Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
    Battlefield 6 Multiplayer Reveal promotional image

    Battlefield 6 Classes, Maps, And More: Everything You Need To Know

    07/31/2025
    A glimpse at all the upcoming Star Wars stories coming to the galaxy

    Star Wars Stories: What We Learned At SDCC 2025

    07/25/2025
    Blindspot episode still

    It’s been 5 years since ‘Blindspot’ ended. Why haven’t you watched it yet?

    07/24/2025
    Strange Scaffold

    Strange Scaffold Summer Showcase Delivers Bizarre And Brilliant Games

    07/22/2025
  • Fantasia Festival
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie’ Is Chock-Full of Heart

REVIEW: ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie’ Is Chock-Full of Heart

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings08/05/20224 Mins ReadUpdated:08/06/2022
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Movie - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Rise of the TMNT: The Movie - But Why Tho

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT): The Movie is a Netflix Original Film produced by Nickelodeon Movies and directed by Andy Suriano & Ant Ward. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles find themselves in the fight of their lives when a mysterious warrior, Casey Jones (Haley Joel Osment), approaches them for help. Casey comes from a future where the world has been overrun by a malevolent alien race known as the Krang and has traveled back to the exact day their invasion began. The Turtles soon find themselves fighting for the fate of the world—especially Leonardo (Ben Schwartz), who has difficulty working well with others.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The Rise of the TMNT series grew on me while it was airing, mainly because it cemented a long-standing truth about the Turtles: they’re extremely adaptable to any situation. You can have them teaming up with the Power Rangers or even throw them into a dark dystopia as long as the characters’ core characteristics remain. One of those characteristics is the Turtles’ family dynamic, and Suriano & Ward dive deep into that with screenwriters Tony-Gama Lobo and Rebecca May.

As a result, Rise of the TMNT turns its focus on Leonardo, and it’s all the better for it. For years, Leonardo has been regarded as the most uninteresting of the Turtles due to his position as the “leader.” I never bought this, as being a leader can come with its struggles. You have to put your team’s safety first and think through things. And this film shows Leo going through it. He thinks that because Casey tells him he grows up to be the greatest ninja who ever lived that his way is the best way to do things. Needless to say, this attitude has dire consequences and leads to more than a fair bit of introspection. None of it would work without Schwartz, who infuses Leo with his trademark hyperactive charm and some genuine emotional heft. It worked wonders for his turn as Sonic the Hedgehog, so I’m glad it’s still present here.

The rest of the cast taps into the core elements of the Turtles and gets their own standout moments. Raphael (Omar Benson Miller) is still a bit short-tempered, even though he’s the leader of the team. Donatello (Josh Brener) is still a technological genius, and that genius ends up saving the Turtles more than once. And Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith) winds up being the heart of the Turtles. Osment plays Casey as less of a street-smart vigilante and more of a teenager struggling to hold onto hope in a time where it’s all but snuffed out. And both April O’Neil (Kat Graham) and Splinter (Eric Bauza) wind up playing an integral part in the plot.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the animation in Rise of the TMNT is utterly stellar. Suriano and Ward wear their influences on their sleeves. The opening sequence, for example, has serious Terminator vibes. And the Turtles utilizing their magical powers, especially Leo and his teleporting swords, has more than a whiff of anime. The Turtles also bear designs that are similar to their personalities: Raphael is huge and hulking, Donatello has a mechanical “hard shell” covering his actual shell, and both Leonardo and Michaelangelo possess slender builds.

Being on Netflix also allows the creators to go a bit darker and scarier with the source material. Characters bleed and even die. And the Krang have a Lovecraftian vibe, from their design which resembles a pulsing brain crossed with Cthulhu, to their ability to possess others. In all honesty, the Rise movie bears more than a strong resemblance to the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, which was able to blend the darkness of the original Mirage comics with the more outlandish elements of the 1987 animated series. And that works in its favor.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie gives the heroes in a half shell a cinematic adventure that’s chock-full of heart, action, and plenty of turtle power. Even if you’ve never watched the series, it’s still a great standalone adventure – and a great TMNT adventure to boot. Fans of the TV show and the TMNT mythology will definitely be pleased. 

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
  • 9/10
    Rating - 9/10
9/10

TL;DR

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie gives the heroes in a half shell a cinematic adventure that’s chock-full of heart, action, and plenty of turtle power. Even if you’ve never watched the series, it’s still a great standalone adventure – and a great TMNT adventure to boot. Fans of the TV show and the TMNT mythology will definitely be pleased. 

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting,’ Episode 5 – “Kirishima’s Day Off”
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Milestone Generations’ Chronicles An Important Part of Comic Book History
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

Simon in An Honest Life But Why Tho
3.5

REVIEW: ‘An Honest Life’ Is Terribly Dishonest About Its Own Politics

08/02/2025
Brandon Routh and co in Ick
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Ick’ Is A Near Perfect Horror-Comedy

07/29/2025
Bad Bunny and Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2
5.0

REVIEW: ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Earns More Shrugs Than Laughs

07/29/2025
Hi-Five
6.5

FANTASIA 2025: ‘Hi-Five’ Introduces A Scrappy, Superpowered Team Up

07/28/2025
Still from Haunted Mountains The Yellow Taboo
5.5

FANTASIA 2025: ‘Haunted Mountains: The Yellow Taboo’ Gets A Little Lost In The Weeds

07/26/2025
Dakota Gorman in HELLCAT
6.5

FANTASIA 2025: ‘HELLCAT’ Runs High In Tension But Loses Steam

07/25/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Wildgate promotional key art
9.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Wildgate’ Is Co-Op Space Mayhem Done Right

By Adrian Ruiz07/25/2025Updated:07/30/2025

Built for friends and tuned for competition, Wildgate is messy in the best way: smart, surprising, and bursting with room to grow.

Glass Heart
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Glass Heart’ Offers Messy, Musical Catharsis

By Allyson Johnson07/22/2025

The musical drama series ‘Glass Heart’ soars when it focuses on the epic performances of it’s fictional band, TENBLANK.

Simon in An Honest Life But Why Tho
3.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘An Honest Life’ Is Terribly Dishonest About Its Own Politics

By Jason Flatt08/02/2025

An Honest Life is an overly severe misfire about a law student who falls in with anarchist burglars that can’t decide who it resents more.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here