The Best Superhero Reboot of the Decade Just Landed on Prime

Summary

• It's not uncommon for superhero franchises to be subject to endless remakes and reboots, leading to superhero fatigue among audiences.
• However, in August 2023, an animated film will be released that is truly a breath of fresh air in the industry.
• The film will appeal to fans old and new, and is now available to stream on Prime.

Superhero fiction is the one genre of pop culture that exists by repeatedly killing and resurrecting its characters, not just within the confines of a single story, but within the viability of a particular franchise itself. For example, even the MCU, which has seemingly existed in the same (meta)universe since at least 2008, has introduced Multiverse of Madness, leading to the potential for more and more remakes, reimaginings, and stories from parallel universes and timelines.

But for all their contributions to the comic book industry and pop culture as a whole, for all their leadership in this niche that few can match commercially, neither Marvel nor DC can match the level of originality of one series from Mirage Studios. Launched in 1983 as a parody of Daredevil, the studio's new franchise captured the hearts of teenagers around the world in just a few short years, and the lyrics to the animated series' famous theme song were written by the future creator of The Big Bang Theory, Chuck Lorre.

The curse of endless and not always successful remakes was upon this media franchise. Except that in 2023, a beautiful full-length animated reboot was released. Check it out, as it was recently added to Prime.

What Is This Superhero Movie All About?

Cowabunga, folks! That phrase alone is enough to tell you what superhero series we're talking about. Yes, we are referring to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, created in 1983-1983 by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. In the 40 years of its existence, this media franchise has been adapted many times in the form of comics (not only written by Eastman and Laird), but also movies, TV series and video games, and thus the number of interpretations of the story about New York pizza lovers with turtle shells and traditional Japanese weapons was no less than that of DC and Marvel (moreover, the Ninja Turtles even managed to visit both universes as part of crossover projects).

So it's not surprising that some of the rehashes were better and some were worse (the early '90s feature films with the creepy turtle costumes were certainly worse, but even they don't compare to the 2014 movie). But lo and behold, the feature-length animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, directed by Gravity Falls and Disenchantment writer Jeff Rowe, hit the big screen in August 2023, and it's definitely one of the best superhero reboots you'll ever see.

Why Will Fans Old and New Love This Reboot?

At its core, Mutant Mayhem is a respectful ode to the comic books and cartoons of the late '80s, but it's not afraid to add its own creative elements and focus on the modern generation, not just the old-timers who grew up with the iconic 1987 theme song. The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles retains the classic aesthetic of the sewer metropolis and the love of New York-style pizza. But it also deconstructs the clichés and problematic moments of the original while appealing to a modern teenage audience.

In addition to Rowe, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit worked on the script, but this is not a heartwarming story made by Gen X and Millennials for Gen X and Millennials, although those familiar with the pop culture of the time will find plenty of references, from the Orientalist obsession with Japanese culture to 90s hip-hop. Modern teens will find it a very relatable coming-of-age story about finding identity, family, and facing your fears.

It has an impressive 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and hopefully that was enough to convince you to check it out, as Mutant Mayhem will be available on Prime on February 21, 2024.