acid reflects

Been out of touch recently, apologies for the short takes and no full reviews.

TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. The Oscars will have a good problem in 2024 with three full length animations not only looking to have a lock on nominations, but are deserving of the trophy over all. The three are Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse, Miyazaki’s new (and final film) The Boy and The Heron, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Mutant Mayhem was a surprise. The trailer alone showed very strong street-art design that intersected well with comic book extensions. Clearly looked like artwork from the decade that the IP became popular. But for today, that looks fresh.

What struck me as a surprise was how current it is. Granted, the IP was vying to relaunch the brand to current trends as any old IP would like to, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this good. Mutant Mayhem is impossibly current, speaking in the voice of its (current) generation. It is abundantly optimistic and pepperonied with loads of pop culture fun. It’s an impressive mix of Gen Z (even Alpha) and ’90s soundtrack nostalgia.

Voice cast is perfection. Won’t be surprised if this gets a Globe nomination for screenplay.

Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story. Who doesn’t like an underdog movie? What’s more impressive is that this tall tale is based on real events.

I mean, low expectations coming in (underdog tropes and brand placements aside) – but Sony’s Gran Turismo becomes a wildy unexpected heart-pounding, crowd-pleasing winner meant for the big screen.

The first half of the film feels like brand placements all throughout, with an endless parade of cars, logos and video gaming visuals – sure, the film is based off of a PlayStation game – er, simulation. You can roll your eyes all you want at this time. I would have.

On a filmic perspective, the translation from game to cinema is impressive, because it captures the thrill of the game while managing to keep the character arc of Jann Mardenborough (played by Archie Medekwe) and some emotional heft from David Harbour and Djimon Hounsou. Camera work makes extensive use of drones and CGI – it feels more like watching a live race broadcast on IMAX more than a videogame-movie mismash. Yes, seeing it on IMAX helped.

Gran Turismo is a clear feel-good champion. The audience at my screening agreed with resounding applause – not once, but thrice. Top Gun: Maverick could only muster one.

(In the Philippines, Mutant Mayhem is released by Paramount Pictures. Gran Turismo is released by Columbia Pictures.)