Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Starring: Paige Turco, David Warner, Kevin Clash (voice), Francois Chau, Ernie Reyes Jr., Kevin Nash, Mark Caso, Vanilla Ice, Frank Welker (voice), Michael Jai White (uncredited)
Directed by: Michael Pressman
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
1991

Times Seen:
Tim: 4

Summary:The turtles must once again battle the Shredder, who has returned and obtained the last canister of ooze, which transformed them in their youth. Review:

Tim: I loved the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (and still do). While this sequel isn't as good as the first film, it's still an entertaining, exciting adventure. I don't know why people tend to be critical of these movies- I thought they were great as a kid and I still enjoy them today. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze might have a too-long title and not reach the heights of the first film, but it's still a worthwhile sequel.

I do believe the movie does a worthy job of translating from the animated series and the comic book origins of these characters. The turtles are laid back, fun-loving, witty characters. While many of their jokes felt childish, they are teenagers, after all. It felt like it was true to who they were as characters. There's a number of funny lines. I still remember Michelangelo's "Like, is Schwarzenegger hard to spell?" There's a series of memorable, humorous lines throughout the film. While the movie certainly has its flaws, there's real entertainment to be found it.

I do think it's interesting that the cast had some turnover. Paige Turco steps into the role of April O'Neil. I'm not suggesting Judith Hoag was brilliant in the first film, but it's always a little jarring when an actress is replaced. Turco is fine, but she's really not a very talented actress. Several of the voice actors were replaced, although I'm less concerned about that, as it's not overly noticeable. Shredder was replaced as well, although I like Franchois Chau and thought his performance was worthwhile. I did miss the presence of Elias Koteas as Casey Jones, one of the best parts of the original movie. While none of the cast changes were fatal flaws, as a whole, it does decrease the film's quality a bit.

There's a few other changes that weren't positive, but didn't horribly affect the film, either. This movie is much more kid-friendly and less dark than the original. I'm not a fan of that direction, but I get it. We see the Turtles use their weapons much less frequently here. Most of the combat is hand-to-hand. The weapons are really part of their identity, but it's only a small complaint. I was fine with them introducing two new villains- Tokka and Rahzar, although they did feel like less effective clones of Bebop and Rocksteady. The fact that Shredder returns is fine, although I wasn't a fan of the anticlimactic Super Shredder at the end of the film. I did enjoy the overall arc of the story, as we learn more about Splinter and the Turtles' origin. The idea to focus on the ooze was a positive one for this movie.

I know the whole Ninja rap thing with Vanilla Ice has been ridiculed, but for a kid in the early 1990s, that was one of the highlights of the movie. Even though it's cheesy beyond belief, I still really enjoy that sequence and the song. The song was a big hit at the time and I still smile during those scenes.

Overall, this movie has several positives but a number of clear negatives. While I would say that I enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, I also acknowledge the film represents a big drop in quality from the original movie. That is a troubling trend, but it's not uncommon for a sequel. So, this movie is simultaneously good and yet, slightly disappointing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III