Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) User Reviews

Go Ninja Go Ninja Go!

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 15 January 2004]

Good times once again as we return with our turtles in a half shell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is the popular sequel to the very popular and successful movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We had some minor changes to this film, while the first movie was a success, parents complained of it's dark nature and mild cursing. So this film was a little brighter and family friendly, while it drug the film down a little for some odd reason I still loved this movie. Not only me but some of my other friends loved it as well, I don't know if it's because we grew up with this film or whatever, but we still have so much fun watching it despite it's cheesy themes and the fact that Vanilla Ice makes a cameo with the ever infamous Ninja Rap that he knew the lyrics and dance too before he even knew the song existed.

The Turtles have been forced to live with their friend the news reporter April O'Neil because the Foot Clan know the whereabouts of their lair in the sewers. While the Turtles are looking for a new home, they encounter a pizza delivery boy named Keno, who is trying to fight off a band of robbers by means of his skill as a martial artist, where the Turtles intervene on his behalf. The Foot Clan, no longer as large as it was in the first film, have retreated to a large junkyard, where Master Tatsu, Shredder's second in command, attempts to take control of the gang, but is challenged by Shredder himself. Shredder was thought to be dead. He now appears physically deformed and obsessed with obtaining revenge, to achieve which he sends a Foot member to pose as an intern at the news network and trail April. April is shown making a report on the efforts of an industrial organization known as TGRI to neutralize pollutants that have resulted from their experiments. Splinter, seeing the report on television, shows the Turtles and April the canister of "ooze" that had caused himself and the Turtles to mutate into their present forms, revealing that it was made by the TGRI. The Turtles infiltrate the TGRI offices to seize a sample of the ooze, only to encounter Tatsu and the Foot. Despite the Turtles' efforts to stop them, Tatsu and the Foot escape, taking the last canister of ooze and Professor Jordan Perry with them. Shredder later instructs Perry to use the ooze to transform a snapping turtle and a wolf into monsters, creating the characters Tokka and Rahzar.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is silly and over the top, but it's still a really fun movie and has all the action and good times the first one had. I absolutely loved the scene where the turtles try to trick Tokka and Rahzar with the donuts, inside the donuts are the cure to make them small again, but of course they don't fall for it after a while and the turtles have the butts handed back to them, big time. I also love the little flaw where the last film Shredder is crushed in a garbage truck, he comes back to life, but he becomes super Shredder where nothing should kill him at all, except for a bridge that falls on him and the turtles, but the turtles manage to survive, lol. It's all good though, this is just a fun movie and I'll always watch it, besides you have to keep that Ninja Rap alive.

7/10

It could have been just as good as the first

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 6/10 · 27 May 2014]

It was obvious that with the successful release of the Ninja Turtles comics, cartoon TV series and first theatrical release, that another story of the turtles was asking to be told. As told by the released date, it seems that the production of the next installment was already being set up very quickly after the first film. This is OK if everything is thoroughly prepped but most of the time, this isn't the case. The product becomes rushed and comes out nothing like it's predecessor. From the trailer it may seem like nothing changed, when in fact there are, and its rather distracting.

The story takes place after the events of the first movie. So it seems like along with this setting, all the characters should be back too right? Actually, it's a bit of both. Some require explanations for both the missing and the present. Fans will appreciate that their four turtles still look the same and voiced by the same actors. However, a new actress named Paige Turco has taken over for the role of April O'Neil. Although she fits the look of the character more, she isn't given much to do this time. Her character hangs more on the sidelines than anything else, than actually helping her turtle friends fight crime. Also, where is Casey Jones? He's not to be found or even mentioned once throughout the film. Not to mention, the writer behind the screenplay worked on the first movie. How'd he miss that?

Another issue that comes into question in this installment is the return of The Shredder. In first movie, audiences witnessed him being crushed inside a garbage truck compactor. How in God's name did he survive that? The continuity is lacking here and it's very unclear. But the piece of the movie that fans will not appreciate is the fact that for action sequences, the turtles no longer use the weapons they carry. It would be one thing if they didn't carry them at all, but in every fight they do and they never decide to use them. This particular aspect was something that fans enjoyed about the first one. Why upset the fans? It all comes down to money sad as it is.

When it came to other parts of the screenplay, the whole plot behind the "secret" of the ooze, pardon the pun, didn't contain enough substance to really expand upon anything that wasn't already known. This is rather disappointing because the setup behind the first made it feel like there was more to be told. Yet when viewers arrive at the sequel, the explanation to this setup feels almost washed over like there wasn't anything to begin with. With all this said though, there are still a number of redeeming qualities. First and foremost are the turtles themselves. Although they don't use their designated weapons, they still are fun to watch rolling around, have kicks flying and throwing fists. It seems that even the facial expressions move more fluidly too which is a good thing.

It's also nice to see that Splinter is still included in the movie. Even David Warner, better known as Ed Dillinger from Tron (1982) plays a scientist who understands the toxic ooze. And most possibly, the most surprising of them all is seeing Vanilla Ice performing the most nostalgic of all raps, the Ninja Rap. To think that the first movie had music that dated it is now and understatement. With Vanilla Ice chanting his "Go Ninja Go" lyrics, there's nothing to think except that THIS is the dated movie now. The composer is also the same for this movie and it is understood now that John Du Prez's themes from the first movie are still kept in tact for this movie as well. At least now, there's an official theme. Surprisingly, it still entertains with all its issues.

It still contains fun action sequences and the same turtles but on the whole, the story feels like an empty shell of the first movie. Not to mention, there are a number of things that go unexplained.

