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'Ninia Turtles 2' leaves fans as Film deliver e lleview\ 1 By BRIAN SHELTON Staff Writer This will probably destroy my credibility as a film critic, but I actually liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'm not saying it was another Citizen Kane. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had its weaknesses, but I found it enjoyable and undeserving of the critical blasting it has received. I laughed, cried and got to see some black belt reptiles beat the hell out of bad guys. What more can someone ask from the movie experience? Keeping in mind I liked the first film, I didn't go into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze wanting to destroy it. I went into it with anticipation, just as much as the munchkins who were at the theater. Unfortunately, anticipation turned into disappointment by the time it was over. Turtles 2 is a watered-down copy of the first film, leaving out only the elements that made the earlier movie memorable. ^ The plot is minimal. Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Raphael stumble upon the ooze that turned them into mutants. Battling them for it is the Darth Vaderesque Shredder (Raymond Wong), wno sees evil possiDinties in me ooze nice creating omer mutants to get rid of the Turtles. Shredder is a cool villian, but didn't he die in the first film? Not only did he fall off a building but he landed in a trash compactor where he was crushed into Reese's Pieces. With this the case, how can he just wake up in a trash dump and prepare himself for another round of turtle bashing? He can't, and when you start a movie with this kind of loophole, you have nowhere to go but down. Not only has plausibility been thrown out in Turtles 2 but so has character identity. Half the fun in the first film was seeing the four distinct personalities of the turtles clash. Leonardo was the leader, Michaelangelo was the party dude, Donatello had serious and funny sides, and Raphael was the loner. In this film, it's Larry, Moe, Curly and Shemp in wet suits and unless you know which turtle wears which bandana, you won't be able to tell these guys apart. Along with the turtles, more creatures were added to the film to embellish the plot and increase the trillion dollars a year they make 'Boatmen' sail on By JANET CONNOR ved romances," wrote Ro Staff Writer zine gave the Boatmen's xr , ~ : ? past year, You and Your h The Vulgar Boatmen are coming to town, but fos f;onlman Walter Sal. don t think you 11 need to put on your Doc Mar- Qne stars tins and gear up for the mashing pit Thcv dcscribcd as . The name is a misnomer. The Vulgar Boat- J f ut 'hyth, men are the opposite image of what their name ilar smimming-. and uk TSup- , minus feedback - but They write simple songs with toe-tapping bent" melodies. The Boatmen combine songwriter Dale Lawrence's boyish charm and infectious The Vulgar Boatmen c voice with a hard-driving rhythm guitar swirled way. Founded in 1982 i together with a powerful, yet not overpowering, Walter Salas-Humara, the electric guitar. lineups as Salas-Humara The Vulgar Boatmen will be performing Sun- and songwriter Robert day night in Columbia at Greenstreet's, 1101 brought Indianapolis-bas Harden St. band in the mid-1980s b "The band's spare, thoughtful melodies in- writing songs on cassette spire daydreaming and reveries about unnesol- had left Indiana. They si * " PVfflMWaife 2^ nnwii 2? *1 ? A rnifbao is rnLL in uie oampus necu Come Workout with US!! 777-5261 for i |! Residenc i Ri Monday, April 8 Tu> j!; Capstone Area Day Hoi ' "The Capstone Area is Shaggin ,c. the Night Away." ^iMrir S: Enjoy Beach Music and "MocKtails" n0, j *Shag instructor will be present for s* * |_0( J | newcomers, and pros will be 7 cat welcome too! A / j Location: Columbia Hall Basement Time: 7:30PM 17 RH/ I Roommate Appreciation Day ? ,Do J *Do something nice for your roommate(s). I who j! * Loca Root 1 >?. A 1 . i Thursday, April 11 Bates Area Day J| "Bates Beach Blast" t S ?Enjoy snow cones and ice cream Jj sundaes while you sun on the Bates Beach "Also enjoy the volleyball and football activities that will be going on j Location: Bates Beach/Time: 12-3PM i Government Appreciation Day Do something nice for your halls government officer J \ and promote quality programs throughout the year. R \ i would like to thank them for voluteering their time for | of life in the residence halls. ' < cold as ' Ice s blatant, comn ft lit . E$*al US litter /lichaelangelo and news reporter April (Paige Turco) enjoy the morniru on toys. The additional mutants, a giant wolf and a snapping tortoise, also formed by the ooze, are belligerent and stupid and add little to the plot. As long as we're on the subject of creatures, Splinter, a rat who serves as spiritual guide for the Turtles and is kind of like Yoda, Mr. Miyagi and Jerry from "Tom and Jerry" rolled into one, returns with more wise sayings. Unfortunately, Splinter's screen time is scarce, a shame considering that he is the only one with half a brain in this movie. The human characters in this film represent more blunders. The i. 1 _i ^ -1_ _ f! ^ r-i n T most mieiesung numan cnaracier in me lirsi mm, ^asey Jones, is not in Turtles 2, and the essential