Animated reboot has tween-friendly fantasy violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
A large percentage of the show features the turtles fighting their foes (which are most often robots, not human). They use swords, daggers, throwing stars, and nunchucks against their adversaries. They also engage in a lot of fist fights. The turtles don't suffer real injuries, but some of the robots are "killed." Turtles are often being pursued, sometimes by menacing robots with spinning saw blade hands, but it always feels like they'll escape. Some scenes are ominous and threatening, including minor jump scares.
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Infrequent mild body part jokes -- like when April hits a robot in between its legs and Leonardo says, "You got it right in the junk!" Some brief references to romantic relationships.
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Some pop culture references to real brands/entertainers like Google, Wikipedia, the Jonas Brothers, and Drake. Also, the series premise is that Leonardo is telling stories from comic books he's writing, possibly foreshadowing real-life comic book versions of the episodes.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
The turtles attend teenage parties where (human) kids are holding beverages. It's not clear if there is alcohol in the cups and there are no references to drinking, but the scenes do suggest underage drinking is possibly happening.
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Positive messages around bravery, doing the right thing, teamwork, and brotherly love.
Positive Role Models
some
The turtles fight evildoers, but they solve most problems with violence. They do model open communication and vulnerability, if somewhat reluctantly.
Diverse Representations
some
The lead character turtles are all male. They do represent a range of teenage boys, and the most physical turtle (Raphael) gets teased for being too quick to jump to fighting. While they do spend a lot of time fighting, the TMNT resist a lot of toxic masculinity tropes. Supporting character April is a teenaged Black girl who is overweight. Her role is important and her character has a lot of agency.
Parents need to know that Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an animated TV series that picks up where 2023's Mutant Mayhem movie left off. Like other TMNT iterations, there is fantasy action and violence throughout. The turtles use swords, daggers, throwing stars, nunchucks, and their fists against their adversaries (which are most often robots). Menacing robots are frequently pursuing the turtles, and some scenes feel ominous, though it always seems like the turtles will prevail. Expect mild language like "butt," "heck," and "stupid," plus references to hitting a robot in its "junk." The voice cast includes Nicolas Cantu, Pete Davidson, and Ayo Edebiri.
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What's the Story?
Everyday life has calmed down in TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, and the TMNT spend most days just going to their New York City high school. Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu) misses their adventures, so he is writing new tales in a comic book. Each episode dives into Leo's comic story, and it's easy for the viewer to forget that the action is really just happening in Leonardo's imagination. The comics center around villain Bishop, a shadowy woman controlling an army of mutant-hunting "mechazoid" robots. Bishop's "adult intern" Rod (Pete Davidson) sabotages her evil efforts and helps the turtles. Sidekick April (Ayo Edebiri) supports the TMNT by providing the common sense and logistical skills they lack. In Leonardo's imagined comic world, the mutant brothers have to learn how to use each other's strengths to overcome Bishop and secure the fate of mutant-kind.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles doesn't carry forth the good vibes from recent movie reboot Mutant Mayhem. There's a smidge of the signature TMNT silliness, as well as some heartfelt earnestness, but the vast majority of the episodes are spent in fight scenes. It's enjoyable enough, but there's not a lot of substance to get the viewer super invested in the stories. Since Tales is supposed to be a peek inside the comic books Leonardo's making, it has a fun, comic-book-forward animation style. Tweens new to the world of TMNT (and their nostalgic parents) may enjoy the series, but it's not a stand out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Turtles' use of martial arts and weapons. Is it okay to solve problems with violence, even if you're "good?" Are there any other ways they might be able to defeat their foes?
Do you think the Turtles have a realistic brotherly relationship with each other? What ways do you see them being good brothers (or not-so-good brothers) to one another?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
