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
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
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

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

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.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

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