Pretty good sequel

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 20 May 2004]

This film opens with tremendous confidence and energy. The humor of the Turtles may be so 1990 but I still dig it. The opening scene in the shopping mall is way funny and a great way to introduce is to the sequel. At the time the style of the Turtles wasn't so stale, so the plot may seem a bit childish or dumb now.

I have no doubts that if this movie were made today it would not be subtitled 'The Secret of the Ooze'. One can hardly expect high art from a movie called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II but they could have subtitled it something a little less crass. Apparently taking place right after the first movie (where's Casey) it wastes no time bringing back the Shredder and the rest of the Foot Clan.

This time Shredder aims to steal the cannister of ooze that mutated our heroes so he can make his own monsters to avenge his defeat. The result is Tokka and Rahzar and it seems like a half-attempt at a live-action version of Rocksteady and Bebop. As you can imagine, this plot isn't very clever. But the movie never really lulls so long as our heroes are on screen.

Look out for a cameo by Vanilla Ice (looking alarmingly like Dolph Lundgren) at the end. It's so dated it may be difficult to watch but as long as your alone you won't have to cringe.

The DVD has wonderful motion menus as well as a great 1.85:1 anamorphic picture with Dolby 5.1 sound. Extras are thin but still it's a great buy.

Nothing's as good second time round,but ultimately everything was as to be expected

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 27 July 2004]

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

The turtles have thwarted the evil Shredder and his army of ninja thieves and are now searching for a new home.However,it soon emerges The Shredder is set to return to wreak more havoc,and has the ways and the means of unleashing a terrible new threat to the crime fighting awesome foursome.As they set out to stop him,the turtles come to learn more about where they came from and the secrets of their origin...

At the time of the original film's release,the TV series and the toys were at the height of their popularity and so a feature film was inevitable.However,it was a relatively low budget Golden Harvest production that went on to become the most successful independent film of all time.GH still played quite a huge part in the proceedings with this second instalment,however the first film had been a major success,a sequel was as inevitable as the original adaptation that preceded it and so now,a worldwide big major studio like Twentieth Century Fox wanted to have a cut in the stakes and so stepped in to cash in on the franchise.And hey,nobody makes family blockbusters like Twentieth Century Fox,right?Well,maybe Universal.

Anyone who would regard Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 as pointless is,in essence,unable to see past their own nose.The law of physics practically states that any successful (especially family based) action film will have a follow up,in the interests of franchising and,well,basically making money.And it's certainly the family that TMNT2 appeals more to.It's a much lighter,sillier and more family friendly feeling outing,in comparison to the dark,grimy feel of the original.The Shredder,for instance and most significantly,manages only a fraction of the dark,menacing vibe he gave last time and for the most part completely lacks substance here.There's a scene in which the Tokha and Rahzor monsters clamber up and cuddle him that forcefully strips him of all the fear and respect he commanded from the last film.To a degree,the same could be said of Tatsu,although in fairness,he did carry a slightly bumbling quality to him in the original.That's not to mention a number of woefully under-used supporting characters,such as April and Chief Sterns.And what the hell happened to Casey Jones?!?

Of the new characters the new film introduces,Ernie Reyes Jr. emits a fairly engaging charisma as kung fu fighting pizza delivery boy Keno and David Warner is impressive as bumbling professor Jordan Perry (or maybe the film holds too much sentimental value for me!)

One of the main compounding factors of the film (in my eyes) was the plot (or,rather,lack of it) that at best feels very slight and at worst feels practically non-existent.The film is very short,so the feeling of it all being slapped together to make money is never far in doubt.Yet,for all this,the film still manages to carry a charm all of it's own.The script,though patchily assembled,still manages to be engaging throughout and the Jim Henson creature shop creations are as well made,colourful and pleasant to the eye as you'd expect.And hey,when even a Vanilla Ice cameo can't spoil it,something has to be right.***

A regular Fan

[dew-11 · 19 June 1999]

When I saw the first debut of the turtle's movie I did not want to miss a second. And I did'nt. When the 2nd one came out I loved every second as the 1st, and to this day I still have the collection, and the credit I want to give to is the puppeteers and the suit performers they were awesome bringing those characters to life. Great Job. My full respect for these movies is still strong. Some say I'm too old to watch it still. I don't think so! TMNT Rocks. Let's keep it that Way!

Worst sequel to a movie ever

[prestocito · 1/10 · 9 December 2020]

The first movie was so good. The plot was good, it was funny, and there was the romance between April O'neal and Casey jones that everyone wanted. Then there was this movie. There is so many wrong things with this movie. First there is the return of shredder, which is stupid because he got crushed in a garbage truck. How did that not kill him? It's so stupid. Not only did he survive, he got no injuries. Then he comes to new york city with his own mutations. "B'pop and Rocksteady," you say? Wrong. Instead we got these weirdos we've never heard of that are wolf a nd snapping turlte. They don't talk, and the costumes are even faker than anyone else. There was no Casey Jones, and they got a new voice actor for April O'neal. Then there was this weird asian kid no one knew who they expected us all to know when no one knew who was at all. It was so messed up. None of the jokes landed, they were so bad, and don't even get me started on the ending. The rap battle was more boring than anything I've ever seen. I hate this movie. I wish it was never invented because all it does is make the first one look bad when the first one was actually really good. If I ever have kids and I show them the first one, I won't even tell them there is any sequals because I don't want to ruin the first one for them

a nice film for the kids

[lagudafuad · 6/10 · 19 March 2013]

Looking for great lines and dialogue, there is none here. Looking for cool costumes that look extremely realistic, not here Looking for pure turtle fun… you have come to the right place

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the OOZE, oh boy when I was young this was the movie to see; there is nothing better than seeing something that you loved when you were young, and then just knowing all the lines before they are said.

