FilmSnobReviews

Title: Turbo Kid
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Director: Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell, François Simard
Starring: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins

What It Is: In a post apocalyptic world where acid rain has deteriorated most of our most precious natural resources anarchy has broken out. Those who control the water control everyone in the area. In this area of wasteland is controlled by Zeus (Ironside) who rules with a mercilessness only seen in cults of personality. The Kid (Chambers) as he is known has grown up in the wasteland, he’s learned how to survive, and thrive in the desolation. When he gets mixed up in trouble and Zeus is looking for him and his friend Apple (Leboeuf) it’s going to get real messy.

What We Think: What an absolutely fun film! Not only is this what you’d imagine an elementary school version of Mad Max would look like but dammit if they aren’t similar. Ironically Turbo Kid brings buckets of blood, and exaggerated dismemberment, evisceration and decapitation along for the ride. This is a good time at the movies man! I’d like to reserve my biggest credit to Laurence Leboeuf who crafted Apple into a character that was, by the end of the film, a necessary element to it. It isn’t perfect. There’s an overall sense of distort unrealism to the whole thing that keeps the violence cartoonish, which I suspect was what they were going for.

Our Grade: A-, There’s few films this year that have brought this much fun to any theater I’ve been in, and one of those is the similar themed Mad Max: Fury Road which you can read all about for yourself. Turbo Kid is one of those rare instances where it seems everyone is just having an absolute ball. From it’s directors, to the stars this Canadian/New Zealand mash up is a match made in heaven, or in this case Valhalla!