Animation is having an interesting moment following both the pandemic and major artistic shifts. With the arrival of Into the Spider-Verse proving that western animation can be more than the Disney or Illumination house styles and anime (both original works like Suzume and non-canon franchise entries from shonen all around) doing well in theaters consistently, studios are finally catching up to the idea that we can experiment with visuals - as long as we’re still making movies for kids.

Which leads to two curious movies, one that tries to make an old thing new and one that makes a new thing feel old. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Nimona have their anachronisms, both attempting to meet the moment of pushing the boundary by using the familiar. Mutant Mayhem uses new styles to reinvigorate a long running IP, and Nimona uses an old-fashioned (if a bit tongue in cheek) approach to make an instant classic out of a previously underground storytelling medium.

Mutant Mayhem - dir. Jeff Rowe

Mutant Mayhem is an absolute delight. It moves like jazz, as the kids in the titular roles joke and ramble in between tightly staged sequences. One of the best parts is its large cast of characters, thanks to a fresh take on April O’Neill and a cavalcade of lovable little freaks led by the unforgettable performance from Ice Cube as Superfly, an equally smooth and intimidating villainous presence. Mutant Mayhem feels rushed in an exciting way, the sketchbook art style making the movie feel formed in a rush of inspiration out of harsh lines, bright lens flares, and tight cutting. The soundtrack is unlike any that the Turtles have had under them, with an oeuvre of classic 90s hip hop (“Shimmy Shimmy Ya” scores one of the tightest action scenes of the year). The turtles feel the most like kids that they’ve ever felt, their connection to the world through their cell phones widening the bottomless valley that lies between it and them. It’s a bit of characterization that smartly brings the 80’s story to the 2020’s and gives it a unique post-COVID flavor. Teenagers of today will get a lot out of the brothers’ longing to run free through the streets of New York. The Turtles’ adventures are usually more fondly remembered than sat through, but watching this one after the 1990 live action and the 2007 animated film felt like a special experience.

6/10

Nimona - dir. Nick Bruno & Troy Quane

I wasn’t familiar with the original webcomic, but I was aware of the trouble Nimona had getting released, being delayed several times after Disney’s acquisition of Fox and shutting down of Blue Sky Studios. Now that it’s here, what to make of it?

Nimona has a really fun aesthetic, combining modern tech and architecture with the fantasy politics of knighthood and monarchy. The first act is a bit uneven, but once the central relationship between Nimona and knight on the run Ballister Boldheart develops, it becomes a very upbeat fantasy action flick. It has a very different 3D animation style that feels reminiscent of Beast Wars or 2000s cartoons like Chaotic and Slugterra, big characters with big gestures and large environments for them to run around in. It gives the movie a different look than your average fairy tale, and Nimona is (make sure the condescendingly insistent tone comes across here) not your average fairy tale hero. Yeah, the movie spends a lot of the first act having Nimona belittle the idea of ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ in a way that annoys me, as I’d much rather have a movie tell a story than state over and over again the kind of story it isn’t. But once it gets going, it becomes a really satisfying adventure.

6/10