Anywhere anytime, during my youth days I will sit down to see these guys take on Shredder again and bring down Tokka and Rahzar. The Foot Clan could not even measure up to the task of taking on these guys, as they have failed in the first part of this film.

The event in the movie follows the first film, after Shredder was believed to have been dead. The Shred-Master was not dead though and he reunited with the remainder his Foot Clan and he now wanted to take down the turtles, a revenge mission that he decided will be freak against freak.

So he kidnapped a professor who knew about the Ooze that made the turtles and he (the professor) was forced to create two monsters for Shredder, and they were named Tokka and Rahzar. Now Shredder has the upper hand and he promises to release the creatures into the city if the turtles do not come and face them.

The movie was received with mixed reviews totally because the movie was very tuned down from the dark theme of the first and also, many of the fight scenes featured the use of hands rather than weapons. All this was to make the film more appealing to younger audience, which worked in my case as I was young and found the comic references interesting and great.

The only thing that may have not made this movie so appealing to older viewers will be the fight scenes, removing the weapons was not just cool for me, and they changed the April, which to some was not needed. In the first movie April O'Nei, was played by Judith Hoagl who did a fine job if I may say so, but she was replaced in this movie by Paige Turco, who wasn't half bad.

Also the person I missed the most in this movie was Casey Jones, who was a prominent character in the first movie.

To put it like this, if you were my age when you saw this the first time you will have learnt the Vanilla Ice rap song, and be singing on the streets Villains you better run and hide…Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go.., so reviewing it like I was watching it back in 1991 when Vanilla Ice was still popular I say this is a good movie.

www.lagsreviews.com

The beginning of the end for the Turtles

[mentalcritic · 2/10 · 28 February 2005]

The mind starts to boggle when I read all the comments that claim this sequel was better than the original. All the signs of an obvious cash-in are included here. Fox studios were, like most of the Hollywood majors, still bitter that they had missed the virtual shower of dollars that the first feature film entailed. So, when Golden Harvest announced there would be a second feature, Fox could not help but buy a share in the production, just to ensure they would reap some of the benefits. Unfortunately, what they also brought to the table were the typical vices of big media. They set out to make a family-friendly, sanitised version of the Turtles' world. Showing that they did not even bother to see the first film, they believed this would result in a better film. They were wrong.

With an estimated budget of twenty-five million dollars, the inherent name recognition in the Turtles brand became a big factor in Fox's marketing. They saw to it that every media outlet around the world was aware that a new Turtles film was coming out, and the children of the time made certain that their parental units would take them to see it. You can see how specific this marketing was in some of the dialogue, especially during some of the almost-fight scenes. While the gross for this film, at seventy-five million dollars, sounds impressive, the original was estimated to have cost a mere thirteen-point-five million, and wound up making just a little over ten times that amount in the USA alone. Once again, family-oriented marketing tries to claim success, but is bowled down by fact.

So far, we have a family-friendly atmosphere, childish dialogue, and fight scenes that mislead the primary audience as to the true consequences of violence. A fourth strike comes in the form of a cameo from Vanilla Ice. Just as real musicians like Black Sabbath had their craft sullied by the likes of Poison or Warrant during the 1980s, the blaxploitation rappers of the 1990s had to contend with the likes of Vanilla Ice. From the second the Turtles wind up in the nightclub, the film is so badly dated that it never gets a chance to recover. You can just picture in another twenty years, when a child stumbles across this by accident, they will turn to their now-forty-something parents and ask if white people were really this idiotic in the late twentieth century.

Nonetheless, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II can at least be said to have been profitable. In fact, it was, by Hollywood standards, massively profitable, which is more than what can be said for the abysmal third effort. How much of that wound up in Fox's pocket is a point of curiosity, but it is a lot less than the virtual bonanza of the original. I guess the saying should be modified to read that wealth creation used to be a function of innovation. In contrast to the original film, where it was soundly proved that puppets and comic book material could be used to depict something other than the bright pastel tone that corporations like Disney continue to bombard us with. If anything, the fields of animation and family entertainment have gone backwards since the early 1980s.

Some things that went wrong in the original, such as the miscasting of April O'Neil, were rectified in this sequel. Paige Turco brings back the youthful exuberance of April, as opposed to the snotty, arrogant whining that Judith Hoag weighted the character down with. Sadly, the real star of the original, Elias Koteas, is nowhere to be seen. He was obviously busy with the much more challenging (and ultimately rewarding) role of the wheelchair-bound brother in Almost An Angel. It is such a pity that Almost An Angel did not achieve better financial success, proving once again that wealth and good storytelling are incompatible within the Hollywood business model.

Unlike the so-bad-it's-spectacular third installment, I am giving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II a two out of ten. In trying so hard to please everyone, it winds up not only pleasing very few (at least not once they outgrow the Disney-like marketing), but it winds up being not bad enough to be good, and too bad to be good. Stuck firmly in no-man's-land, in other words.

I love this sequel and my second favorite in the trilogy!

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 31 October 2015]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) it is a worthy follow up top the original classic action film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). This sequel is way improvement over third film and both of reboot films. It is my second favorite film in the trilogy and it is almost good as the first movie! I love them both to death and it is an excellent sequel.! It is my childhood film and I grew up with it. The first one was dark and awesome kick ass film, my favorite childhood film of all time, this sequel is good on the same level as the first is, just the first one is the best and far way better than all the films about Ninja Turtles were made!

