machines.md)
- *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (1990), Fi1m 71: The live-action original: rubber suits, real sewers and more heart than it is remembered for. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles.md)
- *Mind Game* (2004): Masaaki Yuasa’s hand-drawn Japanese riot; if the scribbles here pleased you, this will floor you.
- *Attack the Block* (2011), Fi1m 84: South London teenagers against monsters in a tower block, funny and frightened in equal measure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block.md)

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem