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

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  (#5) April O'Neil Was Unceremoniously Replaced

  When fans of the original film turned up for the franchise’s triumphant return, they were surprised to find that reporter April O’Neil looked a little different this time around. Judith Hoag, the comic actress who first teamed up with the Turtles in 1990, was quietly replaced by Paige Turco for mysterious reasons.

  Hoag believes it had to do with her voicing concerns about the strenuous conditions on set, both for her and the stunt team, as well as her opinions about the level of aggression in the film. “Everybody was beating everybody up,” Hoag lamented. “I thought the movie suffered because of that. It was something I spoke to the producers about, I think they thought I was too demanding, and moved on.”
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  (#10) Things Got Too Cartoony

  We may have thankfully escaped a Krang cameo in TMNT II, but the sequel did take a hard turn into references to the cartoon series, which were noticeably absent in the first film. The menacing Shredder from the original was given a new purple outfit and melodramatic temper tantrums that strongly echoed the cartoon.

  This was in contrast to the prior film, which earned praise for being a darker and grittier interpretation of the material. The dialogue and character choices were also noticeably lighter and sillier in tone.
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  (#9) The Suits Were A Nightmare To Wear

  The animatronic suits created for the TMNT franchise were, without doubt, a game-changing improvement on full-bodied creature costumes, but they didn’t come without their pitfalls. Michelan Sisti, the actor who portrayed Michaelangelo, explained that the foam suits created by the Jim Henson Company soaked up their sweat like a sponge, causing them to tip the scales at a whopping 70 pounds at their warmest.

  Kenn Scott (AKA Raphael) added that the limited vision and restricted breathing caused by the costume made it easy for tensions to get a little high.
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  (#7) Vanilla Ice’s Bodyguard Almost Started An Epic Fight

  When it came time to film the concert sequence for TMNT II, the on-set chemistry between Vanilla Ice and the rest of the crew wasn't quite as smooth as filmmakers originally hoped, thanks in large part to an aggressive bodyguard on Ice’s payroll.

  Actor Michelan Sisti, who played Michelangelo, tried to welcome the rapper to the set by giving him a friendly hug in full costume before filming began. Before he could reach “The Ninja Rap” artist, one of his bodyguards stepped in and aggressively blocked Sisti. This didn’t go over well with the rest of the stunt team, all 18 of whom had to be stopped from retaliating.
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  (#1) The Movie Was Hastily Rushed Into Production 

  These days, franchises choosing to film their sequels back-to-back is not uncommon, with the last two Avengers films and the final chapters of the Harry Potter series being prominent examples. But back in the time of TMNT, it was almost unheard of.

  When the first film drastically exceeded its box-office expectations, the financial backers fast-tracked production of the sequel, which came out just under a year after the release of the first entry. Golden Harvest was surprised by the first film's success and, believing audiences would soon lose interest in the Turtles, decided to strike while the iron was hot.
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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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