Rowe and Spears have a firm hold on their pacing, especially in how they use comedy to enhance their action beats. It also elevates the script so that it doesn’t sound like it was written by a bunch of 40-year-olds trying to be hip and young. It translates into rapid-fire, organic quips and seemingly effortless timing that conveys a rapport that is singular to this iteration. (Mikey) and Micah Abbey (Donnie), who recorded together, and were encouraged to excitedly talk over one another like a gaggle of real, tight-knit brothers would do. Another plus is that the brothers are voiced by non-adult voice actors Nicolas Cantu (Leo), Brady Noon (Raph), Shamon Brown Jr. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is swinging for the fences with its story and voice performances to ambitiously, quantifiably shake up the artistic rut that theatrical computer animation has been stuck in for the last two decades. This is the ultimate paint-outside-the-lines take on the Turtles and it works on every level. Rowe, Spears and production designer Yashar Kassai have rendered the brothers as if they’re hand-drawn, complete with messy sketch lines, doodle flairs and a graffiti aesthetic. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Release Date: AugDirector: Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears (co-director) Stars: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Brady Noon, Nicolas Cantu, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube Rating: PG Paste Review Score: 9.0Ī visual tour de force of hybrid 2D and 3D animation, Mutant Mayhem is not only the most authentically New York version of the Turtles yet, it’s arguably the most inventive. It’s an enchanting reminder that mythology can be diplomatic and a wonderful way to venture into new worldviews. ![]() The film is an enjoyably swinging adventure across time, worlds, and cultures. Still, The Monkey King feels like a proper place for experiments in cross-cultural entertainment because Journey to the West is a story of cultures mixing and learning. Those who have grown up steeped in Chinese mythology and iterations of The Monkey King’s story will catch the continual references to other chapters in his saga and Chinese mythology in general. Bowen Yang’s wry and riotous performance as the Dragon King is nothing short of robe-dropping. Yang voices our trickster hero with a fitting power and mischievousness. The few songs written by composers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss are just as eclectic as the animation styles. The animation styles whiz by in kaleidoscopic fashion. The Monkey King becomes a work of cosmic color that changes form almost as often as its main character. Together they’ll journey to hell, heaven and back again, with a bit of havoc along the way. This time he’s accompanied by Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), a headstrong young villager who is a bit of an outcast herself. But The Monkey King never ventures alone. (Re)united with his staff, named Stick for this retelling (with sentient throat-singing by Nan Li), he foils the Dragon King (Bowen Yang) and sets off on a quest to join The Immortal Ones. Yang) embraces his liminal status, striking out on his own to meet his destiny. ![]() But tricksters are all outsiders, and The Monkey King (Jimmy O. Hatched from a rock as a baby monkey with laser vision, our hero quickly learns he doesn’t fit in with the other monkeys. Netflix’s delightful retelling of The Monkey King’s story takes place before the events of Journey to the West. His appearance in the 16th century epic Journey to the West, in which he atones for his misdeeds by aiding a Buddhist monk traveling to India in search of scriptures, makes him a mischievous yet reforming character who models and satirizes ancient Chinese values. As a notorious trickster figure of Chinese mythology, The Monkey King’s story is told time and again. The Monkey King journeys to the Western streaming services once more with Netflix’s animated adventure from director Anthony Stacchi ( The Boxtrolls, Open Season). Yang, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, Stephanie Hsu, BD Wong Rating: PG Paste Review Score: 9.0 The Monkey King Release Date: AugDirector: Anthony Stacchi Stars: Jimmy O. Here are 15 of the biggest new kids movies from the last few months:ġ. We’re keeping a running list of the latest movies for children for you to peruse and find something that the whole family might enjoy. I was always so thankful for those rare family films made with the same kind of care that went into the latest arthouse flick. And I also remember feeling like studios took advantage of that desperation for entertainment, filling the latest unoriginal script with enough silly gags that the little ones would giggle as the parents checked the time. As the father of three young adults, I remember clearly those days when we’d watch just about any new kids movie that was released.
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