Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the latest iteration of the classic turtles in a half shell, following the origin of the turtles on their first mission using their ninja skills to save New York City. With the city under attack from frequent attacks from the dangerous criminal boss Superfly, the turtles take it upon themselves to follow the leads and take down Superfly to prove to the city that they are more than just mutants.
There is a wide cast of characters inside of Mutant Mayhem, both classic staple characters of the Turtles franchise to deep-cut characters making their debut on the big screen. As the film continues to cement its legacy as a great modern-day evolution of the Turtles' characters and world, a number of the characters prove the timelessness of the franchise in just how well they adapt to such a new style and world.
10 Cynthia Utrom
Maya Rudolph provides the voice of Cynthia Utrom, a high-ranking executive for the Techno Cosmic Research Institute (TCRI), a group dedicated to the experimentation and growth of mutant creatures. She leads the TCRI both in a raid against Baxter Stockman to obtain his mutagen secrets and attempts to capture and experiment on all the mutants created from his work for their own gain.
Even more than the primary villain of the film, Cynthia Utrom and the TCRI as a whole prove themselves to be a conniving and irredeemable faction of villains. This comes in part thanks to their overarching motivations primarily being that of financial gain and power over the population, a goal that they are willing to torture and murder anyone and everyone in their path to accomplish. Even by the end of the film, they are a resilient group that shows themselves to still be in limited operation, so it's only a matter of time before they appear again.
9 Superfly
Voiced by Ice Cube, Superfly is the primary antagonist of Mutant Mayhem, leading his gang of mutants in enacting a plan to overthrow humanity and reclaim the planet for mutant kind. Being the first mutant created by Baxter Stockman, Superfly firsthand experienced the persecution that mutants face from humans, which fueled his hatred for humanity and drives him to create a better world for his family.
Despite being a primary antagonist, what makes Superfly's ambitions and goals more admirable than that of the TCRI is how his passion and motivation directly parallel that of the turtles. He also simply wants a safer world where his family can be accepted, yet he simply goes in a much more destructive and apocalyptic way of accomplishing his goals, as opposed to attempting to reason with humans. Ice Cube's voice performance is also terrific for Superfly, making him an energizing and terrifying villain who electrifies the screen with his presence.
8 Bebop and Rocksteady
Voiced by Seth Rogen and John Cena, Bebop and Rocksteady are the headstrong easily aggravated muscle of Superfly's gang, usually smashing things first and thinking about it later. Despite initially acting as villains to the turtles, the duo eventually end up joining forces with the turtles, alongside the rest of Superfly's gang, in order to stop Superfly from destroying New York City.
Especially with how Bebop and Rocksteady's legacy has always been cemented as them being villain characters, it makes for a surprising and effective change of pace when they switch sides and become heroes in the end. Their role as the easily angered muscle for the team also provides them with a lot of great character moments between each other, the rest of the gang, and the turtles after they team up.
7 Mondo Gecko
Voiced by Paul Rudd, Mondo Gecko is the chill and relaxing skateboarding member of Superfly's gang, although he's much more occupied with having a good time than taking over the world. He immediately garners a connection with Michelangelo, even before the gang turns against Superfly, and he even becomes one of the first members of the gang to stand up against Superfly.
Mondo Gecko is the clear standout winner and most likable member of Superfly's gang, with an infectious dude-bro energy that matches perfectly with the turtles and the tone of the film. While he has his moments of feigned antagonism when the gang is battling against the turtles, being the first member of the gang to join the turtles' side shows just how chill and kind-hearted the character is.
6 Splinter
Voiced by Jackie Chan, Splinter is the surrogate father of the turtles, teaching them right from wrong, how to fight with kung fu, and the importance of staying hidden in the shadows from humans. His harsh experiences with humanity and fatherly instincts of keeping his children safe make him a reasonable yet overprotective parent at times. This leads to the turtles starting to push him away before he changes his tune after seeing the parallels between his own parenting style and that of Superfly.