After the big success over the violence in , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the movie makers "dumbed" down Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, making the turtles more funny, less weapons and less fights. The TMNT star in the greatest movie of the 1990's, maybe even HISTORY! Our "Heroes in a Half Shell" must battle the Foot, and that dastardly devil Shredder to save New York. This movie shows that on rare occasions a sequel can be as good or better than the original! The Turtles look awesome and Keno definitely adds to the excitement of the movie! You have to give props to any pizza delivery guy that knows martial arts and can kick it with the Turtles.

We learn more of the origins of the turtles as well as meet a few new characters who help the turtles out. Raph's voice/actor replaced unfortunately, his personality lost. He angers for no real reason. This is Donnie's movie, he gets to be a geek, which worked. His original voice talent also replaced due to Cory Feldman's issues back then. The story would have been a lot more enjoyable without the horrible "Ninja Rap" and Vanilla Ice, that sequence ruined the movie for this viewer. Tokka & Rahzar are adorable. It got a little too much like the cartoon with "super Shredder" and the more laughs than drama that the first movie had. Jim Henson's Creature Shop designs where outstanding which the animatronics did work for the film as well as its predecessor. I love Jim Henson's Creature Shop!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is still my favorite childhood memories film that I have always enjoyed and I always will. There isn't any drama in it, which I like it, there is a lot of comedy in it a lot funny moments, less sadness in it. Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello are awesome!!!

One problem I have I wish that, they had Casey Jones instead in it and the music soundtrack could have been better. I wish there would be Corey Feldman's voice in the movie from the first movie.

I enjoy this film it is more entertaining and fats paced and I still love it!!! I love The sequel to the original movie. I love the fight scenes with the foot clan, and with thieves in the beginning of the film! GREAT opening sequence when the TMNT fly over Keno and kick butt in the toy store. Awesome storyline to connect their origin..... to the Ooze and TGRI. A new April ( although Mrs Turco did an alright job) I still wish there would be Judith Hoag in it, she was a lot of better than Paige Turco was. Those are the main problems with the film I have.

The Turtles and the Shredder battle once again, this time for the last cannister of the ooze that created the Turtles, which Shredder wants to create an army of new mutants.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American live-action film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters published by Mirage Studios. It is the sequel to the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The rating I am giving is a 9, it is not that good like the first one was but it is still good and it is my childhood movie.

Go ninja go ninja go!

[KineticSeoul · 6/10 · 20 August 2014]

To be honest, I think I might have slightly liked this one more than the first installment in this trilogy. Although the actress that played Search April O'Neil was just horrendous and the worst Search April O'Neil portrayal in the trilogy. The fight sequences was goofy but fun to watch and the chemistry between the turtles and character still works for this one. Shredder didn't seem that much sinister at all this time around until the very end when he gets jacked up on ooze steroids. The bad guys using the ooze to power up the dog and snapping turtle to fight against the Ninja Turtles was a bit lame. But it did make sense to a degree and didn't really take much out of the movie. However the best part was Vanilla Ice rapping a Ninja Turtles rap while the turtles kick butt on the dance floor. Overall this is a good follow up to the first one in my opinion. This installment even has the most in depth connection when it comes to the turtles on where they came from and what their purpose is (no, not that we were all made from a tube of green ooze). Looking back now, it isn't as cool as I thought it was when I was a kid, but it still has enough to make it watchable even today.

6.8/10

The Most Kiddish Of The TMNT Movies

[byson5186 · 5/10 · 20 August 2015]

I just finished watching this movie. I thought about watching it, because I recently saw the first one which I also wrote a review on. I also felt like watching it, because you remember how the turtles like pizza and in this one, one of the main characters is the pizza delivery guy, Keno. While watching it, a lot of the movie didn't entertain me that much. It might have a good storyline, dealing with the ooze the turtles mutated from. But, a lot of the movie seemed too kiddish for me. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of kid entertainment. Like my favorite movie in the entire world, which I also left a review on is a movie called Junior High Spy, even though that movie has bad acting. I also feel like if you want to go to places like Disney World, you still have some of your youth inside. Sometimes if something is too kiddish, it just seems too cheesy to watch and doesn't entertain you as much.

Now, there's the first one which is entertaining. I enjoyed the first film, I like the dark atmosphere in the film. I also like how they show the Foot Clan and teen boys from back then entertaining themselves. This movie is the 2nd in the series, and we miss the days when the turtles were stuntmen in costumes. This movie while meant to be a sequel from the first, seemed to leave things out as sequels often times do. I mean, April seems to change in this one. Yeah, she's played by a different actress. But, in this one she lives in a nicer apartment in a nicer area of the city. She also seems to appreciate antiquity in the first, which isn't shown in this one. Also, Danny was a main character in the first film who even hung around April in a deleted ending scene. It doesn't look the same without him, or his Dad Charles Pennington, especially at April's Channel 3 News. It also isn't quite the same without Casey Jones, even though Keno probably replaced his role. The foot also seems different in this film than the first.

What else do I want to say. I saw the 3rd one recently, as I have a Blu Ray set with the first 3 TMNT movies. I saw on wikipedia how the 3rd one got mostly negative reviews, including one review of somebody who considered it only entertaining for kids and almost as if that movie was written by kids. I don't think so. The 3rd one seems less cheesy, and it takes us back to 17th Century Japan. Also, I felt like the plot for that movie was hard to understand, even as an adult. That movie could also look like you're watching a different movie when you see ancient Japan. It also is nice to see the turtles in the past, and not in their typical urban environment, and a villain besides Shredder. That movie couldn't be written by a kid, I don't think most kids are really familiar with the Samurai in 17th Century Japan. This second one seems more like it was written by a kid, as it's a plot a kid could come up with.

