Turbo Kid review: A film that is more fun than Mad Max: Fury Road. This is a kids film made by childish adults in the best possible way.
Turbo Kid review
Directors: Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffery
Certificate: TBC
Running Time: 95 minutes
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic 1997, a comic book obsessed kid takes to his BMX in order to save his friend from Zeus, the controller of all water.
Mad Max: Fury Road only came out earlier this year, but it’s already been hit with the devolution ray and had its fuel packed engines replaced with BMXs. Don’t fret though, this is far from some kiddy wannabe (despite the title) and nor is it a tacky Asylum rip-off. In fact, Turbo Kid began life as an entry into the competition segment of ABCs Of Death with the short T Is For Turbo. It may have ‘lost out’ to the fantastic stop-motion T Is For Toilet, but the short impressed so much that the director’s were offered a full length feature instead.
What we got is the delightfully bonkers Turbo Kid a film that is equal parts 80s boys fantasy and post-apocalyptic action romp. Munro Chambers plays the lead, a young man surviving solo in the post-apocalyptic future of 1997. He spends his days scavenging artifacts from a forgotten culture, while dreaming of his favourite superhero. He comes across the bubbly Apple (LeBoeuf) who is very adamant that they be friends. After Apple is kidnapped by the evil Zeus (Ironside), The Kid sets about rescuing her, which is where he also encounters the armwrestling Frederic (Jeffery), a cowboy like character with witty one liners.
In this world the main form of transportation is the humble bike. It starts off as a joke, similar to the imaginary horses made famous by Monty Python. Action sequences kick into gear but get off to a slow start, or the editing makes for cycle rides more exciting than they have any right to be. It makes sense though, after all, where would all that petrol come from anyway? It is also testament as to how engaging the film really is when you gradually stop noticing the bikes to become wrapped up in the characters.
Turbo Kid review
The Kid isn’t your sudden hero, nor a complete fool. He’s brave and relatable, often standing up to injustice but also knowing when to run. Zeus is played with a certain pompous charm from Ironside; he may be despicable, but at least he can make us laugh too. Frederic isn’t the complete badass he wishes he was, but again avoids being comic foil. I guess it’s hard to be a badass when on a bike with a sidecart. Best of all though is the phenomenal performance by LeBoeuf as the intoxicatingly jolly Apple. Her face must have ached after constantly smiling through every shot, and it’s a triumph that she never becomes annoying. Like The Kid, we may be a bit apprehensive at first, but she’s soon getting the biggest laughs.
Retro nostalgia awesomeness is all the rage at the moment, but it’s very hard to do right. If you take the recent big budget cinematic stain that was Pixels, there was a film that just through recognisable pop-culture at you with little rhyme or reason. Turbo Kid has a well crafted plot and knows when to homage, parody, or pay lip service. There’s lots of practical effects, but it doesn’t shy away from CG. There’s a very 80s boys plot that harkens back to The Goonies or Monster Squad, but it’s filled with even worse swearing and incredibly inventive gore.
Turbo Kid review
Turbo Kid makes the most of its budget and never once feels restrained. It may have taken the Doctor Who route of filming in quarries, but it never feels contained or restricted. Perhaps this is due to the magnificent costumes that make every character instantly recognisable and just begging for an action figure.
This is a kids film made by childish adults in the best possible way. It knows the audience has reluctantly grown up, and at the same time it isn’t trying to pander or please everybody. This is more fun than Mad Max: Fury Road, and that’s saying a bloody lot. Funny, great action, and faster and more furious than a BMX would allow.
Turbo Kid review, Luke Ryan Baldock, August 2015.
Turbo Kid will screened during Frightfest 2015 and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 12th October 2015.