Going with the film's themes and message of acceptance and growing up, Splinter spends the first half of the movie in the background as the strict yet reasonable parent for the rebellious turtles. Splinter soon gets his time to shine however, as he shows off his ninja skills when he breaks into the TCRI headquarters to save the turtles, providing one of the best action sequences in the film. This adaptation of Splinter overall strikes a great balance between being a realistic father figure for rebellious teenagers, as well as still being a kung fu master when duty calls.
5 April O'Neil
Voiced by Ayo Edebiri, April O'Neil is the young outcast student journalist who soon befriends the turtles, helping them on their quest to take down Superfly and be accepted as normal teens. April's friendship with the turtles helps her get over her own insecurities as a social outcast in her school, as she betters herself as a person and a journalist by spending time with the turtles.
April has always played a key part as the primary human in the turtle's life, with this rendition of April being no different. Having April as a fellow teenager especially works great for the coming-of-age message and themes surrounding the film, and allows her to connect that much more with the turtles as a whole. April's role as a fellow social outcast allows her to connect and parallel with the turtles even more, as she perfectly embodies the anxiety and stress of the painful high school experience.
4 Michelangelo
Voiced by Shamon Brown Jr., Michelangelo is the charismatic heart and charm of the turtles, always providing good vibes to everyone that he talks to. He acts as the initial connection between the turtles and April, as his wholesome nature has allowed him to make friends with people much more easily, especially seen in his immediate friendship with Mondo Gecko.
All the turtles are likable in their own special ways, to the point where it can come down to personal preference as to which turtle is one's personal favorite. In the case of Michelangelo in Mutant Mayhem, the only real thing placing him below his brothers is the film's increased focus on free flow and comedic back and forth between all the turtles. While it makes for a great addition to the movie, the downside is that it can at points downplay Michelangelo's role as the signature comedy party animal of the group, resulting in a bit of a lost identity.
3 Raphael
Voiced by Brady Noon, Raphael is the headstrong muscle of the turtles, always looking to get into a brawl without thinking of consequences and having an overall infatuation with battle. He's much more relaxed and playful than in previous renditions of Raphael, which would have him as the more serious and battle-hardened turtle, showing a unique take on Raphael at the beginning of his journey.
Raphael's impulsive and ready-to-fight attitude is shown consistently throughout the film, as he will usually be the first of the turtles to get into a brawl, to the point where the other turtles joke about getting him into therapy. It makes for a great and effective rendition of Raphael on-screen, even if it's a departure from the more serious side that the character has had in the past, yet it makes sense for this film's focus as an origin story, with Raphael having room to grow as the series continues.
2 Donatello
Voiced by Micah Abbey, Donatello is the wise and resourceful member of the turtles who is able to come up with plans and has much more apparent nerdy interests than his brothers. While usually a bit more shy in battle compared to his brothers, thanks to insecurities from his weapon being just a stick, Donatello is still a major part of the team that they couldn't operate without.
Donatello's legacy as the nerdy, gadget-oriented member of the turtles is perfectly translated as a modern teenager with Donatello's love of modern-day interests such as anime and K-pop. His lovable and shy demeanor is given a lot of time to shine throughout the film, making him an absolute stand out compared to both his brothers and the rest of the cast.
1 Leonardo
Voiced by Nicolas Cantu, Leonardo is the honorable and responsible leader of the turtles, usually having to act as the role of mediator to keep his brothers in check when they get into mischief. While he is still attempting to find his footing as an effective and awe-inspiring leader for his brothers, his passion and drive for doing the right thing sets him on the right path, even if it takes a few tries to get there.
Leonardo has always been the primary and signature member of the turtles, to which all adaptations of the characters are compared and contrasted. Mutant Mayhem's rendition of Leonardo is the perfect mixture of the heroic leadership status of the character and the insecurities and difficulties that come from being a teenager trying to find their place in the world. More than any other character, Leonardo is the embodiment and defining encapsulation of what makes Mutant Mayhem such a great rendition of the story for modern audiences.
ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kwaaxzZqenmWdqsGiutNmpaKmmpZ6tcHRraOeq12iwrWtza1kppmpnbKuecGeqq1lk52us63CrZyrq12nrq%2B3xJ1m