Nick Jonas as Danny and Paul Rudd as Rick in Power Ballad. Photo Credit: David Cleary
Check out the trailer for director John Carney’s POWER BALLAD, starring Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, and Jack Reynor.
When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves – even if it means risking everything he cares about. From writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once), POWER BALLAD is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.
The film made its World Premiere on Sunday, March 1st at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre as the Closing Night Gala of the Dublin International Film Festival.
POWER BALLAD is scheduled for its North American premiere at SXSW on March 14, before it’s US theatrical release June 5, 2026.
“…despite Carney’s track record of successful music-based features – including 2007’s Once, which won the Oscar for best original song as well as a Sundance audience award, Sing Street, and Begin Again – the filmwas a struggle to get financed. Until Marvel star Paul Rudd signed on. Rudd plays a wedding singer whose interaction with a rock star (Nick Jonas) causes a copyright drama over a song they co-create one drunken evening following an Irish wedding.”
“It’s increasingly hard for somebody like me to get movies made because they’re original stories,” Carney reflects. “There’s no IP or remake or I’m not telling anybody else’s story. I couldn’t get the film made without a mighty star attached. Once Paul came on board, the whole domino thing happened. He was such a straight-up person. He was, ‘I’m in your movie. Go and get the money. I’ll see you on set.’ Which is what everybody needs and dreams of.”
Music is from Gary Clark and John Carney (original songs and score).
This week’s new indie comedy (a “micro-budgeted” flick squeezed in between two holiday-weekend studio “tentpoles”) explores the difficulty for adults to make new, meaningful connections in the hectic modern world. Now it’s not really a “rom-com” (though some may interpret it as such) about the meet-cute and “wooing” of two “camera-ready” twenty-somethings. This focuses on a duo in their early 40’s, though one of them was a recent People Magazine “Sexiest Man Alive”. It’s concerned with the convoluted, rocky road to acquiring a new pal, echoing a similar film from one of the actors, 2009’s I LOVE YOU MAN. He’s considered a “mainstream” star (he’s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, y’know) while the other is the offbeat star/creator of several streaming cult comedies. So, one of the film’s big questions, and a “curiosity factor” is, will they somehow form a convincing and compelling FRIENDSHIP?
We first meet one of the two men at an unlikely setting for the opening scene of a comic romp. Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) is at a meeting of a cancer support group with his wife Tami (Kate Mara) where she talks of her concerns about her disease returning. Craig tries to lighten the mood with some ill-timed humor that falls flat with the attendees. Back at their suburban home in Clovis, Colorado, Tami dives back into her flower decorating job, taking phone orders for arrangements, helped by their high-school-aged son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Apart from prepping the house for a possible sale (they want a bigger place), Craig has little to do away from his “team-builder” nine-to-five job at an online PR firm. He can’t even get his wife or kid to join him at the multiplex for “the new Marvel”. Tami suggests that he should try to make some new friends. The next day, a mistaken package delivery sends Craig on his new quest. This parcel on his doorstep is intended for the newly occupied house down the street. He walks it over and meets his new neighbor, recently relocated TV “weatherman” Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). This “television star” (on the morning news) is gregarious, welcoming, and so very “cool”, offering Craig a chance to “hang” that evening. Later, they share a beer and take a walk in the nearby woods, where Austin guides Craig on an “adventure” as they “trespass” into the town’s long dormant maze of underground sewage tunnels (they even emerge in the city hall). The next night, Austin invites Craig to see him play guitar with his “band” at a local pub, prompting Craig to order a drum set so they can “jam”. He’s smitten, but a big “speed bump” (unlike the ones Craig got the city to install on their busy street) appears when Austin invites him over to have some “brews” with some of his old buddies. Craig is eager to be part of the “gang,” but his attempts to bond (they have a familiar “shorthand”) horrifyingly “backfire,” and Austin “ghosts” him. Can Craig somehow “thaw” this brutal “freexe-out” and somehow repair this exciting burgeoing “bromance”, or is this the beginning of a devastating downward spiral?
