I’ve always enjoyed TMNT, I loved the idea, I loved the original (so much darker) comics, the cartoon when I came across it, and yeah, I saw that first movie in theatres. And if anyone asked who my favourite turtle was, it was, is and always will be Donatello.

Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures brought us a new iteration of the beloved mutants with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which comes home on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K today.

This time out, the film takes a couple of chances that pay off really nicely. It features a unique animation style which the creators will tell you is meant to mimic the drawing style of teenagers, and the turtles themselves are voiced, for the first time, by actual teenagers.

With a slightly different origin story we are introduced to a rat named Splinter (Jackie Chan) and his four wards, would-be leader Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), anger-issue Raphael (Brady Noon), laidback Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), and nerdy Donatello (Micah Abbey).

And they are surrounded by a pretty impressive cast, not just Jackie Chan. Seth Rogen, who helped write the script lends his voice, as do Ayo Edebiri, John Cena, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Rudd, and Ice Cube as the new villain, Superfly!

The turtles dream of going up into the human world and being accepted by them, but Splinter has warned them of the dangers that await them, even if he sounds like a slightly crazed over-protective father.

One evening they meet a young would-be high school reporter, April (Edebiri) who has acceptance issues of her own, and together they run afoul of the mutant, Superfly and his gang who have a plan to use the transformative ooze to change all the animals on Earth and wipe out humanity.

Themes of acceptance and being the outcast run through all the storylines as each character deals with it in their own way, and our turtles in a half-shell will have to put saving the world above being accepted by it.

The film ends up being filled with great banter, and these definitely are not the perfect warriors we’ve seen in other stories, they make a lot of mistakes, but they are dedicated to one another.

It’s obvious the creators love the Turtles and wanted to make a fun and unique film that would appeal to new and old fans alike, and I really dug it. There’s a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, there are fantastic character designs, and the animation is just so well presented, it’s a wonderfully unique look.

And while the message doesn’t beat you over the head, it’s there.

There are a few extras to check out as well, there’s a featurette that takes a look at the voices of the young Turtles and how they recorded their sessions together and how the script would be adapted to their interactions.

There’s a chat with Ice Cube about the new villain, Superfly, and bringing the character to life on the screen, a look at the visual world and why it looks the way it does, and a fun little tutorial on how to draw Leonardo.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a lot of fun, is suitable for the whole family, and will work for both younger and older fans. It’s available today from Paramount Canada on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K, including in a very sleek-looking steelbook edition.

Bring it home today, and don’t forget the pizza.