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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has gone through many iterations in my lifetime alone.
There was always some version of the franchise that came after my personal favorites like Spongebob Squarepants or Fairy OddParents. Regardless, I've seen my fair share of iterations make their way to the big and small screen, both animated and live-action hybrids. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the latest iteration of the popular franchise but returns to CG animation, and director Jeff Rowe (The Michells vs. the Machines) has weighed in on why this is the preferred medium.
Note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The limitations of live-action Ninja Turtles
“They're mutant turtles,” said Rowe as he discussed why animation fares better for the TMNT franchise. “They're not just mutant turtles, they're ninja mutant turtles and I think with live-action practical effects, guys in suits, there's a limit to the athleticism that they can possess.”
He also believes that live-action can limit the fantasy elements of the story. “And there's also a limit to how fantastical the story can get and [that] the elements of it are. So there's just something about crafting a world with these characters, putting them in a world that also reflects their design, [and] as a storytelling tool, it just feels more immersive,” Rowe said.
In conclusion, Rowe said, “I think [animation] helps the film feel more teenage, ultimately.”
The ‘scary' and ‘lonely' jump to solo directing
Being that Mutant Mayhem is Rowe's feature-length directorial debut — how many filmmakers can say they landed a TMNT project right off the bat? — after co-directing the amazing film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, you have to wonder what that adjustment is like. I'm sure Rowe held his own, but having a safety net like a co-director stripped away has to be scary. Rowe wasn't afraid to admit this.
“It's scary and lonely,” said Rowe with a laugh in reference to now being the lead on this TMNT film.
Another aspect of directing solo is that you don't have that steady shoulder to lean on and ask questions to.
“You don't have your best friend with you anymore to just like talk through everything and be like, ‘Is this the right decision?'” admitted Rowe.
Still, he remained hopeful that the filmmakers of Mutant Mayhem made “good decisions” for the sake of the TMNT franchise. He noted that he believes they did make good decisions “through just having open conversations with the team and inviting the artists to really collaborate and [we] hired a team of people whose taste we really trusted.” Like a true leader, in moments of indecision, Rowe was never afraid to look at his team and ask: “What do you think?”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the seventh feature-length film in the franchise. This time, the turtles are voiced by four teenage actors — Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon. Additionally, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Post Malone, Paul Rudd, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Maya Rudolph, and Seth Rogen (who produced the film) voice characters.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be released on August 2.