Though he’s not the big “box office draw”, this film is a showcase for the ‘particular” (and some might say “peculiar”) skill of Robinson as the socially awkward (that’s an understatement) Craig. Those unfamilar with his unique streaming shows “Detroiters” and “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” may be lulled by the opening scenes into thinking that Craig is dim but sweet, with a “wonky internal filter” until his encounter with his “ideal hang”. “All bets are off” as he’s submerges into Austin’s whirlpool of “coolness”. Many viewers may be repulsed by his awkwardness, while others are somehow “drawn in” (guilty), like watching a collision (with only property damage) in slow motion. Robinson truly “goes for it” with no retraint or concerns about “likability”. Rather than softening his “edges” in his feature film lead acting role, Robinson sharpens them to a prickly, painful point. Perhaps he seems most extreme while alongside the relaxed acting style of the ever-charming Rudd, a tsunami of “chill” whose vibe is a near-fatal siren call to Craig. He’s a more mellow spin on his iconic ANCHORMAN role of Brian Fantana, while mixing in elements of the earlier-mentioned I LOVE YOU MAN in which he was looking for a BFF, though with little of Craig’s awkward obsessions. But Austin’s not perfect as we see his own trepidations at fitting in at his new station (I’m guessing he’s been bouncing from “market to market” for more than a decade), which may account for his need to extend a well-manicured hand to his nerdy neighbor. As for the “support squad,” Mara is very good as the vulnerable Tami, who has the patience of a saint in dealing with her hubby, making us wonder if Craig may have turned a “corner” in his personality during her health struggles. And Mara is a superb straight “woman” as she reacts to Craig’s bizarre rants and retorts. Ditto for Grazer as the teen who, like most, his age is uncomfortable spending time with dad, while becoming overprotective of his mum, and a tad too physically affectionate (no worries, it doesn’t go “there”).
This marks the feature film debut for writer/ director Andrew DeYoung, who has contributed to many of the most innovative cable and streaming comedy shows (along with some shorts) of the last couple of decades. Here he expertly taps into the strengths of Rudd and Robinson (I thought this may have been his own script) and elicits excellent work from them along with a wonderful group of supporting players. The plot flows smoothly, even as it builds and connects several inspired set pieces and “set-ups” which had me chuckling to myself while walking out the theatre doors (no spoilers, but here’s a hint at one: “frog”). This springs from the sub-genre of awkward comedy, perhaps best exemplified by TV’s “The Office”, though a better phrase may be the classification of “cringe comedy”. Viewers may literally squirm in their seats (think of a horror flick with odd behavior replacing gore), as we brace for the social “trainwreck” happening before us. DeYoung doesn’t offer quick cuts or flashy editing to ease our discomfort, but rather hits us “head on” with the often baffling “man-child” Craig. And remember the old adage of the “Seinfeld” TV show: “No hugs. No lessons learned”, as the story careens to a very “off the rails” finale. Yet DeYoung does bring some “heart” as he establishes the town’s setting as cold and dreary until the “awesome Austin” brings the sun and warmth to the place, and especially to Craig’s life. Yes, the Robinson persona is certainly an “acquired taste”, but for those who relish his unique brand of weird and wacky “quirk”, FRIENDSHIP is a very entertaining and engaging voyage through the rough waters of male bonding.
First off, here’s a big warning (or heads-up, if you prefer) to parents looking for family-friendly fantasy flicks: this “ain’t one of those. Yes, I know that “word” in the main title caught your eye, but don’t be misled. The title’s first word should provide a hint, along with the studio producing and releasing it, the “off kilter” current “indie” studio “darling”, A24. No, it’s a satire of current events that involves the mythical title creation, a critter that’s a staple on kids’ clothing and decor (wallpaper, bedding, etc.). And, as with many monster movies, modern-day (wow, 21st century) tech can’t really dominate the magical legends from humanity’s earliest (thousands of years) days. Films have explored this idea in “fairy tale fable fear-flicks” about mermaids and genies (or the djinn). With this week’s release, we find out what kind of carnage ensues after the DEATH OF A UNICORN.
