Does TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Finally End The 'Who's The Best Chris' Debate?

Contains spoilers for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem"

The newest "TMNT" film sees the titular, tubular turtles long to join the surface world as opposed to always hiding in the sewer. It's the driving force behind them wanting to become heroes so that humans accept them. Of course, this doesn't sit well with Splinter (Jackie Chan), who hates humans, but as a good father figure, he still tries to do right by his boys.

This leads to a hilarious sequence where Splinter throws a party for the boys with a ton of accouterments from the surface. This includes several cardboard cut-outs of famous Chrises, like Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, and Chris Pine. It's a funny moment for anyone who spends too much time online and is familiar with the "Who is the best Chris" debate, which kicked off in earnest in 2014 when people compared looks, careers, and charisma to determine which of the Chrises reigned supreme. Splinter himself has a horse in the race, declaring Pine to be the best. 

But Pine may have had a bit of inside luck. While Evans and Pratt are wearing nice suits, Pine is in his Captain Kirk outfit from "Star Trek." The "Star Trek" movies come from Paramount Pictures, which is also the studio behind "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." Still, there are likely plenty of people out there who aren't mad at Splinter's decision. 

The "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise began in the 1980s, and for many, they'll forever be affiliated with that decade thanks to the persistent use of slang like "cowabunga" and "dude." But each new generation truly deserves its own interpretation of the characters, and "Mutant Mayhem" goes the extra mile to make it abundantly clear that these are Gen Z's turtles now.

For starters, the slang has been updated. Now the turtles say stuff like "rizz," which if you aren't up-to-date on current lingo, is shorthand for "charisma." Additionally, there are a ton of pop culture references throughout the movie. The turtles talk about "Avengers: Endgame" at length, and Donnie (Micah Abbey) is a huge fan of contemporary anime, like "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" and "Attack on Titan." That's not even getting into the fact that they all have smartphones, which raises questions about who exactly is paying for their data plans and how they get good reception in the sewer. 

The "Who is the best Chris" joke further adds to the fact that the film is set in the modern day, and the turtles are well aware of obscure online memes. It makes it clear that the turtles pretty much live in our world, albeit one where mutagens can turn animals into anthropomorphic, bipedal characters. And with a series and sequel for "Mutant Mayhem" on the way, there will undoubtedly be more opportunities for jokes at pop culture's expense.