BRIEF STORYLINE: Donatello’s idol, Professor William W. Willard, has recently invented a Molecular Intensifier, that controls growth patterns of living things. Krang hears about this latest breakthrough in Science, and wants his greedy tentacles on it. Shredder is sent to snatch it.
Unluckily when playing about on the Intensifier, the Professor accidentally zaps his pet monkey, Jocko, who becomes a giant like King-Kong. Roots also suffer the effects of the Molecular Intesifier any too become mega big, and turns the whole city into a jungle straight out of Africa.
Jocko creates a rampge, climbing up tall buildings and capturing April. Can the turtles save their damsel-in-distress, stop Shredder getting the Molecular Intensifier and get Jocko back down to his normal size or the city could face mondo devastation?
TMNT REVIEW HQ COMMENTS: A surprisingly good episode. Surprise, for which might have been a bland ep, considering the unoriginal storyline. It’s inspired by King Kong, you see, same stuff, terrorising New York, climbing the Empire State Building look-a-like etc. A stuttering start but improves when the King Kong aspect kicks in. Interesting note: we see a little bit of a dark side from Donatello, as he sneers about being with “serious scientists, rather than laughing turtles”. Donatello feeling superior to the other turtles perhaps? There more emphasis on the use of Donatello in this storyline as he fights the giant Jocko, after enlarging himself.
Really the best parts of the episode happen when the story is in full flow. Most of the action is solid. Most of the best moments happen when the turtles on the chase for April in her TV van, captured hostage by Jocko as they follow him to the dock where a banana boat lies, and trying to think how to solve this massive problem. The giant Donatello wrestling with Jocko is watchable, getting thrown through large buildings and struggling to get his turtle hands to grip onto the building as Jocko climbs it. Professor Willard W. Willard even gets his moments, such as using the molecular intensifier on Donatello, and a humorous moment as he estimates how long it will take for Jocko to grow, while unknowingly behind him, Jocko increases in size. It’s also funny that he is seen as a laughing stock to other scientists. Good scene to also note is the vines starting to grow in the turtles lair. Something you might find funny is Raphael’s reference to a famous song (don’t know title or artist) when they approach the banana boat, “daylight come and you want go home”! (The song mentions banana in it also).
A couple of very jerky edits, such as the turtles first confrontation with the giant Jocko. The very start and when the turtles are trying to shrink Jocko with the shrinking ray gun are the weakest parts of this episode. No Bebop and Rocksteady in this episode, only Shredder and Krang. You decide whether that’s a bad thing or not. Overall, a thumbs-up to this feast of the jungle arriving in urban terriotory, could’ve made more jungle-like threats to the turtles like maybe insects that live on the vines. But not a giant thumbs-up, this episode isn’t one of the big boys (meaning nowhere near the best).
"TURTLES OF THE JUNGLE" GETS A: 3/5 RATING.