The story begins on a US commercial airliner that’s just landed in the future 51st state, Canada (lil’ joke). On board is a twitchy, nervous middle-aged lawyer and widowed dad Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) who’s traveling with his college-age daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega). Naturally, the plane arrived late, and now there are more complications, something about the exit door ramp, which will delay his arrival for the big meeting that afternoon. They finally get to the airport’s rental car desk and get their deluxe SUV for the drive through the mountains to the private estate of his employers, the Leopolds, scions of a pharmaceutical empire. The drive puts more of a strain of the father-daughter dynamic, especially when the speeding and allergy-plagued Elliot hits some animal on the trail. After parking on the side of the road, the duo is stunned that it’s not a deer or moose, but what appears to be a… unicorn. When Ridley grasps the horn, her mind begins a psychedelic trip full of colorful images and…she’s pulled out of it by a splash of purple blood across her face as her dad tries to “end its suffering” with a tire iron. Out of panic, he puts its body into the rear of the vehicle and proceeds to the mansion. Upon arrival, he meets the Leopold heir, the twenty-something “bro” Shephard (Will Poulter), then his mother Belinda (Tea Leoni), and finally the aging patriarch Odell (Richard E. Grant). After being shown their guest rooms, Ridley stays behind as Elliot makes his presentation to the family of a revised company divisional contract needed since Odell’s health is rapidly failing due to several aggressive cancerous tumors. In her room, Ridley is stunned to see that her skin is now smooth, and the acne is gone. She dashes downstairs to tell Dad, who isn’t sniffling anymore (and he doesn’t need his glasses). Could this stem from the splashes of unicorn blood? And then a noise from the outside startles the group. That unicorn is somehow alive and trying to break out of the vehicle. After the house staff subdues it, the Leopolds call in their security and research scientists, who set up a temporary lab. After a unicorn blood injection, Odell appears to be cured and full of vitality. It’s a new health “goldmine” for the Leopold company. But something’s off, as they hear strange guttural howls emanating from the now glowing woods. Ridley does some internet sleuthing and learns the real legacy of unicorns, which are immortal, nearly indestructible, savage killing machines. And it seems that there are more are their way to retrieve their fallen family member. Despite their wealth and power, can the Leopolds, along with the Kinters, survive the attack of these very real and deadly monsters of myth?
This odd mixing of style and genres has, not surprisingly, attracted quite an eclectic cast. Rudd somewhat pushes back on his ultra cool and charming screen persona making Elliot a jittery “basket case’, espcially in the frenetic opening moments. Yet Rudd balances that awkward “pencil-pusher” with an endearing yearning to reconnect with his daughter and be that perfect “girl dad”. As his “drifting-away princess” Ortega uses a bit of her aloof attitude from “Wednesday”, which adds to the dramatic impact as the “unicorn encounter” energizes her and provides a purpose. It’s then that Ortega’s Ridley becomes the story’s passionate voice of reason and empathy as she sounds an “alarm” that most choose to ignore. Grant brings a sneering gravitas to the callous, calculating “robber baron”, disdainful of nearly everyone, particularly his “fam”, as his new lease on life fuels his greed to acquire “more”. In her first big-screen role in a dozen or so years, Leoni combines snark and a sexy, mature swagger as the “trophy wife” whose brain is mostly a cold “calculator “spitting out a “program” to manipulate and dominate. Once again, Poulter gives a splendid comic performance as a spoiled, dim-witted, motor-mouthed “frat boy” as the “hyper-hustling heel” Shepard. Also adding great comic energy is Anthony Carrigan, best known for HBO’s “Barry” and soon to be the “element-hero” Metamorpho in SUPERMAN, as the Leopold’s fast-thinking, ultra-efficient and abused mansion manservant Griff. His wide-eyed manic “takes” are a terrific commentary on the “fiflthy rich”, making him a superb audience surrogate.
Hard to believe this is the first feature film directed by screenwriter (he did the script, too)/ producer Alex Scharfman, as it has the feel of a film by a seasoned genre veteran. But then, he confidently blends the horror themes with a sharp biting social satire (hmm, I wonder where he got the idea for such a corrupt “pill-producing” family empire, eh). And there are the two, almost polar-opposite family dynamics, with the warmth of the Kinter’s almost destroyed by the avaricious Leopolds. Scharfman also shows a skill for broad slapstick comedy with several terrific visual gags (often with the great Griff) and rapid, bombastic verbal “burns”. Speaking of visuals, much like last year’s THE SUBSTANCE, Scharfman showcases some great “practical effects” along with bits of CGI to bring the title critters to rampaging life, making a film almost an homage to the monster movie mania of the 1980s (complete with Ridley’s “green screen” “head-trip”). Unfortunately he gets a bit too self-indulgent letting the scares and stalkings continue for too many “jump scares’ and multiple endings complete with the old “they’re dead…or not” cliche “twists”. It doesn’t negate the superb comic performances of the actors, or the joy of exposing and eviscerating the “one-percent”, but a tighter edit may have given the flick a greater imapct. This would’ve injected much more laughs and life into the comic chaos ignited by the DEATH OF A UNICORN.
