Let me set the scene for you. It's March of 1991. Exxon has just agreed to pay $1 billion to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Rodney King is beaten by Los Angeles police officers. The Gulf War nears its end. These are serious times, and the people need a serious movie. Instead, they get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Thanks, Hollywood.
Wait a minute. Maybe Turtles 2 is exactly what America needed, a movie that required no thought, no emotional attachment and gave you a few quick laughs. In the first movie, the four turtles have a serious cathartic experience. They fear Splinter is dead, and have a vision of him, where he tells them he loves them all. In the second film, there's none of that mushy, gooey, completely enjoyable stuff. The filmmakers care little about things like catharsis and character motivation. The one thing that could be considered important in that sense just comes across as pointless, and is wrapped up with a single line. "Leonardo, I am your father." Okay, I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea.
Anyway, catharsis and character just get in the way of quick jokes and rap numbers. Yes, I am being sarcastic, but the point still stands. What's important to this movie is the "Good Time Factor." 'Are you having a good time,' and almost more importantly, 'are the characters having a good time?' For that second question, all signs point to yes. Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonard and Raphael are clearly enjoying themselves, as far as four grown men in giant rubber turtle costumes can enjoy themselves. They play football with pizza, dance to rap songs written on the fly specifically for and about them, and fight using cold cuts.
So, you may ask, why do I like this movie despite all of this? But actually, I like Turtles 2 because all of this. It's a chance to not give a damn about anything, and have a slight chuckle at the exploits of four annoying turtles. On my scale of Nintendo games (1 being Deadly Towers and 10 being Super Mario Brothers 3), this rates a Toobin', because it's mostly gibberish and totally unnecessary but still offers a good time every once in a while.
Wait a minute. Maybe Turtles 2 is exactly what America needed, a movie that required no thought, no emotional attachment and gave you a few quick laughs. In the first movie, the four turtles have a serious cathartic experience. They fear Splinter is dead, and have a vision of him, where he tells them he loves them all. In the second film, there's none of that mushy, gooey, completely enjoyable stuff. The filmmakers care little about things like catharsis and character motivation. The one thing that could be considered important in that sense just comes across as pointless, and is wrapped up with a single line. "Leonardo, I am your father." Okay, I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea.
Anyway, catharsis and character just get in the way of quick jokes and rap numbers. Yes, I am being sarcastic, but the point still stands. What's important to this movie is the "Good Time Factor." 'Are you having a good time,' and almost more importantly, 'are the characters having a good time?' For that second question, all signs point to yes. Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonard and Raphael are clearly enjoying themselves, as far as four grown men in giant rubber turtle costumes can enjoy themselves. They play football with pizza, dance to rap songs written on the fly specifically for and about them, and fight using cold cuts.
So, you may ask, why do I like this movie despite all of this? But actually, I like Turtles 2 because all of this. It's a chance to not give a damn about anything, and have a slight chuckle at the exploits of four annoying turtles. On my scale of Nintendo games (1 being Deadly Towers and 10 being Super Mario Brothers 3), this rates a Toobin', because it's mostly gibberish and totally unnecessary but still offers a good time every once in a while.