Turbo Kid is the story of a teenage scavenger trying to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with water hunters and brutal killers. Our protagonist known only as The Kid lives among the last remnants of humanity. He rides his bike and goes trash picking when he can, but when he unexpectedly meets and befriends a beautiful girl, everything changes and he embarks down a path that leads him to become a hero.
I loved this movie way more than I thought I would. Many films that have come out in the 2010s have been forced pastiches of 80s films, and the style can get annoying real quick if done poorly. Turbo Kid rises far above simple nostalgia and winds up being a touching coming-of-age tale where our main character finds power within himself and follows his destiny. The Kid and his female companion Apple make for a great team and the gallery of supporting characters along the way enhance the film with fantastic performances.
Turbo Kid starts off as an orphan in the post apocalyptic future and he lives alone in a bunker and survives by trading goods found in the wasteland. He meets a girl one day while reading his favorite comic book, and he winds up getting swept up in the fight against an evil warlord who is trying to control the remaining population through the use of violence, intimidation and control of the water supply. What results is an epic battle for the fate of our main characters and the world they live in.
What this film has going for it is an amazing cast of actors that pull this all off perfectly. Munro Chambers as The Kid plays his role with genuine sincerity and his delivery is spot on with the tone of the film. Michael Ironside is great as the evil ruler Zeus and his #1 henchman Skeletron, played by Edwin Wright, is portrayed with some of the best non-verbal acting I have seen in a long time. The film owns everything though to actress Laurence Laboeuf who shines through on screen as a warm, funny and compassionate presence to counter the dark and violent world of the film and give confidence and support to our hero. Her performance as Apple truly does kick ass.
Fans of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy/adventure wave of 80s cinema need to see Turbo Kid immediately. I was reminded of the countless number of Mad Max knock-offs while watching this, and of course films like BMX Bandits, Solar Babies and Cherry 2000 came to mind as well. I enjoyed the hell out of Turbo Kid and aside from some forced elements of absurdity that seemed to be nodding a little too heavily at Troma and old-school Peter Jackson, I highly recommend this for all audiences. This is a brutal and mature film filled with gallons of blood, but in the end it is inspiring and moving and should be seen and enjoyed.
Hawkins’ Rating:
Out of a Possible 5 Stars