So, the movie entertained me a little. I mean the Go Ninja Go Ninja Go sequence was cool. The climax while it could have been better was cool. But, a lot of the movie seemed slow pace, and cheesy. I'm sure the first one will entertain you more than this one. If you like history, like me you'd probably prefer the 3rd one. So, for entertainment purposes and remembering the turtles from when they were men in costumes, I give it a 5.

Superb but lacks darkness like the original

[enjoiskaterguy · 9/10 · 10 August 2005]

The sequel to the smash hit 1990 TMNT, starts off greatly with an introduction to a new character (Keno) and has a great pizza scene showing how the city loves New York pizza as well as metaphorically showing the viewers watching that this indeed is a turtles movie...The opening music is great and is perfect for the city scene.

The plot is not as well thought out as the original but still does the turtles a good name for them...I still feel they rushed it a little seeing that the movie was in production right after the 1st movie went into theaters...I seem to feel the super shredder was the turning point in the franchise, meaning that it went from a sort of Tim Burtan feel with TMNT 1, and ended up with a corny kid focused feeling with the introduction of the super shredder..and the ninja rap didn't help either..all though I thought it was cool....I just wished secret of the ooze was more of a dark TMNT movie....which the 1st movie held on to strong.

The addition of Professor Jorden Perry and the whole TGRI company was a great idea to explain the chemical spill and the mutation the turtles went through. His mature nature and serious tone helped the movie maintain a sense of maturity as well as stability in the plot.

The acting was great in this one as well and the comedy was just as good as in the first movie. Although Corey Feldman did not voice Donetello in this one, the replaced voice actor was great...I even might say that the actor that voiced Don in TMNT 2 is just as good as Cory Feldman's voice acting in the 1st and 3rd movie.

IN conclusion, TMNT: Secret of the Ooze is a great sequel that is both funny as well as serious and is a great movie for any age. The only thing that bothered me was that is was slightly too focused on the youth audience and didn't stay 100% with the original's dark atmosphere.

have a bit of fun

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 29 December 2021]

The Turtles and their master Splinter are now living with April O'Neil (Paige Turco) in her apartment. Keno is a kicking pizza delivery guy. They have to stop Shredder and his minions.

This is a live-action movie of a Saturday morning cartoon. It is what it is and it has fun with it. Heck, it has Vanilla Ice performing. It has its fun without getting too stupid.

Some good elements, but generally quite bad.

[richieandsam · 5/10 · 16 October 2013]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE

This is a film I have not seen in many many years… and I can see why. The first one for me was very nostalgic. It brought back some great memories and even though it was bad, I still loved it. This one on the other had was far worst.

The film carries on from the original with the Turtles celebrating their win over the Shredder. But when Shredder comes back and reforms the Foot Clan, the Turtles need to watch out as he wants revenge. This time Shredder wants to know what changed these guys from little turtles into the mutants they are now… his investigation leads him to this chemical factory that is producing this green ooze. Shredder steals the last tube of ooze and changes a couple of little animals into huge super strong mutants. The Turtles have to defeat these 2 new monsters and the shredder.

The story to this one was not too bad really. What ruined it for me was the 2 monsters that Shredder brings in. They were terrible. The costumes were quite good, but they could hardly move. You could tell that inside these costumes were 2 guys really struggling to move. It looked like something out of a really bad kids TV show. I know this film is aimed at kids, but even when I was a kid I thought they were bad. The Turtles costumes were still pretty good. It looked like they had upgraded the mouth movements as they seemed to have more expression in this one. The fighting scenes were also a little bit better in this one than the original. They were fighting much faster and more smoothly which made a huge difference to the film.

The casting was probably the worst part about this film though. A lot of the original cast did not return for this film. The Turtles were played by Michelan Sisti, returning as Michaelangelo, Leif Tilden returning as Donatello and 2 new cast members Kenn Scott as Raphael & Mark Caso as Leonardo. I have no complaints about them… you can't really comment on their acting as they were just wearing rubber suits. Kevin Clash was playing Splinter… I love this guy. He has done so many classic films and TV shows… the man is Elmo after all! Paige Turco came in to play the new April O'Neil… I loved Paige in the TV show American Gothic, but in this she was so bad. Her acting was not great and unfortunately she didn't have the same personality as the April in the original movie so it was hard to believe she was April. Also, where the hell was Casey? Not even a mention. He was one of the better characters from the original but he was not in this film. Ernie Reyes Jr. played the pizza delivery man that found the Turtles and helped them on their way in this film. He was OK. He has got some great martial arts moves, but his line delivery could have been a lot better. The less said about Vanilla Ice the better… probably the worst part about the whole movie.

There were some great things about this film. I liked the idea of explaining where the Turtles came from. It was very similar to the classic cartoon that I used to watch as a kid. I also like the idea of the monsters, I just think they were very badly made… which is a shame as they were made by the Jim Henson company. This film was dedicated to the memory of Jim Henson. My favourite part was the ending… unfortunately it was over very quickly. I thought the twist at the end could have been stretched out a bit more. It was a good twist, but was very short lived.

All in all it was very average. It had some good parts and a lot of bad parts. I will give this film 5 out of 10.

"You know, if I had a face like yours, I'd try to make up for it with some sort of personality!"

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Less gritty than the first, but more fun

[Monika-5 · 10 April 2001]

Well, this second film was more kid-oriented and played more for laughs, but I still got a kick out of it. Paige Turco made a better April than Judith Hoag (and what a cool apartment April has!) and Ernie Reyes Jr. (whatever happened to him?) is a lot of fun to watch too. What WAS the secret of the ooze? I haven't seen the film in years!

Re: Vanilla Ice. Yes, his very presence is laughable, let alone his "performance". But in his defense, he's less embarrassing here than in 1991's other blockbuster smash hit, Cool As Ice!

