Look, I know you still think the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is the best TMNT film ever, and I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m just saying that its sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, might be better, that’s all.
Because honestly, if you were to ask me what the best TMNT movie is, I’d say it’s the more recent Mutant Mayhem, and for a variety of reasons. However, I’m well aware that a lot of Turtles fans don’t include the animated films when considering the movies, since they only think the live-action flicks matter. I guess those fans lump the animated movies with the cartoons, which I don’t think is totally unfair.
But, for this argument, I’m comparing the first live-action movie with the second one, and why the sequel might be better.
The Spirit Is Closer To That Of The ’80s Cartoon Than The First Movie
I still remember seeing the first TMNT movie in theaters. I was only 7, and a Ninja Turtle fanatic at this point. Even though everybody I knew was a fan of Michelangelo, I was big into Raphael, who was “cool, but rude,” as the cartoon series’ theme song went. And, about the cartoon. I had been watching it since 1987, when it first debuted, so I was used to its silly, often playful tone.
So, let me tell you, when I went into that theater back in 1990, I was not prepared for the dark, somewhat brooding tone of that first movie. I mean, of course, I liked it, but it was more reminiscent of 1989’s Batman than it was of the cartoon that I was so familiar with. This was because the first movie pulled more from the comic book than it did from the animated series.
The Secret of the Ooze, which came out a year later, didn’t have this issue, though. The turtles were goofy like the cartoon, the storyline felt more light-hearted, and even the enemies were less scary.
So, while I prefer the first Turtles movie, I can see why somebody who liked the lighter tone of the cartoon would prefer the 1991 flick over the 1990 one. It’s just more fun.
We Got More Villains (Which Meant More Toys!)
Do you know what was missing from the first TMNT movie? Bebop and Rocksteady! And, while we did eventually get them in the later Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 movie, I remember being bummed as a kid that they didn’t appear in the first film.
And…they didn’t appear in The Secret of the Ooze, either. That sucked, but what we got in their stead were Tokka and Rahzar, which were a mutated snapping turtle and a wolf, respectively. Now, if you were to think that Shredder and the Foot Clan were not enough, villains-wise, for the first film, I can see somebody preferring the second movie for Tokka and Rahzar.
Because hell, the cartoon series was FULL of mutated enemies, which just meant more toys (Which, ultimately, was the point of so many characters in the first place). This is one of the main reasons why I love Mutant Mayhem (and its subsequent series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – more mutants!).
Anyway, Tokka and Rahzar were introduced in this film and became regulars ever since, even appearing in video games and in the 2012 cartoon series. So, if you like Tokka and Rahzar, then that’s another reason to prefer the second movie over the first. They’re not in that one.
The First Movie Didn’t Have “Ninja Rap”, So That’s Another Strike Against It
Okay, so you might think I’m being facetious with this one, but I’m genuinely not. If you were to say “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” the first three things that would jump to my mind are the theme song, surprisingly The Last Ronin (I say surprisingly since it’s so recent – I can’t wait for that R-Rated movie, by the way), and Vanilla Ice rapping, “Go, ninja, go, ninja, go!”
Yes, I know the “Ninja Rap” is often mocked today, but I don’t care. You put it on at a party, and I’m not going to just stay seated. I’m going to be up, pumping my arms and doing the running man. Because for me, the “Ninja Rap” is as intertwined with the Turtles as the team eating pizza and living in the sewer.
Found in the third act of The Secret of the Ooze, the turtles hop on stage and start dancing, which just adds to this movie being even more cartoony than the first flick. And again, if you prefer this lighthearted version of the Turtles, then I can see you liking this more than the first movie, which doesn’t have any dancing.
I mean, Mikey is busting a move right there in the opening theme song for the ‘80s cartoon. So, as you can see, your honor, that’s yet another reason why some might say that the second movie is better than the first. Mikey (and all of the turtles) are dancing in this one!
The Action Is Arguably More Exciting Than The First Movie
Now, if there’s anything that’s going to be debatable in this article, it’s this entry, as the action in the first movie is pretty amazing. The Raphael fight with Casey Jones. The escape from the burning building. Raphael fighting against the Foot Clan all by himself. The final battle with Shredder. There’s a lot to love when it comes to action in the first flick.
Be that as it may, I actually prefer the battles in the second movie. For instance, I love the first fight, which is all kinds of bonkers. Donatello is pretending to be a clown doll, Michelangelo is using sausage links as nunchucks, and it’s just pandemonium. The fight in the laboratory with the canister is also fast and frenetic, and it reminds me of something from the cartoon series.
I also like how they’re cracking jokes in the Tokka and Rahzar fight, and I even like that they don’t really use their weapons in the sequel, because that again seems closer to the animated series from the ‘80s, where the weapons were mostly just for show (unless they were destroying robots).
So, yes, I know the fights are probably better in the first movie, and there’s definitely more at stake (the fights in the second movie often feel like nothing’s at stake, if I’m being honest), but I still think the fights in the second film are superior. It’s a vibe thing, really.
Lastly, It Has Super Shredder!
By all accounts, Shredder shouldn’t even BE in The Secret of the Ooze. Casey Jones pretty much murdered him in a trash compactor at the end of the first film. However, he IS in the second movie, and I’m glad for it.
Well, throughout the sequel, Shredder is a lot less serious than he was in the first movie. Gone is the badass who could make turtle soup out of his adversaries if not for their master, Splinter, coming to save them. This Shredder is actually kind of a wimp.
That is, until he’s mutated into SUPER SHREDDER! Now, we barely even get to see him since the movie’s so damn dark, but what we do see of him is actually nightmare fuel. He’s hulking, roided out, and destructive, essentially killing himself in the end this time around by crushing himself with the dock he’s under.
So, my last reason for why somebody might prefer the sequel is Super Shredder. He’s only in The Ooze!
But, what do you think? First movie, or second movie? I’d love to hear your thoughts.