Franklin And The Turtle Lake Treasure review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

There’s nothing Teenage, Mutant or Ninja about the turtles in this ’toon, a kids’ yarn so insipid it makes The Little Polar Bear look like Grindhouse. Dedicated ‘to all grandmothers’, it’s full of kind matriarchs like young Franklin’s nan, who yearns on her sickbed for a buried box of childhood trinkets. The least perilous treasure hunt in history follows, the excitement peaking when a pipsqueak crow flies off with Franklin’s snail mate. Even by pre-school standards it’s flimsy whimsy. While a lack of in-jokes and slumming A-listers is refreshing, there’s no excuse for a script and visuals that are this sketchy to be on a cinema screen. With static backgrounds and reptile characters you can’t tell apart, the 2D animation fails to advance on the original Franklin telly series. And the anti-materialist morality will likely whoosh over the pre-pubes’ heads.

More info

Available platformsMovie
Less

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.