by Sarah Hughes
Turbo Kid (2015) presents a cheesy skater-disco patina-ed version of an apocalyptic wasteland – and it’s a delight.
Set in 1997, protagonist “the Kid” (Munro Chambers) aspires to be as tough as a hero in a leftover comic book – Turbo Man. He makes friends as he learns to be brave when scared. The film has won 8 awards and 3 nominations according to IMDb. Turbo-kid.com reports it an Official Selection at Sundance 2015.
(Spoiler alert:) All the major problems that plague the apocalyptic hero are relevant in directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s world. The inhabitants in this rough landscape struggle to scavenge for sundry items, water and personal safety. There are merchant traders trying to rip people off. Aspiring overlord Zeus (Michael Ironside) forms a gang controlling the area with resources and violence. Yet the setting is a reconsidered, modern wasteland.
For a moment, it seems the Kid’s biggest challenge yet is dealing with (gasp) girls! It’s probably hard to trust someone who puts a tracking-device slap-bracelet on you, even if she does seem like she wants to be best friends. But in reimagined ’97, other themes quickly arise, such as what makes a soul, the nature of friendship, good vs. evil and fears of a robot uprising.
Apple, played by Laurence Leboeuf, performs with quirky intensity in a role that’s part exuberant adventurer, part chaos elemental and all heart-warmingly tweaky. Her love for a gnome-stick weapon, combined with a style that seems reminiscent of Roller Baby dolls of the 1990s gives the film its particular flavor. The newly considered angle of setting might make for some interesting costume inspiration for any apocalyptic imagine-er. Right alongside this more material aesthetic is a deeper philosophical question; does it matter that the Kid’s friendship is with a robot in terms of it being less valuable and meaningful to him? Is Apple real or not? Does that matter in context of how she causes him to grow? How vigilantly is one to measure the depth and truthfulness of other’s relationships with themselves, when the feelings caused by that relationship are personal and felt alone?
The story fits together nicely, while giving its nod to other media – Apple’s name is cutely telling, as she’s a gadget herself. Zeus fits more into the mold of Chinatown’s (1974) Hollis Mulwray than Mad Max: Fury Road’s (2015) Immortan Joe. The Kid’s parents were murdered violently like many other heroes, but the comic book quest for greatness and a boy’s coming of age story serve the nostalgia angle well. Yet there is some gore and sadism.
According to whats-on-netflix.com (an “Unofficial Netflix Fansite”) and digitaltrends.com this title does not look to be leaving Netflix Streaming in March 2016, but it is worth checking out sooner rather than later.
4 out of 5 bottle-caps