Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze

The turtles are back in a more family friendly--either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the viewer--and well-balanced story. The plot digs deeper into the back-story of the ooze that transformed all of the dudes into surf-slang talking' ninjas, and it leaves the viewer watching a more concrete story. Because of this, the film succeeds in avoiding the sequel-cliché of being redundant because it answers and develops things that the preceding film didn't do. Vanilla Ice's "Ninja Rap"--and also the presences of Vanilla Ice himself--may have been appropriate for viewers at the turn of the decade, but watching it anytime after 1992 is just cringe-worthy. Also, very peeving, is Tokka and Rahzar being obvious substitutes for Bebop and Rocksteady. However, its few flaws don't reflect the overall film… at least, not too heavily, that is. Aside from Tokka and Rahzar, who actually become likable the more times you watch the movie (if you're willing), the film should be complimented for being strikingly similar to the 1987 animated series that popularized the franchise.