Rahzar's Edge

I count the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie as one of my all time favorite films ever. And I admit to having seen 'The Secret of the Ooze' in theatres when it was released. But for some odd reason or another I hadn't seen it again since then. I don't recall hating it, but I don't recall loving it either. So before I made this post I re-watched it.

Not a fan.

The Secret of the Ooze loses all the charm and grittyness of the first in favor of a more cartoony (in a bad way) Turtles movie. Dumbed down for kids, I don't think Leonardo unsheathed his swords or Raph his sai even once. Because...sharp?

In summation:

1) Shredder living for Part II negates the end of the final scene of the first movie. I know this is a movie trope, but it was so poorly handled for the second film. Shredder is in the garbage, alive, his pals meet him in the junkyard, all baddies back again. Lame.
2) No Casey Jones?!?! Not even a mention. Lame lame.
3)I had forgotten how much I hated that 'karate kid' wannabe Keno. Why the hell was he in the movie anyways? Lame lame lame.
4) Vanilla Ice: Yuck and Jeezus Crimeny WHY?!?! Lame times infinity.
5) Instead of Bebop and Rocksteady, whom everyone kind of expected to see, we got villainous versions of a snapping turtle and a wolf, for no reason in the world. I do recall this being a disappointment during my theatrical viewing.

But all disappointment aside, said 'also ran' villains Tokka and Rahzar at least make for neat looking toys.

Unlike Tokka (whom we'll see here at Toyriffic very soon!) Rahzar is/was an all 'new' sculpt/figure with no parts re-use for his action figure. He looks great and is the perfect amalgamation of movie look/Playmates Tmnt toy design.

I had to rewatch the movie for Rahzar's garb to make sense - it looks like his shoulder pads are made of hubcaps and tires and his chestplate is a grill from an old car. Because he was mutated in a junk yard, see?

Actually that's pretty cool!

Of note: not that Shredder isn't free to dress his mutant dog any way he pleases, but the torn 'shirt' suggests Rahzar may have originally been conceived as a man transformed, and that he was wearing a shirt before transformation.

Also: broken shackles. He doesn't have shackles in the movie, so this might also suggest an early concept design or character decision that was left on the drawing board.

Rahzar originally came with accessories that had little if nothing to do with his movie appearance. I don't have them and don't care too much, as Rahzar is a perfectly fine figure without them.

Rahzar is a fine classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy that I honestly never really thought I needed (Tokka is my favorite of the two) but I am glad to own him now that I have him - thanks to Brian at Cool and Collected for the trade- and stay tuned for my look at his pal Tokka coming soon!