Based off their segment from the original The ABC’s of Death, filmmakers Yoann-Karl Whissell, Anouk Whissell and François Simard have expanded their post-apocalyptic story with Turbo Kid. The feature film adaptation returns to the isolated wastelands of 1997 where we follow a young loner known only as “The Kid” (Munro Chambers), who befriends a mysteriously optimistic girl by the name of Apple (Laurence Leboeuf). The pair quickly realize they need each other in order to survive after Apple is kidnapped by an evil warlord named Zeus (Michael Ironside). “The Kid” is then forced to step up and become a superhero (of sorts) via a mechanized suit that gives him the powers he needs in order to overcome the psychotic leader and save his new friend before it’s too late.
Feeling like if George Miller (Mad Max) had remade the 1989 kids classic, The Wizard, Turbo Kid is pure cinematic ecstasy with the filmmakers’ enthusiasm for their influences lovingly shining through in truly clever and wondrous ways. But instead of just getting caught up in nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, Turbo Kid also offers up numerous ingenious story twists and intricate character touches, allowing the film to pay homage to its predecessors but also giving their story the room to explore their own mythologies and ideas along the way as well. There’s a fine line between paying tribute and treading the same ol’ territory time and time again, but Turbo Kid walks it well.
Much of Turbo Kid’s heart comes from The Kid and Apple, as well as their friendship throughout the film, and both Chambers and Leboeuf do an amazing job by getting us to fully invest in their characters with their heartfelt performances and palpable chemistry. The pair is joined on their adventures by a no-nonsense arm wrestler by the name of Frederic played by Aaron Jeffery who adds a nice sense of gravity and swagger to the story whenever he makes an appearance. Ironside’s villain is wickedly brutal and it was great to see the iconic actor being fully utilized here rather and given a chance to demonstrate why he’s been such a cinematic badass for over 20 years now.
A perfect blending of over-the-top gore, comedy and high-octane action, the filmmaking team behind Turbo Kid all do a fantastic job of keeping the story engaging and campy without ever taking things too far off the rails, creating characters that are incredibly likable and well-conceived and delivering some of the most insane and hysterical gore gags I’ve seen in some time. For anyone who grew up in the 80’s or 90’s, Turbo Kid is possibly the best film missing from your childhood and it has all the makings of a modern cult classic. I cannot recommend it enough.
Movie Rating: 4/5
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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