RLM reviews TMNT (1990)
 

I really wasn't expecting this.

That was a really great watch. So glad they talked about the original ideas for the 2nd film. I was always fascinated by the whole Utrom reveal that was stolen from us and not until more recently did I learn Stockman was originally going to be in the film as well. Just the fact that they had intended to stick to the comics for the 2nd one and didn't is something that bugs me with every rewatch.

Growing up primarily with the films and second hand knowledge of the cartoon from my older siblings, I had no idea what the source material for Ninja Turtles consisted of and only made connections to the films whenever the 2003 series would do the same storylines. But upon researching the comics on NinjaTurtles.com back in the day, it blew my mind just how much 2k3 was following the comics despite my brothers writing it off for not being like the "original" cartoon.

It made me see the first film with a new perspective and I started to appreciate it a whole lot more, especially as I got older despite originally preferring the 2nd one. I still have a soft spot for Secret of the Ooze, but now there's so much that sticks out to me as either a downgrade from the first or as a remnant of what could have been that just sours me on the movie now.

But their conversation about rewriting the 2nd film just really stuck out to me because they come to the conclusion that the comics were just too weird and too advanced to capture on film, at that budget, and at the time but Freddie seems to be mixed up about the whole Utrom reveal which he claims would be Krang and be sort of a set up for the next film. I've always heard they axed the idea because audiences would be confused and think the Utrom was Krang.

Looking at the movie with that knowledge, it's like no duh Professor Jordan Perry was an Utrom. I never made the connections before when I first found out about it, but watching it now and especially if you're familiar with the Utrom storyline, the whole movie is literally about them and any comic reader at the time would have easily made that connection and for me personally, has brought so much new meaning to certain scenes that show a glimpse of a film that could have been as solid as the original.

I enjoyed watching this but does anyone else get the impression the regulars on this show are afraid to like anything? It’s almost like they need a million caveats to ever give something a compliment.

I also think they’re really funny, entertaining, and have good insight. It just comes with this other distasteful feeling that they are like ashamed of anything they like, because it might not be cool.

They kinda are the equivalent of that kid in middle school who’d be like “what’s that show called again?? Pak-e-mon or something??”, when they know it’s called Pok-e-mon but are deathly scared of being seen as a fan of it or knowing anything about it at all.

I’m not basing that off just this video. I mean in general.

No, not at all. They like plenty of stuff.

Hmm what do they unabashedly like?

Just in the past few months they loved Halloween Ends, dug Prey, and Black Phone.

Amazing review, and, yeah, I agree, they sound kinda almost apologetic about liking something.
I guess, they have that reputation of "cynical haters", so they need to play that role, even, if they like something, which is pretty stupid. But they chemistry and knowledge is very entertaining. With Rolfe and Oliver Harper, there are some of my favorite reviewers on Internet.

This was an awesome watch — I love RedLetterMedia so much.