Too cute to be a TMNT movie.

[departed07 · 6/10 · 13 April 2008]

I'm a huge fan of the original movie seeing that they were true to the roots of bringing the turtles to life where they weren't too serious or goofy for the matter.

Just like all good movies or blockbuster hits, a sequel was followed in a much friendly way than the original.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The secret of the ooze" takes place a year after the events in the first movie where the turtles were declared heroes by April O'Neil and the city when Shredder was killed as more crime is up while Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello and Raphael are back with more adventure, a new sidekick and more villains.

In the first sequel, the turtles discover that Shredder maybe back from the dead and find out that the chemicals that created them are stolen along with a professor. Along the way, the turtles befriend a new kid by the name of Keno (Ernie Reyes Jr.) in which like April, he gets freaked out when he sees that there are walking talking turtles in the city until seeing how good they are, along with the fact they save his life in one scene. There are also new monsters created by the same substance as our four hero characters; a horrible rip-off of Rocksteady and Bebop, Tokka (a snapping turtle) and Rahzar (a wolf) are Shredder's pets to destroy both the city and the turtles! TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze isn't bad, but it's not good either. It's too cute to be a TMNT movie along with the fact that there were many changes in the film from a new actress playing April O'Neil. Paige Turco plays the new April while Judith Hoag stepped out due to the fact that her character wasn't really developed. In terms of the voices from the turtles, I didn't like the actor who did Donatello where it made him seem to much of a geek compared to the smart and laid back voice of Corey Feldman, who didn't make the voice because on his arrest of drug possession.

Trust me, stick to the first movie.

Only a shell of the first film

[Fluke_Skywalker · 5/10 · 19 March 2014]

After deftly balancing the fun with the serious in the first film, 'Secret of the Ooze' inexplicably regresses into more light-weight, cartoonish fare. If the goal was to increase mass-appeal by once again sanitizing the Turtles, it backfired, as 'TMNT II' made $120 million dollars less globally than its predecessor did just one year earlier.

While the tonal shift is jarring, there are two other key components missing here; 1.) The substitution of sets and sound-stages for actual location shooting, and perhaps most of all, 2.) The lack of Casey Jones. The athletically gifted, but charisma challenged Ernie Reyes Jr. is no substitute for the wise-cracking charm of Elias Koteas.

'Secret of the Ooze' is still blandly amusing at times, but like watered down sequels such as 'Conan the Destroyer' before it, it simply can't touch the original.

Small Pizza, Not Spicy, But Crispy on The Sides !

[elshikh4 · 7/10 · 14 February 2010]

Every age has its beloved oddity. I mean who would have thought that the talking apes would be in vogue during the 1970s, with 4 sequels for (Planet of The Apes), and 2 TV shows as well?! It's madness, apparently frequent, and sure got its revealing reasons. But whatever, still it isn't something that I'll be MAD about, whether we're talking about the 1970s apes, or the 1990s turtles!

I meet the same confusion with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (WAW. What a title!). I've never understood their popularity. There was an age where all of my family used to run, and I mean RUN, to catch the cartoon show on the national TV in the late 1990s. I was so erratic among them, asking what's attractive in mutant ninja turtles, and huge ugly rat??

So I forced myself to set and watch this movie, maybe to find any answer. The formula is so obvious. Good guys (teens; after what Star Wars and E.T. had done to the American cinema in the 1980s). Cartoonish bad guys. A mentor. A sidekick. Marital arts. And goofy sci-fi. However, all of that in just bizarre format which I admire its wild imagination, but not its outcome, since I'm not a fan.

Nonetheless this movie is fun. I found nothing to call bad, or even a time to be indignant towards anything. Its little shape didn't manage to harm its goods. It didn't allege anything further than what it already had, being as the highest good result this budget could achieve.

I have to confess; there were moments that pushed me to laugh; especially the Casablanca spoof. (Paige Turco) is great. And I loved the last line: "I made another funny", since it could fit this movie itself as a sequel / another fun ride. Although I still can't, to date, see the certain adored something in TMNT, but this movie of them managed to be as light as pizza, not spicy (no sex or violence), and crispy with teen hilarity all the way. I just hated the tin jagged hat of Mr. (Shredder). It was extremely silly!

Finally, nothing wrong with one pizza sometimes!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze

[jboothmillard · 4/10 · 10 August 2023]

