BRIEF STORYLINE: In the confines of the Technodrome, Krang is working on a oxidizer rocket that has enough manpower to blast the Technodrome back to Earth. However, something doesn’t go according to plan, and of “thrusting” the device instead makes things “rust”! Shredder is upset about it and admonishes Krang for yet another failure, but Krang looks on the bright side and sees potential in this device, which he could conquest Earth with by rusting all metal on Earth unless the citizens surrender.
Meanwhile, the turtles are in Paris, looking at the sight via their domain of the sewers. Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady return to Paris with the oxidizer and charge it with the Paris electrical power system. April covers the massive report on Paris of the unknown-to-them mysterious power failures. Unfortunately, April gets kidnapped by Shredder and Bebop and Rocksteady rust everything including the Eiffel Tower.
Rusting objects will render them useless and the Eiffel Tower is at threat of seriously collapsing. Can our four green, mean dudes relinquish Paris from becoming de-funct and stop it’s famed structure from becoming rubble? And also save their much lusted for damsel-in-distress April from the clutches of Shredder?
TMNT REVIEW HQ COMMENTS: Paris, a popular European destination, probably the most, gets a second episode to feature in with our fellow green friends. It's...quite a good episode, but pretty standard stuff at this stage of the cartoon, with the violence toned down, making fights less exciting. There's a good example of these meagre bite-size scuffles in this episode.
It goes off to a lacklustre start with shoddy editing as Splinter takes the turtles to see works of art. Some human starts to deface the painting, but thankfully the turtles put a halt to that, and they make a cool getaway via the window and their grappling hooks, as to not be seen by the French police or Shun-gardes(i know it's not right spelling, i don't speak French!). Some good humor based on the turtles unable to see the palace of Versailles in the sewers, as Raphael hopes the picture in the book is of the "scratch 'n sniff" variety.
Once again Shredder and Krang's arguing makes good entertainment value, as they plan the oxidizer ray to target Paris. The bad thing about this ep is the typical stereotype of French people, like saying "sacrebleau!", and another one, a scientist, eating a baguette in candlelight because of a blackout. Elsewhere, there's a good play on words from Rocksteady, which after the artist guy states the painting Rocksteady was holding was from his "cubist" era. Rocksteady replies "let's cube this square" and rips the painting through the artist's head! The artist getting thrown down the stairs isn't well edited though.
There's a good effective scene when music comes on during the switching on of the oxidizer rocket, that creates more danger. Nice bit of larking about from the turtles, scaring Michaelangelo with old opera costumes found in the sewers. Burne Thompson's on good funny form too. He's very acidic in this episode. April really wants to go to Paris to investigate, and Burne replies "would you really care if this thing happenend in Cleveland?". Another bad bit, is Splinter "introducing" the turtles to the Eiffel Tower. Funny, in the last episode wasn't the turtles saving that very same thing from Shredder and Krang? Splinter doesn't make any reference to the last adventure. Unless the episode order is not accurate?
You know something, Rocksteady looks funny when he looks scared or down in the dumps. His ears go back and a frown on his face. He does this when Shredder is telling him how to work the ray or rocket.
There are strong scenes near the end, such as April sneaking into Shredder's (stolen) apartment, the turtles nearly getting their shells waxed by the tyres of an ice cream van ridden by Bebop, and good action shots of the rusting of the Eiffel Tower.
Now for that meagre-sized scuffle. The turtles confront Shredder and it's short and sweet. It all involves throwing a arty-looking sculpture and thats it. No punches or kicks. There's still some more good humor here, such as Krang wanting to have a "decent make-up man" if he was going to appear on TV. Shredder crudely replies you'll "need a plastic surgeon, not a make-up man". Raphael wittingly suggests, after they save the day, that back in Dimension X, Shredder will get an "X-rated lecture from Krang!". Yes, but in what way? Krang reads out erotic literature to him?
"RUST NEVER SLEEPS" GETS A 3/5 RATING.
