For
those that enjoyed the original Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles film, the sequel continues much of the juvenile humor, campy
tone, and cheesy charm that you've come to know, love and expect. In other
words, it is for fans of the first film only, so if you're looking for things to
improve in any significant way, you won't find it here. As far as sequels
go, it stays faithful to the first film in all of the important ways, despite
the switch in the actress that plays April O'Neill to Paige Turco (Urbania,
"NYPD Blue") and a different director in Michael Pressman (Doctor
Detroit, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training) . If there is
any significant difference, it's that this one plays up the comedic aspect much
more, akin to the popular animated cartoon series, featuring more interplay and
catchphrases between the four turtle characters, with a toning down of the dark
violence, and even the bad guys have their own goofy comic qualities. In terms
of quality, like most sequels, it's not quite as good as the first film, but at
least it's not too far off the mark.
In this entry, Shredder (Chau,
Beverly Hills Ninja) is back,
having apparently survived the near-fatal events at the end of the first film,
and he reasserts his position as the head of the dreaded ninja gang running the
underworld of New York City, the Foot. Shredder is intrigued by reports of
a clean-up operation in removing some toxic ooze that has been causing mutations
in some living things it contacts, which he believes may be of use in getting
revenge on the Turtles and Master Splinter for standing in the way of complete
domination. He manages to steal away the last remaining container of the
ooze, which he uses to create his own mutant creations to battle the Turtles and
wreak havoc on the city. It's up to the Ninja Turtles, along with help
from scientist Prof. Jordan Perry and their new human teenage fighting buddy
Keno (Reyes Jr., The Rundown), to stop
Shredder's plans and get rid of the dreaded ooze once and for all.
I suppose the one thing that most people
remember about TMNT II is the gratuitous appearance of Vanilla Ice (Cool
as Ice), whose popularity was already plummeting at the time the film was
finally released. While I'm certainly far from a Vanilla Ice fan, his
appearance here isn't as detrimental to the film as you'd expect, although it
does make the film seem rather un-hip. The series is cheesy enough that it
can withstand just about any lapse in judgment, even an appearance from one of
the world's least talented rappers. Thankfully he has nothing to do but an
apparent impromptu song where he chants, "Go Ninja. Go!", although his scene is
the low point of the film in terms of quality and focus, which is saying quite a
bit.
Paige Turco is a workable April O'Neill,
although not quite as spunky (or as redhead-ed) as Judith Hoag. her
character is important to the story, but really, the acting requirements aren't
particularly demanding, only really requiring a woman that looks good in a
mini-skirt and an ability to perform mild physical comedy to play it. The
character of Keno is a nice addition, with Ernie Reyes Jr., who worked as a fight
double in the first film, showing a real talent for martial arts that blends in
well with the rest of the performers. In fact, the choreography all-around
is impressive, especially considering that most of the fighters had limited
visibility and movement in their full-body costumes.
Although it loses steam as soon as Vanilla
Ice rears his proverbial ugly head, there's enough here to warrant a viewing for
series fans. No one else really need apply, as this film doesn't try to
gain new fans so much as to please the ones they already have. Needless to
say, kids will enjoy this much more than adults, although there is a nostalgia
value for those that watched this at the time of its theatrical release. However, even fans of
the series will probably recognize that the tank was already on "E" quite a ways
before the film's final battle, and with only residual fumes to run on, it
thankfully comes to a mercifully hasty conclusion before tedium sets in.
-- Followed in 1993 with Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles III and TMNT.
