Operation Blue Line, Starring: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a 1990 promotional video released by Family Home Entertainment and sponsored by the Regional Transportation District to let kids know about alternative travel methods such as railroads. It is live-action, but does not use animatronics. Instead the actors who played the turtles simply wore costumes. The voice actors from the cartoon reprise their roles as the Turtles.
Run-time is approx. 11 minutes.
Description
"The successful opening of the RTD Metro Blue Line on July 14, 1990 is assured when TV reporter April O'Neil and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles overcome the sinister Gridlock .
April discovers that the villain Gridlock is preventing commuters from learning about the fast and efficient rail service between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach. Gridlock delights in the crowded freeways and dirty air which have frustrated commuters for years in Los Angeles and sabotages plans to tell people about the new RTD Metro Blue Line.
April calls on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to come to the rescue and help spread the word about the new public transit.
Cast
- Leonardo : Cam Clarke (voice)
- Donatello : Barry Gordon (voice)
- Raphael : Rob Paulsen (voice)
- Michelangelo : Townsend Coleman (voice)
- April O'Neil : Lorie Stewart
- Gridlock : ?
Trivia
- This short movie takes place in California, even though the Turtles are usually based in New York.
- During the ending, the University of Southern California marching band is playing.
- Gridlock's "Gloomsday device" is actually the Giga Meter from Ghostbusters II.
- The costumes are based upon the first line of Playmates toys.
- At the beginning, the theme of the 1987 cartoon is playing.
- This VHS tape was given away for free. Not surprising, considering it's more or less an advertisement for the Metro Blue Line trains.
Errors
- The most glaring error that anyone can see is with Donatello's costume. The entire midsection is dark green, but his arms and legs are a greenish-brown.
- The mouths and eyes don't move, and are basically huge mascot costumes that the actors wear.