Hot Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X


 * This article was transwikied from Wikipedia.

Hot Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X is episode number 4 of the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series. It is the fourth episode of season 1 (1987). This episode of the show is part of the Heroes in a Half Shell arc. It was written by David Wise and Patti Howeth, and directed by Yoshikatsu Kasai. It originally aired on December 17, 1987, in syndication. It is available on DVD on the box set released on April 20, 2004.

Plot Summary
In the Technodrome deep under New York City, Krang reminds The Shredder that once again he has failed to destroy the Turtles. Krang demands a "body", mentioning his old home, Dimension X - which gives Shredder the idea to open the recently completed "Transdimensional Portal" so that he can retrieve advanced weapons to use against the Turtles. However, when Shredder opens the portal, he lets out three teenage Neutrinos in flying cars, chased by a flying jeep piloted by two of Krang's Stone Warriors. The Neutrinos blast through the Technodrome and escape. Bebop and Rocksteady fire on the Stone Warriors, General Tragg and Lieutenant Granitor, until Shredder establishes that they work for Krang.

Meanwhile, the Turtles and April O'Neil finish rebuilding Baxter Stockman's old van into the "Turtle Van." It has modern equipment that helps the Turtles locate the Technodrome, which is under the World Trade Center. Suddenly, the Neutrinos burst out from a subway station, and the Turtles decide to pursue them, believing them to be Shredder's agents.

The two Stone Warriors, also chasing the Neutrinos, encounter their old master Krang without a body. Krang blames Shredder for releasing the Neutrinos, whom he labels "juvenile delinquents" that hate war and love fun. Shredder gives the Stone Warriors a "Techno-Rover" to aid their chase of the Neutrinos.

Meanwhile on the streets, the Turtles use the Turtle Van's catapult to catch the Neutrinos. When the Turtles discover the Neutrinos do not work for Shredder, they decide to be friends. They all go to "CLOWN TIME FOOD AND GAMES EMPORIUM" for pizza and arcade games, where the Neutrinos describe the war in Dimnesion X. April is worried what else may come from Dimension X. Suddenly the building is leveled by a missile attack from the Stone Warriors. The Turtles jump inside the Turtle Van, and the Neutrinos jump into the flying cars. As the Neutrinos fire their laser guns at the Stone Warriors, Leonardo leans out the window and slices the Techno-Rover's wheels with his katana. This allows the Turtles, April, and the Neutrinos to escape before the police arrive. The Stone Warriors retreat back to the Technodrome, after releasing a weather satellite that, instead of providing weather prognosis, "makes weather." Within two hours time, the weather satellite will create a devastating storm.

Back in the Turtles' sewer lair, the Neutrinos tell Splinter that Krang was banished from Dimension X, lost his body, and is now just a brain. Splinter and the Turtles conclude that this is the same brain that Michelangelo encountered when they defeated Baxter Stockman's mousers at the end of the episode "A Thing About Rats." Splinter also realizes Shredder has been getting his advanced technology from Dimension X. He fears that Krang will bring his Stone Warriors to Earth. The Neutrinos and the Turtles agree to team up to send Krang and the Stone Warriors back to Dimension X.

Up on the streets, the weather satellite is causing snow in June. The Neutrinos, the Turtles, and April go to the Technodrome, where they find the Transdimensional Portal. The Turtles destroy the Foot robots, defeat Bebop and Rocksteady, and send the Stone Warriors through the portal back to Dimension X. The Neutrinos also go home to Dimension X, after giving one of their flying cars (a "star mobile") to the Turtles. The Turtles hurry to the surface to disable the weather satellite. They fly up to it using the star mobile, so that Leonardo can cut the weather satellite in half with his katana, destroying it and saving the city.

Back in the Technodrome, Shredder finally agrees to give Krang a body so Krang himself can destroy the Turtles.

At the Turtles' sewer lair, April reads the story "The Tortoise and the Hare" out loud as Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael drift to sleep. Leonardo enters the room, cleaning his katana, and suggests that they need their rest, vowing to find Shredder on the morrow.

