Random Behind-The-Scenes Stories Of How 'TMNT II: Secret of Ooze' Became A Cinematic Disast (14 items)

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  (#8) The Mysterious Ooze Was Never Explained

  If comic creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman had it their way, the mystery of where the mutant-forming ooze came from would have been a much more interesting origin story. In the final cut of the film, the ooze was explained to be a simple accident that occurred at the TGRI power plant, much to the Turtles’ collective dismay.

  However, the mysterious sludge was actually supposed to be a substance created by an alien race known as the Utrom. In fact, Professor Perry, who turned out to be an ally for the Turtles, was supposed to be an Utrom in disguise. Ultimately, the idea was nixed over concerns that the character would be confused with Krang, another alien villain from the original source material.
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  (#2) The Ninja Rap Was Written In Half An Hour

  Every once in a while, there comes a piece of cinema whose soundtrack makes as much of a splash as the film itself. Such is the case of Secret of the Ooze. Hot off the success of “Ice, Ice, Baby,” rapper Vanilla Ice was tapped by the studio to create a theme for the sequel, which ended up earning him some substantial screen time in the third act.

  While the lyrics of “The Ninja Rap” might be burrowed into your long-term memory even more than the state capitals, the song itself took Mr. Ice a mere 30 minutes to write.
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  (#13) The Brits Cut Out The Offensive Bangers

  American parents and educators were the inspiration behind nixing the nunchucks in TMNT II, but it was the British Board of Film Classification that took things even further in the name of young audiences.

  As part of an effort to make the film more kid-friendly, Michelangelo’s trusty nunchucks were replaced by a link of sausages in a mall food court scene early in the film. Evidently, this still offended censors in the UK, so the scene was cut out of the film in order to maintain a kid-friendly rating.
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  (#3) Their Fighting Tools Were Taken Away

  Just like the boy bands of yesteryear, each of the Turtles had their own set of characteristics that made them unique. In the comics and animated show that predated the films, the quartet’s karate tools of choice were a big part of what made them individuals.

  It wasn’t until their big-screen debut that parents and educators of kids across America started to really take notice. Several childcare specialists, parents, and psychiatrists of the time identified the action in the first film as a catalyst for a rise in aggression amongst children, which appeared to spook the filmmakers into stripping the Turtles of their weaponry in the sequel.

  While nobody involved in the making of TMNT II has ever publicly cited parental backlash as the reason, it’s hard not to notice the radical change in both fighting style and tone between the two films.
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  (#11) Shredder Was Resurrected Despite The Creators’ Wishes

  TMNT creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman may have created the franchise's popular villain Shredder, but they didn’t necessarily favor him as a primary antagonist. In fact, they wanted Shredder to exit the franchise after his demise in the first film in order to make way for other baddies to be brought into the mix.

  Their villain of choice for the sequel was the Rat King because of his unique visual look, and the potential for an intriguing contrast to Splinter, the ultimate good guy.
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  (#6) Corey Feldman Was In Rehab During Production

  Sharp-eared fans of the TMNT franchise most likely noticed that the voice of Donatello sounded a little different in between the first and third films of the series. This was because Corey Feldman, who originally starred in the role, was in the middle of a rehab stint during the production of the second film.

  Unlike fellow absent co-star Judith Hoag, Feldman was asked to reprise his role once the third film went into development.

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