character of April O'Neil is played by a different actress than in Turtles 1. The absence of Casey Jones is a mistake because he practiced a vigilante-type justice quite similar to that of the turtles and proved to be a keen ally. His disappearance is never explained, and the role is missed. Judith Hoag was a perfect April O'Neil, the reporter who knows about the turtles in the first film, displaying a certain toughness under her beautiful exterior. I 1 t smootn sounas lling Stone. The maga- the songwriting this way. ; debut album of this Lawrence developed his own version of the )ister (produced by Si- band in Indianapolis while Ray played with a is-Humara), three and different Florida lineup. Since 1989, the Indiai napolis band has become the permanent touring 'a highly atmospheric lineup, and this version will be playing in Coins and hard, hypnotic umbia. Because he is an English professor at :ened it to "the Feelies the University of Florida, Ray can only get with a more classic away to perform select shows. At the Greenstreet's show, you can expect to :ame to be in a unique hear songs from You and Your Sister along with n Gainesville, Fla. by several new songs from their upcoming album > band quickly changed and a variety of covers ranging from Big Star to left to form the Silos, amazingly rockin' versions of Debbie Gibson. Ray was added. Ray Although their show at Greenstreet's is Suned Lawrence into the day, the Vulgar Boatmen will be performing a ecause they had been rare, live acoustic show on WUSC 90.5 FM Savia the mail since Ray turday afternoon. Free tickets to the show will ill do the majority of be given away on WUSC Sunday. . 1 sation Program. coming nore information. ,0 8 "?ius?$,!and near you ;e Hall Association pi esidence Hall Week 1991 esday, April 9 Wednesday, April 10 rseshoe Area Day Towers Area Day b party on the shoe" 'The Pudding Wrestling E ?inu civ fn/-\t onrl _TLU 1?. U. ijvj ivvi ouuo anv o I nib ?Vfcf*ll bUeafSb 101 lib iksontfie historic Location: P.E Field seshoe Time: 5:30 PM nation: Behind the oliniana Library le: 5-7pm i Appreciation Day Custc something nice for tnose representatives ?Do s< work hard for each resident in your haH. hall/art esent your hail and attend an RHA meeting. hard t( ition: Every Tuesday in Russell House lookinc n 203 at 7:00PM ' a grea jmmmmmm- mmmtmrn mmmmmm WOUld m jp Thursday, ApriMT" jf pi iW' JNMMHMNMf JKSkMNMMM Election U3y mmmmmm 'jgg Vote USC and elect the next President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary for your residence hall. Government officers, RHA senators, and RA's remember to vote for new RHA officers. Staff Appreciat s who plan *Do something n iHA and NRHH who work hard tl the improvement campus easier. F these people are "?? i>^ n^n < nercial kicks fR ' Ss^i i - s^BI & I # ^ 3 in Teenaae Mutant Ninia Turtles II. Paige Turco, April in Turtles 2, isn't as convincing. Her prissy demeanor makes it hard to believe she would be hanging out with four talking turtles or gallavanting in New York's finer sewers. So what about the kung fu trademark of the Turtles? You would think that if the fight scenes were even halfway decent, it would make up for everything else they got wrong. Alas, we'll never know because the fighting is just as unimaginative as the rest of the film. To add insult to injury, Vanilla Ice pops up in a cameo. There's no rhyme or reason for the role except maybe to sell a few million copies of the movie soundtrack, now available at a record store near you. The whole movie is very much like Ice's cameo or Vanilla Ice in general. There's no real purpose for it, no creativity involved, and its goal is to make as much money as it can before people realize they are being hoodwinked. I hope the kids who this movie is marketed for figure this out, but even if they don t, there is one fan, your's truly, who knows crass commercialism when he sees it and won't ho m91'inrr 9 rptnrn on ? ? .. V w Hiuivuig a 1VIU111 au pearance to 'Turtles 2." j^HB9|9^^^BII^^KrS ^av^SHKWH. JSBP ' ' "'''i--^ B and say Thanks! for a job well done. ; J J A lot of campus rapes start here. Whenever thertis drinking or drags, things can get out of hand. So it's no surprise thai many campus rapes involve alcohol Bui you should know that under any circumstances, sex without the other persons consent is considered rape. A felony punishable by prison. And drinking is no excuse. Thati why when you party it's good to know what your limits are. You see, a little sobering thought now can save you from a big problem latec 'esents: II Wednesday, April 10 t South Area Day i vent' "f ring Fling 199f |t eH Enjoy the activities |; the South Area has planned i { Location: Women's Quad ' Time: 1:00PM . j : . #Jl^l Hmii lUldl Oldll npUfcWdUUtl Udy J xnething nics for your ! \ ja custodian(s) who work | } keep the residence halts j J ) great ail year long. They do i + t job every year and RHA and NRHH like to say thank you! J J it Friday. April 12 si Undergraduate Staff Day 1 j The All-American Salute i All undergraduate staff members j f are invited to join us for a cookout. 5 J Location: TBA i j ion Day {I lice for your hall RA's, DA's, RHD's and those iroughout the year to make living on tHA and NRHH realize how important | f