"Turbo Kid" Review

Over the past few weeks, I've heard the following properties being brought up in reference to what Turbo Kid is like: Power Rangers, Mad Max, Borderlands, Mega Man, Indiana Jones, The Wizard, Jem and the Holograms, Dead Alive, Jet Jaguar, Last Action Hero, Shazam, and Scott Pilgrim. That seems about right. Let me try to sum it up - Turbo Kid is a Saturday morning cartoon for adults, with B-movie charm, lots of heart, and enough blood splatters to rival Robocop.

In the futuristic, far-off year of 1997, the Kid (Munro Chambers) is a lone wolf in the Wasteland, scavenging for trinkets and rarities to trade for clean water (which is supposed to look like watered-down soda, right?) The Wasteland is ruled by a sadistic bandit leader, the one-eyed Zeus (Michael Ironside), who, along with his buzzsaw-wielding henchman (Edwin Wright), terrorize the populace in search for the mythical water source rumored to bring life back to the Wasteland. He's opposed by a small rebel force, led by the gruff cowboy, Frederic the Arm Wrestler (Aaron Jeffery). 

One day, the Kid sits on a swing set, reading his favorite comic book, Turbo Rider (think a fusion of the Red Ranger and Mega Man), when he's interrupted by a bubbly pink-haired girl (Laurence Leboeuf) whose name is Apple (To quote the Kid, "Of course it is.") Apple has a five-year-old's spirit in a teen's body: she's curious and excited about even the smallest things; she never stops bouncing or giggling; it's rare to find a frame where there's not the widest, sweetest smile on her face. The Kid is more reserved, rule-oriented, cowardly at the worst of times. Naturally, opposites attract and they hit it off, but when Apple is kidnapped and sent to the bandits, it's up to the Kid to muster his courage, team up with Frederic, defeat Zeus, and save his girlfriend.

The Kid, Apple, and Frederic (far right) formulate a plan.

The story's a Western; the effects are Horror; the characters can fit well in Sci-fi. Despite this, Turbo Kid weaves these elements together with enough seams left to pass as a love letter to these genres without feeling derivative. Directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell (forming the Montreal-based collective RKSS) do a lot with a little, overseeing inventive and immersive production design. They drench the film in '80s pop culture, with a groovy synth score, Indiana Jones and Karate Kid references, and seriously, just look at that chrome lettering!

The action's a blast, and Turbo Kid pulls no punches. If you've ever doubted a superhero's tenacity, how he or she can fire and take energy balls, destructo-rays like they're NERF darts, doubt no more. When the Kid fires his Turbo Glove, torsos come off, with only legs and a shower of blood left behind. Decapitated scalps spin around on heads like propeller hats; limbs are hacked off; getting shot multiple times over the course of a fight is common. RKSS takes it over the top, in the vein of the Evil Dead franchise, or the previously mentioned Dead Alive. If there's a scene here that can rival that film's gross-out horrilarity of a zombie grandma accidentally eating her ear that's fallen in the custard, just wait for the exercise bike.

However, for all the blood and pew-pew lasers, Turbo Kid is at its core, a story of friendship and the search for a sense of belonging. Most of this comes from Leboeuf, who steals the show. Apple's consistent joy (even when faced with the possibility of a sledgehammer to the noggin) is infectious. She draws my eye in every scene; Leboeuf's quirks and expressions make for the bulk of my laughter during the film. She's tough without ever sacrificing a sliver of cuteness, fiercely loyal, and incredibly intelligent...despite some ditziness. Her enthusiasm is inviting, and makes the Kid, as well as the audience, want to follow her on a crazy fun adventure. She and the Kid learn about each other, their fears and aspirations. This is a relationship that progresses naturally; whenever this pays off, it feels real; I believe they truly care for each other.

For 90 minutes, the film married my childhood and adult tastes, into an insane adventure that's equal parts nostalgia and completely fresh. It's a neon bloodbath, rainbow-blasted madness, a smoothie made out of the best pieces of sci-fi, action, cartoons, and surrealism. Rent it on Vimeo, or find it at your local theater, but regardless, if you want to fight off the end-of-summer blues, do yourself a favor and check this flick out.

Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.