The first movie was okay but a big hit at the cinemas, I didn't know there were any sequels until much later, so I chanced this second film in what was a trilogy. Basically, in New York City, young pizza delivery boy Keno (Ernie Reyes Jr.) is cornered by burglars and tries to stop them with his martial arts skills. He is overwhelmed by the burglars, but he is soon rescued by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The burglars are tied up, while the turtles vanish, taking the pizza Keno was delivering with them, leaving money to pay for it. Donatello (Leif Tilden, voiced by Adam Carl) (in the purple mask), Leonardo (Mark Coso, voiced by Brian Tochi) (in the blue mask), Michelangelo (Michelan Sisti, voiced by Robbie Rist) (in the orange mask), and Raphael (Kenn Scott, voiced by Laurie Faso) (in the red mask), along with their master Splinter the rat (Kevin Clash), are living with news reporter April O'Neil (Paige Turco) in her apartment. Splinter wants to remain in the shadows, but the turtles are looking for a new place wanting to live out in the open. At a junkyard, The Shredder (François Chau, voiced by David McCharen) emerges disfigured from the wreckage after being dumped there following his previous defeat. The remaining members of his criminal group, the Foot, and his second-in-command Tatsu (Toshishiro Obata, voiced by Michael McConnohie) are hiding out when they are met by their master who vows revenge on the Turtles. April interviews Professor Jordan Perry (David Warner) from TGRI (Techno Global Research Industries) about a possible toxic waste leak. He assures her that everything is fine, but scientists discover dandelions that have been mutated by leaked waste. April's cameraman Freddy (Mark Doerr) is a spy for the Foot, he discovers the mutated flowers and reports it to his master, who decides to have Perry interrogated. Back at April's apartment, Splinter reveals to her and the Turtles that the canister of "Ooze" which mutated them 15 years ago was created by TGRI, so they also want to talk to Perry. The Professor is disposing of the remaining ooze, but the Foot gets to him before the last canister is emptied, kidnapping him, and taking the canister. The Turtles try but fail to get the canister back. Afterward, Keno pretends to be delivering a pizza to April's apartment, and he discovers Splinter and the Turtles. At the Shredder's hideout, Perry is forced to use the remaining ooze on a snapping turtle and a wolf, mutating the creatures into anthropomorphic monsters Tokka (Kurt Bryant, voiced by Frank Welker) and Rahzar (Mark Ginther, voiced by Frank Welker), but both are unintelligent but have great strength. With April's safety at risk, the Turtles start looking for a new home. Raphael has an argument with Leonardo and breaks off from the group, while Michelangelo finds the abandoned City Hall subway station to be a perfect hideout. Raphael and Keno go against Splinter's orders, with Keno infiltrating the Foot and finding their hideout. However, they are caught, Raphael is captured, but Keno escapes to warn the others. The Turtles arrive but are ambushed by the Shredder and the Foot. Splinter saves the group, but Tokka and Rahzar prove too strong to defeat. Donatello finds Perry bound and gagged, he is untied and the five of them retreat. Back in their hideout, Perry explains to the Turtles the ooze was created by accident; Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael are disheartened, hoping that there was a higher purpose for their existence. The Shredder unleashes Tokka and Rahzar into a nearby neighbourhood to cause damage. The following day, Freddy sends a message to April that the monsters will be released into Central Park if the Turtles don't meet the Foot Clan at the construction site. Perry develops a mutagen antidote that must be ingested to work. When the Turtles confront the Foot at the site, they try tricking Tokka and Rahzar into eating donuts containing the antidote. They realise the trick and brutally attack, throwing Raphael into a public dance club where Vanilla Ice (as himself) is performing. This causes a fight among hundreds of clubgoers; eventually, the Turtles revert Tokka and Rahzar back to their natural state. Shredder consumes the remaining ooze in the last canister and is transformed into a Super Shredder (Kevin Nash). The Turtles fight with the heavily mutated Super Shredder on the dock, but he is too strong. He is defeated when he rampages, and the dock collapses onto him. In a press release, April reads a note from Perry, thanking the Turtles for saving him. When they return home, the Turtles deny being seen by the humans, but Splinter shows them the newspaper on which they are front-page news. He orders the four of them to do exercises as punishment. Also starring Raymond Serra as Chief Sterns, and Michael Pressman (the director) as News Manager. Turco, replacing Judith Hoag, is fine, Reyes Jr. Is slightly annoying, Warner as the English scientist is reasonable, Tokka and Rahzar as replacements for Rocksteady and Bebop are daft, and the Heroes in a Half Shell with their teen attitudes and pizza munching are fun. The special effects from the Jim Henson Creature Shop are half-and-half, but that kind of adds to its charm, and there are some good fights and amusing moments, the story is all over the place, and it is overwhelmingly silly, but it is a relatively alright superhero fantasy action adventure. Okay!

This sequel is entertaining enough to overcome certain silliness and flaws.

[hu675 · 8/10 · 6 September 2005]

The fearsome foursome turtles go after the glowing cannister that mutated them as babies. While the turtles are trying to find the meaning of their lives and the ooze is slipped into the hands of the evil Shredder (Francois Chau). Shredder asks the help of an unwillingly scientist (David Warner) to make his mutant allies, Rahzar and Tokka. The Turles seeks help with the young pizza deliver boy-Keno (Ernie Reyes, Jr.). The Heroes dive into action and of course, Pizza!

Directed by Michael Pressman (Doctor Detroit, Some Kind of Hero, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday) made an entertaining sequel. This is a bigger budgeted film than the first movie. As usual, the highlight is the animatronic characters by Jim Henson's creature shop. The plot of the sequel is extremely silly but never boring. Paige Turco replaced Judith Hoag from the original and Turco is appealing in the film. Too Bad, Elias Koteas didn't return for the sequel and Corey Feldman didn't return to voice Donatello also. The film was a hit like the original. The only flaw in the sequel is the ending, which it is a mess. Rapper:Vanilla Ice appears in a embarrassing cameo. This sequel is amusing for the kids and fun for the fans of the comic book series. (*** ½/*****).

A Good Sequel That Bows To Parents

[jeremycrimsonfox · 7/10 · 23 January 2020]

The Turtles are back, and are still fighting crime after the Foot has fallen. However. The Shredder has also survived being crushed in a garbage truck, and is now out for revenge, going as far as to steal a canister of the ooze that mutated the four and creating his own mutants, Tokka and Rahzar. Now the turtles must stop the mad man, as well as find a new hideout and keep Keno, a pizza boy who saw them stop a mall robbery, out of danger.

