In the far-flung future of 2033, in the burning rubble of the world that was, there is only Riot Girl. Such is the premise of Rachel Talalay’s 1995 cult classic action film, Tank Girl. Adapted from the surreal, absurdist 1988 comic series of the same name, this movie tells the story of Rebecca Buck (played by Lori Petty), a scavenger in a post-apocalyptic Earth plagued with drought after an impact by a comet, swarming with gangsters, mysterious warriors called the Rippers, and the omnipresent corporation/warlord empire known as Water & Power. While Rebecca is more than content to live in her close-knit colony of survivors, when armed Water and Power agents kick in their doors and kidnap her, she embarks on a daring trek across the waste to find young Sam, the one other survivor of the raid.
This movie takes a decidedly over-the-top approach to...well, everything. The costumes are about as 90s-aged punk as you can imagine, the action sequences are spectacular and explosive, the sets are loud and expressive, and the acting (especially on the part of the main villain) is decidedly kooky. The soundtrack (which I will praise right away) also commits to the punk fully, with a variety of harsh and powerful tracks from the likes of Joan Jett and Ice-T (the latter of which is also an actor in this movie). This is all obviously by design, in keeping with the kooky and surreal source materials, but does it work?
The script is chock full of one-liners, though whether they’re all that zingy or make up for the decidedly strange plot is up for debate. And the constant manic energy of the film can get overwhelming for some; I can remember one (1), maybe two quiet moments throughout the entire movie, and there is a decided lack of room for some of the characters to breathe.
However, Petty’s performance as the titular Tank Girl is surprisingly delightful. She’s manic, silly, unbreakably cheerful even in the face of grave danger and fear, yet kind and compassionate in her own rather eccentric way. It’s incredibly entertaining, and I doubt the movie would be the same without this acting performance.
More than that, however, the thing about this movie that surprised me most was its strong feminist and anti-establishment themes. There are a few rather dated moments here and there but A) there’s only so much I, a guy, can criticize those when a woman directed those moments, and B) most of those moments are still in the moment of exploitation that the movie thematically opposes. Fundamentally, Tank Girl cheerfully refuses to bend before the men who try to break her down and reduce her to a pawn in their machine and empowers other women in her life to do the same. She starts blowing up a corporation that’s willing to suck the water from the corpses of those who don’t bend to their will or live up to their performance standards, so the themes should be rather obvious there.
As with most of the niche cult movies I review, ultimately whether one should watch this movie ultimately depends on personal taste. You’re either here for the punk themes, over-the-top aesthetics, and constant absurdity or you’re not. For me, however, it’s the former. Yeah, it’s a little awkward, a little rough around the edges, but I had a blast watching it. So, for this reason, I’m rating Tank Girl four and a half mutant kangaroos out of five.
Comments