If you are or ever have been a young Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, there’s a good chance that you’ve had a fantasy about having a kick-ass lair in the sewer… but that’s most definitely a circumstance where the dream is far better than the reality. Sure, it’s a cool hidden place to build a secret fort, there’s a lot of room, and you get underground access to anywhere in a vast city, but not to be forgotten is that the whole point of the sewers is conveying sewage. Between being a biohazard and the smell, it’s just not that great an environment for humans (though clearly hospitable for mutated turtles and rats).
Thankfully, the idea of hanging out in a cool sewer lair isn’t one that kids today have to totally dismiss. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem set to hit theaters next week, Paramount Pictures has brought the awesome experience to life, and I had the chance to tour one of the installations earlier this week.
The “Ooze After Dark” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem experience has been set up on opposite coasts – in Santa Monica, CA (1247 3rd Street Promenade) and New York City (415 West 14th Street, New York, NY) – and as you can see in the video above, I had the chance to visit the former. The tour is outfitted with all kinds of awesome rooms and details that TMNT fans of all ages will be able to appreciate. There are specific sections throughout that are specifically dedicated to the standout skills of each of the main turtles, interactive elements that see rooms activate with the push of a button, and callbacks to all eras of the franchise (including one room full of TVs playing clips from movies, TV shows, video games and more).
At the very end of the maze-like installation is a big hangout area that offers fun opportunities for families. With a DJ spinning up classic music, kids are welcomed to hangout and dance with the Turtles, and there is a game where visitors are welcomed to test their skills throwing ninja stars (not real ones, of course). There is also a “Sewer Shop” featuring merchandise including everything from action figures to T-shirts.
The “Ooze After Dark” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Experience is now open and will be until August 1 – with local hours being noon to 8pm. More information is available through the official website, but even if you can’t make it, hopefully the video above allows you to experience it vicariously.
If you’re not in the Los Angeles or New York areas, you can still have plenty of TMNT-related fun in the coming days, as the Seth Rogen-co-written/produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be playing in theaters everywhere starting on Wednesday, August 2. Critics are already giving it a big thumbs up, so get your tickets now.