2.5 Out of 4
DEATH OF A UNICORN is now playing exclusively in select theatres
A father (Paul Rudd) and daughter (Jenna Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties. Also features Will Poulter and Téa Leoni.
From writer-director Alex Scharfman, making his feature-film making debut, comes a riotous, big-screen monster movie, DEATH OF A UNICORN. In theaters March 28.
Janine (Annie Potts), Peter (Bill Murray), Ray (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston (Ernie Hudson) in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.
Suit up! Even though spring has finally sprung it doesn’t mean that all the spooks and specters are hiding out or in hibernation until the Fall and their holiday Halloween. And you know who you’re “gonna’ call”. Yes, it’s the return of a much-beloved film franchise, opting for an “earlier than Summer” release. Well, they are celebrating a rather big anniversary. Mind you, it’s just a few months short of three years since the last installment/revival/spin-off. No, I’m talking about the original, still-revered comedy/horror hybrid classic which will soon be forty years “young” (well, compared to the evil entities that cross their paths…and “streams”). So, let’s fire up Ecto-1 and see what the new teams and the OGs are up to in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.
After a wild prologue involving a certain NYC fire station answering the call to the ritzy Adventures’ Club way back in 1904, the “legacy team” is charging out of that same locale in the 21st century. By legacy, I mean the off-spring of Egon Spengler, daughter Callie (Carrie Coon), and grandkids Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), joined by Callie’s Beau and Phoeb’s former teacher back in Oklahoma, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd). They’re all back in the Big Apple and out to contain a long slithery sewer serpent ghost. The ensuing damage earns the ire of Mayor Peck (William Atherton) whose threats of litigation cause Phoebe to be “benched” since she a minor of fifteen. Back at HQ, Gary is concerned with the structural damage around the original spectral containment unit. This prompts the kids to visit “Uncle” Ray Stantz (Dan Ackroyd) who operates a supernatural curio shop with another OK transplant, Podcast (Logan Kim). That same day, Ray gets a client, an anxious cash-hungry guy Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) who wants to sell his late granny’s spooky metal orb. Ray then takes the piece to the new ghostbuster research facility in one of the Burroughs (hidden in an old public aquarium) run by Winston Zedemore (Ernie Hudson) and his “right hand” Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) with an assist from another OK pal Lucky (Celeste O’Connor). Turns out that the orb is a mini-prison for a centuries-old demonic entity that uses fear and ice to try to enslave the globe. When it gets loose, can the combined ghostbusting crews including Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) save the citizens of Manhatten from becoming frozen encased “people-cicles”?
Sure, it’s great that the 84′ team is more integrated into the story than in AFTERLIFE, but it makes all the characters input severely reduced in order to avoid going over the two-hour mark, Still, most of the roster makes an effort to build on the earlier entry. Although Phoebe is put on the sidelines for the second act, Ms. Grace brings more depth to the standard “teen brainiac” as she hurries into adulthood. This lets us in on a secret friendship she’s forged with a (sorry Casper) friendly ghost, more than a century-old teen Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), a chess partner in the pre-dawn Central Park. Their bond is strong though Phoebe knows that will end soon. Rudd exudes lots of his energetic charm as Gary, though the romance with Coon’s Claire doesn’t have the sparks that flew in Oklahoma. Wolfhard is the surly teen who just wants the keys to Ecto-1 and finds a nemesis in a familiar green glutenous ghost. Ackroyd appears to be having a grand time rattling off paranormal trivia and finds a great new screen partner in the always entertaining Patton Oswalt as a translator of ancient languages. The most laughs in the surprisingly somber flick are generated by Nanjiani as the on-the-make slacker who finds that embracing his heroic heritage is more rewarding than cashing in on his heirlooms. He even holds the comedic focus sharing a scene with Murray, who doesn’t seem to be that invested in his two extended cameos (maybe he’s there in tribute to his late co-star and directing pal…and a chunk o’ change). And Atherton remains a perfect patsy and an irritating “wet blanket” as Peck (now that’s a long trek from the EPA to the mayor’s office). Hudson is still an MVP along with (and welcome back) Ms. Potts.
