Since their 1984 debut in a violent indie comic form, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been steadily reshaped into a more family-friendly product, across toys, games, TV and cinema. Mutant Mayhem marks the seventh film and third reboot for the characters. With all this mining of IP, you may be wondering: what there is left to add?

This new version has a pair of tricks to justify its existence. The first is a narrative focus, with an emphasis on the teenage existence of our green-hued quartet. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello are distinctly teenagers here, their motivation is to experience what their human peers take for granted. Mutant Mayhem plays up the role of their adoptive farmer, Splinter, and the narrative, which sees the Turtles pursuing a mysterious crime syndicate headed up by a figure known as Superfly, takes more of a backseat to the turtles’ youthful shenanigans.

The other trick is in the style that comes with this film. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg number among the writers for this instalment, Director Jeff Rowe previously worked on The Mitchells vs. the Machines. These two factors play into the charming interplay between characters and the glorious cell animation style, simultaneously beautiful and hideous, brimming with life. In a year of animated brilliance, Mutant Mayhem stands tall.

This is a work really at its best in the first half. The dynamic between the turtles (voiced by Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon) is a joy, a loose, improv-y quality elevating the comedy. It shouldn’t feel so revolutionary to cast teens as teen characters, but this is where Mutant Mayhem works. Add to this strong work from Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil (the origin of her nickname is a highlight), Maya Rudolph’s sinister antagonist, Ice Cube’s Superfly and Jackie Chan’s Splinter. It’s a cast packed with famous names, but quite often they feel lost in the shuffle. However, I would die for Paul Rudd’s Mondo Gecko.

The narrative feels a bit rushed as it hurtles towards the climax and a sequel hinted in the final moments is probably the film I would have preferred. But who am I to deny the fun to be had with the Turtles? This is a work that swaggers with confidence, a wonderful score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross blending with classic East Coast hip-hop. It’s a funny, charming blast, the best iteration of these characters and a perfect late-summer treat.