I am very, very interested in Leo’s dynamic with his brothers in TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. Specifically, that first scene with the watermelon. In previous versions, Leo has fit in easily with his brothers, and with the exception of Rise, was always the most responsible and serious of the turtles. This hasn’t usually been an issue, and though it’s caused tensions in the 2012 show, he’s always had fun with them.
He’s in the background, drawn into himself. He seems like he wants to join in the fun but doesn’t know how. He feels isolated, he’s lonely. Keep in mind that this is how I’m reading his body language based on past experience.
Look at this scene as Raph throws the star at Miley. His shoulders are hunched up, and he’s sitting on his hands. He’s trying to hide, to make himself as small as possible. This is a pose I struck many times when I was in elementary school, the worst time of my life. I sat on my hands, that I remember vividly. I wanted to disappear into myself, to curl up until I was so small I stopped existing and didn’t have to exist anymore. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but I do feel that he is anxious and trying to hide.
And he IS anxious. He’s very quickly demonstrated to worry more than he has in past iterations. He seems to struggle to place authority over the others, to make them care about things as much as he does. This reminds me of Raph is Rise, his struggle in the movie to keep Leo responsible and under control. It’s interesting.
And let’s look at that isolation aspect again. In this frame, Donnie and Mikey are looking at the video of Raph slicing a watermelon in half. Leo is several paces behind them, his head upturned like he’s trying to see the video. He’s hesitant, demonstrating something akin to social anxiety. A desperation to fit in, have fun, and interact with others, but unsure of how to.
Then at the next frame, it’s clear several second have passed. Leo isn’t standing on Donnie’s left side like he looked like he wanted to. Instead, Raph is there. Donnie and Mikey don’t seem to have noticed. Then, on the next frame, he’s leaning against a wall behind Donnie looking frustrated. His arms are crossed and he’s looking around like he doesn’t know what to do with himself. I see this having occurred in one of two ways:
One: Raph doesn’t notice how bad Leo wanted to join them, because he simply doesn’t care to notice. Leo isn’t exactly part of the group, so it feels natural for the other three to huddle around a phone and not notice that there’s no space for Leo
Two: Raph did it on purpose. He sees that Leo wants to join Don and Mikey, and he takes the spot to purposefully isolate Leo. Maybe he even smirks back at Leo before suggesting the ninja stars, effectively distracting Don and Mikey and severing Leo from the activity. I don’t have an exact reason for why he would do this, but considering past versions of Raph, it seems possible.
Please be aware that these are my personal observations and predictions. Nothing in the movie is quite solid yet, and I think that’s a good thing. Please give me any counter arguments or theories you have.
Cannot wait for this movie!!! Have a wonderful day.
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lessons MCU took from Into the Spiderverse:
add multiverse
lessons Mutant Mayhem took from Into the Spiderverse:
utilize a distinctive and personal animation style to make people remember your movie for its visuals
superheroes should have everyday problems just like the audience
everyman characters who feel timeless and locationless are overrated; specificity breeds relatability. the average audience member is no longer a white kid from the suburbs
the soundtrack should feel as distinctive as the animation should, and match the personality of the film and the characters
a large cast can be handled well without stretching out the runtime or sacrificing action by prioritizing time to the main team and strong characterization of the secondary team
no seriously stop making all animation look the same
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I kinda like that all the turtle iterations seem to be on different unique wavelengths when it comes to clothes. I have seen very little of the 1987 turtles but I get the vibe they will wear clothes SOLELY for a bit and nothing else. Good for them.
2003 turtles will only wear them if disguise is absolutely necessary otherwise they hate it and will rip it off (“hey that tux was a rental!”). Good for them.
Haven’t actually seen the 2012 turtles attempt to disguise themselves as far as I’ve watched but I feel like they just,,, they just don’t get the point. i.e. “We’re ninjas, we don’t need disguises cuz no one will see us anyway.” Good for them.
Then you have the Rise and Mutant Mayhem boys who are all clothes horses but slightly to the left of each other. Mutant Mayhem boys wear clothes to go to school and be socially acceptable. Ride boys on the other hand are just Fashionistas and will start cat-walking at any given opportunity. Good for them.
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I just noticed that for the last decade, each TMNT variation has taken an iconic male character from the franchise and made them female.
First TMNT 2012 with Tokka.
Next the Bayverse movies with April’s boss Burne Thompson.
Then ROTTMNT with Casey Jones.
And now Mutant Mayhem with both Leatherhead and Wingnut!
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Mutant Mayhem is out today in France!
Before I joined the project I was feeling very disillusioned about animation, just coming out of a feature that took a huge toll on my mental health and confidence as an animator.
But animating on TMNT was a breath of fresh air, a space of passion and kindness, and I think it shows on every single frame.
Very proud to have been a part of this team! Go check out the movie in theaters ✨
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TMNT MUTANT MAYHEM DIGITAL RELEASES SEPTEMBER 1st
Sum up:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem releases September 1st 2023 digitally, available for rent or purchase!
The digital release includes over 40 minutes of bonus content, including following featurettes:
"TEENage Mutant Ninja Turtles" which explores the experience of having actual teenagers voicing teenager character;
"The Mutant Uprising", about the antagonists of the movie
"New York, New York: The Visual World of MUTANT MAYHEM", demonstrating the visual style of the movie
"Learn to draw Leo": a tutorial.
Preorder here:
Apple TV, Prime (US, Canada), Vudu, Youtube, Xfinity, Microsoft
Don't worry: the movie is still available in theatres!
I believe the movie will release a month after on DVD, but i might be wrong
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Paramount +: TMNT 1987 will release the 2 first seasons on Sept 19th
Prime: Most of the series and movies are available to rent, buy or under channel subscriptions of Paramount
(*unsure if it releases in other countries for prime, probably?)
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