Before I dive into the nitty-gritty of my opinions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze we do have to talk about how this movie was made. Once again they had the Jim Henson Creature Shop making the suits and once again they looked spectacular. They even added in some new mutants that are some of the best work the Jim Henson Creature Shop has ever produced!
How to Download Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze was released on March 22, 1991. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Also, read our review of the first film in the series.
The Movie Review
The speed at which they were able to pump this movie out is just crazy. They got this out just a year after the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie struck gold at the box office. However, there was a bit of parental outrage with that first movie being a bit too violent and as a result, this movie does tone things down and is more similar to the animated series than the dark and gritty comic book.
Toning Down the Violence
With such a short development time and having to make sure the parents would not freakout, you would think that would be a recipe for disaster. That is not the case though and while I do prefer the first movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a lot of fun and a movie that I always get a kick out of when I watch it. I have actually come to like it a lot more as an adult than I did as a child.
The Return of The Shredder
The Turtles thought that The Shredder was done and dusted, but that was not the case! The Shredder is back and he sends his Foot Clan to get the ooze that mutated the Turtles so he can make his own mutants. Now as a kid, I will admit, I was disappointed that we did not get Bebop & Rocksteady here.
New Mutants: Toka and Rhazar
However, I feel that Toka and Rhazar are awesome and I am glad that they went this route rather than Bebop & Rocksteady. Toka and Rhazar look amazing and they have a ton of personality. The fact they look so intimidating and scary but are complete morons is something that I find a lot of fun.
Fun is the best way to describe what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is. The Turtles have to live with April until they find a new home and the scene with Mikey getting in trouble and having to do backflips always cracks me up. There are far more wisecracks here and Donatello is my favorite from the “yeah, yeah” thing (if you have seen this movie you know what I am talking about) to him drinking coffee and giving April a little commentary on Leo and Raph.
Aimed More at Kids
This is a very quick-paced movie, I feel that this one was more aimed at kids than the first one. That does not mean it is bad. While there is a lot of slapstick humor here and thanks to the parental outrage, the Turtles never really use their weapons. The action scenes and the fights here are still a blast to watch.
The Ninja Rap
While for years people mocked this movie because of the Ninja Rap with Vanilla Ice, it is so awesome that people have to appreciate and love this. I especially love how Vanilla Ice embraces this and is a big Turtles fan himself. I also have to give major props to the fact that wrestler Kevin Nash is in this movie, being a huge wrestling fan too, that is something I think is so cool.
Missing Casey Jones
My main criticism of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is that they did not get Casey Jones back. I loved Elias Kostas as Casey Jones in the first movie and I do think that he is missed here. However, Keno played by Earnie Reyes Junior is a good stand-in and has great chemistry with the Turtles. We also have a new actress playing April O’Neal here and to be honest, I do not have a problem with her at all.
Conclusion
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is such a fun movie and while I will always prefer the first movie, I tend to watch these back to back and then punish myself by then watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. Like I said in my review of the first movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze really needs to get some kind of special 4K release. Also, go and check out the epic figures Neca made of Toka and Rhazar, they are some of the best Turtles figures ever made.
