MINI-REVIEW: Turbo Kid

MOVIE
Turbo Kid

CAST
Munro Chambers,
Laurence Leboeuf

RATING
NR

RELEASE
August 28, 2015 (LIMTIED/VOD)

DIRECTOR(S)
Anouk Whissell,
François Simard,
Yoann-Karl Whissell

STUDIO
Epic Pictures Group

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 33 minutes







STARS
***3/4









REVIEW:

Films like "Turbo Kid" scream "cult status" simply by their existence.  This particular film, brought to us by French-Canadian filmmaking group RKSS, takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of the year 1997.  In this world, water is scarce, and survival is everything, a la "Mad Max: Fury Road."  Munro Chambers plays a loner kid who, while trying to survive, also happens to be a big fan of the comic book hero Turbo Rider.  After meeting up with the eccentric Apple, played by Laurence Lebeouf, "The Kid" ends up discovering equipment that will allow him to become just like the Turbo Rider.  Using these powers for justice, The Kid plans to stop the maniac running the town, played by Michael Ironside, before any more damage can be done to others.

Aside from obviously paying homage to "Mad Max" with its post-apocalyptic water-scarce desert setting, the filmmakers behind this also show a true love for 80s exploitation/Grindhouse movies and the use of practical effects.  In fact, this has some of the goriest and most inventive deaths in any movie to come out this year.  Even if Gore isn't your strong suit, most of, if not all of the blood and guts poured out of victims and onto the screen are played for laughs.  These three filmmakers clearly show a passion for what they're making, and it's obvious from every scene that they're having a blast every second of the way.  Aside from the pacing being off at times, this is an insanely fun homage to campy 80s movies.  Imagine if the apocalyptic setting of ‪"Mad Max‬," the quirkiness of ‪"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," a hypnotically synthetic 80s-esque soundtrack, and the ultraviolence of an exploitation film were all thrown into a blender; this is the protein shake that would come oozing out.  Grab a bunch of friends together along with a giant tub of popcorn and experience this retro indie as soon as you can.  "Turbo Kid" might not be for everyone, but it's hard to deny how inventive and ridiculous this movie is overall.