Taking over the director’s chair is a screenwriter from the last film, Gil Kenan who also co-writes this time with Jason Reitman. Wisely he takes the action out of the “dustbowl” and returns to the zany playground of NYC, making it look as though it’s not that different from the ’80s. Plus that nifty prologue and the first “bust” remind us of the pleasures of the whole franchise. Unfortunately, the flick hits a long lull as the “pieces” are put into place for the big effects finale. The idea of an unlikely friendship between “buster” and ghost is intriguing, but it merely becomes a “plot device” to hasten disaster. Back to those effects, the producers do a fairly decent job of replicating the practical effects of the first two flicks with the new CGI tech and manage to make many of the spirits very scary and gruesome. And it’s all put to use in a finale “throwdown” that feels a touch cramped as it’s all within one building rather the bustling streets or the towering skyline, with one character doing the whole superhero shooting power from the fingertips thingee. Speaking of, comic book films have been accused of indulging in too much “fan service”. This film says, “Hold my beer..er..Ecto Hi-C”. We get a phony news report that not only uses footage from those previous flicks but includes the music video and clips from the merchandising commercials (toys, cereals, etc.). Then throughout the film, the Elmer Bernstein music cues are hit hard and often (the piano, then the the therimen, then both with the horns). And like most current franchises, there’s a mid-credits bonus scene that’s just “meh”. But the hardcore fans will be delighted, though any “newbies” seeing this somewhat lackluster outing won’t be shopping for their own jumpsuits and proton packs after taking in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE. On your way out, don’t slip on the “slime”…
2.5 out of 4
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE is now playing in theatres everywhere
In GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, directed by Gil Kenan, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman, the latest chapter is based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” an Ivan Reitman film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.
The cast includes Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE opens in movie theaters March 22.
The special screening is 7:30pm on Tuesday, March 19 at Ronnie’s 20 Cine in IMAX.
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
TEN winners will receive 4 passes to the screening.
This film is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for the following reasons: supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references.
Bill Murray and Paul Rudd on the set of Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.
“Ghostbusters…whaddya want?!” The all-new GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE trailer is here.
In the movie, directed by Gil Kenan, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman, the latest chapter is based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” an Ivan Reitman film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.
The cast includes Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE opens in movie theaters March 22.
Slimer in a trash pile in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE. Courtesy of Sony PicturesJanine (Annie Potts), Peter (Bill Murray), Ray (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston (Ernie Hudson) in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.Winston (Ernie Hudson) and Peter (Bill Murray) in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Lars Pinfield (James Acaster) in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) and Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) in Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard on the set of Columbia Pictures GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson reunite in the first teaser for GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE.
In GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” an Ivan Reitman film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE is directed by Gil Kenan and written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan
Stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts. The film hits theaters March 29, 2024.
All right, perhaps this unifying theme for the 2023 Summer movie season is nostalgia. Sure, the multiplex is usually filled with sequels and reboots this time of year, but at this moment the studios appear to be trying to exploit the treasured properties of our youth, over several different generations. Last weekend it was a beloved ride/attraction which has been a staple at the happiest place(s) on Earth for over fifty years. However the box office (and WB record-breaker) for the last couple of weeks stretches back another ten years to engulf theatre lobbies in a title wave of pink (“This BARBIE’s gonna’ bust a billion bucks at the box office”). Now, this Wednesday’s (gettin’ a jump on the weekend) new release also has a toy connection, but that merch arrived well after the characters’ comic book debut in 1984 (which spawned a TV cartoon a couple of years later). Oh, and it’s their seventh theatrical feature film (quite a few straight-to-home video and streaming flicks), and like the 2007 entry, it’s fully animated (no “mo-cap CGI” or big rubber suits). Time to return to those NYC sewers with TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM. Cowabunga!
