By John Corrado

Please note that this is a review of the 4K Ultra HD release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. For my full thoughts on the film itself, you can read my original review right here.

The animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was one of the best surprises of the summer, and it’s now being released on physical media, including a 4K Ultra HD Steelbook edition.

Directed by Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. The Machines), Mutant Mayhem successfully blends vibrant, highly stylized animation that presents everything with the graphic 2D-3D look of a comic book, with co-writer Seth Rogen’s unique brand of humour. It’s topped off with an incredible techno score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

The film is also notable for casting actual teenage voice actors in the roles of Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu) and Raphael (Brady Noon) for the first time, which adds to the hangout movie feel. It’s surprisingly sweet at times as well, with a coming-of-age story that is grounded in our young heroes wanting to be accepted as normal teens.

The 2160p 4K resolution offers a sharp, compelling image that allows us to take in every digital brush stroke and intentional imperfection, with good colour balance in the film’s various dark scenes. The Steelbook’s shiny black packaging features an image of a turtle hand holding up a skateboard on the front and a selfie-style image of the four Turtles on the back, with images of our four heroes and four villains on the inside panels. It’s fun, comic-style artwork that matches the film quite nicely.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):

The 4K disc includes four bonus featurettes, three on the production and one drawing tutorial. A regular Blu-ray containing the film and bonuses is also included in the package, along with a code for a digital copy.

• TEENage Mutant Ninja Turtles (6 minutes, 14 seconds): The producers talk about the importance of casting actual teenagers in these roles, while the young cast members chime in about how much they had on set, and getting to record their lines together with ample room for improv.

• The Mutant Uprising (8 minutes, 34 seconds): A look at all the different mutants in the film, and the cast members who voice them.

• New York, New York: The Visual World of Mutant Mayhem (5 minutes, 57 seconds): A look at the stylized animation and unique, hand-made design of this world.

• Learn to Draw Leo (21 minutes, 12 seconds): A surprisingly long tutorial on how to draw Leonardo’s face.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a Paramount Home Entertainment release. It’s 100 minutes and rated PG.

Street Date: December 12th, 2023