So, yeah, this may not have done as well as its predecessor, but it is still liked. When the first film came out, parents complained about that one being too dark and violent (as it was released at a time when the TMNT brand was marketed to kids, with a popular animated series and a toyline making people forget about the original Mirage comics, which is what it was based on), so for this one, they decided to tone down the Turtles some. While that means they no longer have a potty mouth, it also forbids them from using their signature weapons (with the mall scene having them resort to using toys, leading Michelangelo's famous (or infamous, depending on your view) Combat Cold Cuts scene, which I found funny. Also, Casey Jones does not return due to the parent complaints, as he is replaced by Keno, a pizza delivery boy who witnesses the Turtles and tends to jump into fights that are not his. Also, we get Tokka and Rahzar, two mutants who were a baby turtle and wolf exposed to the ooze stolen by The Foot, who make formidable threats despite their age (as they actually manage to overpower the Turtles).

Despite the softened tone, there is still plenty of action. Keno, played by Ernie Reyes Jr., who was the suit actor for Donatello in the first film, actually proves he is a good actor, even going as far as to do a fight scene. Also, some characters have been recast (the most notable example being April, who is played by Paige Turco for this and the next film, replacing Judith Hoag), but they do a good job. The suits are still from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and the film starts with a screen dedicating the memory of Jim, who died before the movie was released.

There are some good stuff I like, like the mall fight, and even the Ninja Rap, but sadly, the film suffers from the fact that it bows to parents. Because the Turtles are no longer allowed to use their weapons to attack enemies, this results in them being stuck in traps that Leonardo can easily use his katana to cut them out of. Also, if you were disappointed at the final battle of the first film, chances are you will be disappointed here. But despite its mistakes, TMNT II: The Secret Of The Ooze is a good movie, despite it toning down the tone and violence, and is worth checking out.

Silly sequel which gets a bit too silly

[josephdunn-67245 · 4/10 · 28 February 2024]

I said in my review of TMNT 1990 that you have to take it for what it is. It's supposed to daft. Like the first it tries to offer some dramatic scenes with almost the same character being a wee guy who needs advice from Splinter as before. It's just filler for the main event which is the 4 Turtles and their banter. Vanilla Ice being involved just adds an extra level of daftness. For me it doesn't reach a 5 as its just more of the same. But as I say its hard to give such a ridiculous premise real depth. But they get up an stage and start dancing and the ridiculousness is taken even further which reduces its appeal even more. The final con which drops it to 4 is the costumes. They messed with their eyes and they occasionally look like ventriloquist dummies. The 2 mutant baddies are also so terribly crap looking which is a little off putting. A light hearted and marginally cable sequel. 4 max.

Extremely Underrated

[millz-20204 · 8/10 · 21 July 2022]

I don't understand how this is only 6.0. Yeah it has some cheesy moments. But as a pure entertainment level growing up in the 90's no way this movie is only a 6.0. Way ahead of it's time. Just like the first one. This was one of the most fun movies to watch growing up. The opening scene in the downstairs mall and the way they jumped down the stairs bringing up the movie title.. they don't make 'em like that anymore. No way it's only a 6.0... just my two cents but i know I can't be the only one who feels this way.

One of the cornerstones of the modern cinema...

[Christopher_Reid · 6/10 · 4 March 2009]

Having just re-watched this delightful film recently, I found it amusing to finally notice that it was a little strange that during the opening credits, all the citizens of New York were to be observed eating massive slices of pizza. Until now, it appears that the unlikelihood of this scenario had simply never occurred to my childish and pizza-infatuated brain. Such is the power of this marvelous film which I am currently writing 'bout.

Comic timing has never been this amazingly and consistently translated to the sublime language of film as it is here (sorry Buster). Shredder's eventual and inevitable demise is a touching example. Splinter's lines comprise a veritable encyclopaedia of distinguished and memorable one-liners. To spoil them would be stupid, I'm afraid. All the more reason to go out and watch this wonderful and rare gem of a movie.

To watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is to live and breathe in New York City and take the turtles' journey with them. The film-making is exemplary; the technique second-to-none. The audience, ready or not, is taken on a rhapsodic roller-coaster of passions and triumphs, laughs and more laughs. If that sounds like fun to you, well, then, of course it does, silly! And what's more is that you're sure to love this movie and cherish it as I and so many others have. There's a funny feeling one gets just by thinking about the movie afterwards. You can almost tell just by looking at a person whether they've yet experienced the raw visceral experience this film represents. Ask them about it and their facial features melt into this indescribable (but I'll try anyway) heavenly ecstasy of fond reminiscence and inner peace.

"Ninja, ninja, RAP! Ninja, ninja, RAP!" One can hear the evolution of hip hop taking place right before their ears in these very words. It's nearly overwhelming. Has there ever been a more exquisite and justified cameo in a major motion picture before or since? A rhetorical question if ever there was such a thing. John du Prez returns from the original to pen the score; a score which once again proves his unparalleled talent in the grand and noble universe that is film music.

Howard Hawks once said that a good movie had to have "three great scenes and no bad scenes" (I think). This enigmatic sequel has all great scenes. Even The Godfather had that scene where Talia Shire was breaking plates and stuff. What was up with that?!

Better than getting rabies? Is that an accomplishment?

[jessegehrig · 1/10 · 11 March 2016]

Human life is about suffering. People will talk all kinds of sh*t about hopes and dreams and meaning and all that sh*t is great, don't get me wrong, but what lasts with you whether in certainty or doubt, is suffering. Even at your happiest highest point of your life,even then there is suffering. I was gonna make a joke about suffering that was gonna tie into a truncated review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 The Secret Of The Ooze, but now it seems pointless. Yes, seeing this movie causes suffering, like how I was talking earlier several sentences ago, but also people suffered to make it y'know 'cause this movie is awful garbage and you know there was a bunch of cocaine and weird sex stuff on set, so that's even more of the good stuff. Suffering. Doubt. Ruin.