For this retelling, the film is indeed back in the Big Apple for a flashback in the secret lab of scientist Baxter Stockman (voice of Giancarlo Esposito) who is testing his weird glowing ooze on several animals. Well, until his grungy “crib” is invaded by the forces of TCRI, under orders from Cynthia Utrom (Maya Rudolph). Ah, surprisingly some of the enhanced creatures fight back. Flash forward to now as the TMNT quartet, Donatello (Micah Abbey), Raphael (Brady Noon), Michaelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), and the leader, Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu) go on a nighttime grocery run for their “papa”/mentor Splinter (Jackie Chan). Of course, things go awry when Leonardo is outvoted and the guys try to join the crowd at an outdoor movie screening in the park. Naturally, Splinter is furious at their late return and retells the story of how he found them as infants, raised them, trained them in martial arts, and how the humans above nearly destroyed them. Promising to be more careful, they go for another supply run and are spotted by the high school student and aspiring reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri). She is looking into a series of daring high-tech robberies that have spawned a curfew that may cancel the school prom. A smitten Leonardo decides that they should help out by thwarting the next big heist. Oh, but this puts the quartet in conflict with a nastier group of mutated critters, led by the powerful Superfly (Ice Cube). Can the teen turtles stop them and keep “under the radar”? More importantly, can they spring into action without angering Master Splinter?
Well, this witty retelling is certainly one of this year’s pleasant surprises. That may be due in large part to the new producers/handlers of this feature franchise, none other than the SUPERBAD duo of Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan, along with James Weaver. And Evan and Seth were also part of the writing team adapting the creations of Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman (who get a couple of nice background visual “nods”). It’s obvious that the team has a great deal of affection for the source material, though they indulge in a few playful “tweaks” at the “mythology”. A big part of the “re-energizing” is the decision to have the teen turtles actually voiced by teenage actors (a couple of them have since aged past 18), giving the film a distinct sound as if we’re listening in on kids at a party “cracking wise” and “goofing” on each other. But Rogan also joins in on the fun as the voice of one of the “meanie mutants” along with screen vets Rose Byrne, Paul Rudd, and Hannibal Buress. The biggest “standouts” and scene stealers may be the two opposing “leaders”. We can imagine Ice Cube’s sneer (and see a bit in the rendering) as the swaggering Superfly. And could anyone be more “spot on” than Chan as the worrying, stern but sweet Master Splinter? Of course, all of that talent at the “mike” would be a really swell audiobook without the superb look and movement of the animation. Director Jeff Rowe (fresh off THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, which isn’t as polished as this) with co-director Kyler Spears have taken a bit of inspiration from the first SPIDER-VERSE movie, to give the computer animation a real loose “sketchy” look. The outlines are constantly moving, often ‘sliding off” the mass of the figures as though they were scribbled by a pre-teen in the margins of his spiral notebook with colored markers or ballpoint pens. And inside those wriggling lines, the characters, mainly the turtles, have the look of clay models, especially when the light saturates them. It’s not as gorgeous as Miles and his pals, but it feels right for this urban adventure. As for that character design, the turtles don’t have the same standard body proportions even though they retain the identifying mask and belt colors. The same unique design works for O’Neil, though I wish they had eased up on the scenes of her panic “hurling” (c’mon we’re not back in BABYLON). I was tickled by the “free-standing” silver eyebrows of Splinter, while the Superfly crew looked equally fearsome and funny (loved SF’s torso claws). The pace is smooth, even as it gives in to the popular trend of having too many “endings” in the third act. It’s a minor quibble as this 2023 edition is a splendid revisit/restart that reminds us of the wacky exploits from nearly 40 years ago. Hopefully, the concession stand will be well stocked with pizza when the fans return to revel in TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM. Welcome back you “heroes on a half-shell”.
3 Out of 4
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM begins playing in theatres everywhere on Wednesday, August 2, 2023
L-r, APRIL O’NEIL, DONATELLO, RAPHAEL, MICHELANGELO and LEONARDO in PARAMOUNT PICTURES and NICKELODEON MOVIES Present
A POINT GREY Production “TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM”
Check out the brand new trailer for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM.
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.
This looks like so much fun! Based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, this latest eye-popping movie about how:
Splinter taught them to be ninja teens [ he’s a radical rat ] Teenage mutant ninja turtles Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines [ that’s a fact, Jack ] Teenage mutant ninja turtles Raphael is K00L but rude Michaelangelo is a party dude Teenage mutant ninja turtles Teenage mutant ninja turtles Teenage mutant ninja turtles Heroes in a half shell, turtle power
looks AMAZING!!
The cast includes 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.
The film is directed by Jeff Rowe, co-directed by Kyler Spears, with a screenplay by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit.
See TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM in theaters on August 2.
