Cowabunga, Dude! Ah, the words of those crazy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Those sewer-dwelling, pizza-eating, Foot Clan-stomping heroes. If you haven’t reached TMNT overload yet with the hype surrounding the new Nickelodeon series, the horror that is Michael Bay, and the upcoming animated series DVD release, then you may want to take a look at the recent DVD release Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.
Four green turtles, heard the news? Changed to mutants by an ooze. Found on the floor and raised by a rat. Now they’re ninjas, how about that? Check it out, another one found made her way to Chinatown. With the rest, now that makes five. Ninja Turtles are alive!
So goes the theme song of the series, which tells you quite a bit about the show. Sure, we all know how Master Splinter raised the turtles and trained them in the ways of the ninja, but a fifth turtle? Who knew? Created for the series, the female turtle Venus De Milo no doubt was introduced to lure little girls to the show. And lest there be any negative response to flirtations between her and the other turtles, it is revealed early on that none of the turtles are actually related. Whew! For a minute there I was really concerned about turtle incest.
Venus is often referred to as shinobi instead of ninja, and her training is much more spiritual than that of her new companions. She uses techniques to disappear from her foes, and she tosses words around like chi. The guys are intrigued but also a little irritated to discover she has powers they do not. The scales are balanced a bit, however, since she hasn’t mastered the subtleties of English language, and they must instruct her to stop calling the sewer a toilet.
Shredder appears in the first couple of episodes but is quickly dispatched, making way for the Dragon Lord, who isn’t nearly as fierce-looking. Plus, he has a weird dragon companion that reminds me of Uncle Deadly from The Muppet Show. Also, fan favorites April O’Neil and Casey Jones are nowhere to be seen. I always liked April. Not many women can pull off that shade of yellow, but it worked for her.
For a kids’ show that premiered in 1997, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation isn’t terrible. And fans of shows like Power Rangers will certainly love the production style, since both are produced by Saban. The acting is a bit stilted and the one-liners while fighting foes are pretty bad, but I was impressed at the stunts capable of being performed while in the burdensome turtle suits. And since I do like the characters and the mythology of the turtles, I found it surprisingly watchable.
But don’t watch expecting something brilliant or big-budget. It’s fun, it’s cheesy, and it’s turtles.
The two disc set contains 13 episodes of the short-lived series and is now available on Amazon.