WTF Happened to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze hit theatres almost exactly one year after its predecessor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, hit theatres and became a surprise runaway hit, grossing $135 million at the box office. It helped that it opened at the height of “Turtlemania” when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were riding a wave of popularity based on the line of action figures, comic books and the Saturday morning cartoon show. Feeling the need to cash in before the fad was over, New Line and Golden Harvest threw the sequel into production but notably made some changes, which included adopting a more kid-friendly tone. When the movie opened, the reaction from the kid fans was mixed. Where was Casey Jones? Why did Donatello and Raphael sound different? What’s the deal with Vanilla Ice, and why was the actress playing April O’Neil different?

On the whole, the movie was a success, although it grossed significantly less than the first film on double the budget. Still, overseas it underperformed drastically. Co-star Ernie Reyes Jr parlayed his success in the movie into another New Line action flick called Surf Ninjas. Eventually, a third Ninja Turtles movie would see the light of day – but the law of diminishing returns had kicked in. In this episode of WTF Happened to this Movie, we dig into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze’s rushed journey to the big screen. Go Ninja Go Ninja Go! This episode of WTF Happened to this Movie is written and narrated by Mathew Plale and edited by Juan Jiminez. Do you have fond memories of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze? Let us know in the comments!