Animation Errors

 * Donatello's staff is drawn short in some instances in the episode, particularly when he's fixing up the Turtle van.
 * When Shredder turns towards Bebop and Rocksteady to call them losers, Bebop's visor is black.
 * Donatello straps himself in next to Mikey in the Turtle van's maiden voyage down a flight of stairs, but if you look closely through the windows, some shots show him in the back seat. Later on, it's Raphael in the front seat.
 * For no reason whatsoever, when Donatello says, "South-East, April!" April herself begins to steer wildly as if she's lost her mind. The van itself continues to drive straight.
 * There's a scene where the Turtles try to make a break for the Turtle Van, while the Stone Warriors fire on them. Strangely, while the sound effects indicate that they're shooting, the animators apparently forgot to draw the laser beams for a couple of shots.
 * When the police surround the Stone Warriors, the police cars are rendered in all sorts of different colours.
 * Leonardo fights his way through a few foot soldiers and knocks them down, but when Bebop grabs him and tosses him aside, the soldiers are all gone.
 * In some shots, the Foot Soldiers are towering over the Turtles.
 * Leonardo's katana is the size of a bread knife when he's done polishing it.

Continuity Errors

 * Michelangelo's nunchucks can easily destroy metal, but it snaps on contact with a Stone Warrior.

Real World/Cultural References

 * The Global Trade Centre refers to the World Trade Towers.
 * The wax that Michelangelo uses to repair Donatello's damaged shell is a reference to Turtle Wax. Get it?
 * The Neutrinos themselves are a wellspring of various cultures. They ride futuristic low riders from the 50's, speak slang in the style of jive turkey and 80's slang, and possess punk hairstyles, most prevalent in the 80's at the time.
 * When the cops arrive, Raphael says, "Some dirty rat must've squealed to the coppers about us, nyah!" in the style of a mobster.
 * Lieutenant Granitor speaks in a style reminiscent of Peter Lorre.

Trivia

 * The turtles are ridiculously super-strong in this episode. Not only are they capable of pushing a van up an entire flight of stairs, but Don himself rips the entire side of the van clean off like it was a sheet of paper. The loose metal even shakes the ground as he rests it down, indicating it's rather heavy. Take into consideration that one episode earlier, Michelangelo couldn't even get out of being tied up in a wooden chair.
 * Ever wonder what happened to the two remaining punks who vanished in "Enter the Shredder"? Shredder apparently made mutants out of both of them, changing one into a lizard, and the other into a bat. Another punk is seen behind them, apparently mutated into a.... Wookie?
 * Shouldn't making off with Baxter Stockman's van and confiscating his equipment technically be illegal? Apparently, turtles fight with honour, but ripping off a nerdy scientist's stuff after tying him up and sending him to jail is a-okay.
 * Leonardo references Michelangelo's past experience with Krang in this episode. Not only that, but he also establishes that the events of that episode happened the day before. Later on, April confirms that these events are happening in June.
 * Why was there an open barrel of silicone lubricant in that room to begin with?

Character voices

 * Leonardo (Cam Clarke)
 * Michaelangelo (Townsend Coleman)
 * Raphael (Rob Paulsen)
 * Donatello (Barry Gordon)
 * Splinter (Peter Renaday)
 * April O'Neil (Renae Jacobs)
 * Dask (Thom Pinto)
 * Zak (Pat Fraley)
 * Kala (Tress MacNeille)
 * Shredder (James Avery)
 * Krang (Pat Fraley)
 * Rocksteady (Cam Clarke)
 * Bebop (Barry Gordon)
 * General Traag (Peter Renaday)
 * Lieutenant Granitor (Thom Pinto)
 * Police Chief (???)

Vehicles

 * Turtle Van
 * Rock Soldier Flying Jeep
 * Neutrino Starcruisers
 * Technodrome
 * Techno Rover
 * Pick-Up Truck