Tank Girl

The main problem I had with this otherwise appealing movie is that Lori Petty's Tank Girl has exactly the same attitude toward virtually every incident in the movie... good, bad, otherwise. And while it's a really sharp and cool attitude, the movie might have soared if instead of merely being an attitude it had been a personality. Then, arising from this Tank Girl personality, a whole range of interesting emotions could have been emerged, adding variety and a chance for excitement to build instead of plateauing in the first few minutes. Because even in a romp of a pic, you still need to care about the characters. And it's a whole bunch easier to care about a person than it is to care about an attitude.

Still, I had good fun watching this movie. The "Feeling a little inadequate?" scene is a minor classic. And by chance I happened to watch this movie the same day I saw "Mulholland Dr." and I still have a very difficult time recognizing that Naomi Watts is the same person in both films. She's excellent in both, but so very different. Ice-T, Jeff Kober, and Reg E. Cathey do a surprisingly effective job of creating characters from underneath their Ripper make-up... they're so good that one of the best parts of Tank Girl is just watching and listening to them.

This isn't a movie to go into with high expectations. Read all the negative comments, take them to heart, and then watch the movie anyway. It will make Tank Girl a pleasant surprise.

It's the year 2033 and Kesslee, the leader of Water & Power holds the World in his clutches as he controls all H20 after the meteor hit creating vast desert wastelands, though tank girl and Jet girl team up with some scientific kangaroo creations called Rippers who want to bring down Water and Power.

What you get is a very colourful over-the-top and in-your-face film on a British cult comic strip. I have never read any of these comic books, so I don't know how true the film is- but from what I mostly heard and read, it's not- but who cares it looked like it would be a fun viewing.

After watching this mess I don't know why? As I just couldn't bear to fully bag it out and that's why I gave it 5. I know it was trash- but still I found it visually good and kinda amusing… in a stupid way.

The script is awfully bad, the performances were mostly ludicrous and direction was quite tragic, as the scenes just seem to limp along without any panache. Though the film makes up for it with its upbeat soundtrack that was coordinated by Courtney Love and featuring the likes of Bjork, Hole, Iggy Pop, Bush and Veruca Salt, while it's vibrantly rich and bizarre comic backdrop is quite eye-catching, even though the sets do look kind of cheap. The added comic cartoon interludes throughout the film I found to be more satisfying at times than the actual live scenes, making you think it would have probably been better if they stuck to a cartoon version.

The performances I had mix feelings about. Lori Petty as Tank Girl was fair and brings a chirpy attitude- but the humour at times was a bit stale, especially some of her cringe-worthy one-liners and from what I grasp about the character she was playing she totally looked the part but was no where near what she acts like in the comic series. Namoi Watts as Jet Girl I thought was the standout, which isn't saying much- but she was far subtle and innocently sweet and that worked for me. Malcolm McDowell wasn't too bad, as he really hams it up as the villain Kesslee and Ice-T as a Ripper is unrecognisable and fairly irritating- but anyway what's new?

The direction was really muddled, mainly flashier- but no substance in the scenes to make it stand out from the average Sci-fi film and the pace of the film was a bit patchy in spots, such as the flat musical scene and when Tank and Jet girl were hanging out with the rippers at their base. The Ripper designs were reasonably good by Stan Winston, with each with their own personality and distinguishing features- but that didn't make them likable.

While the plot, if there was one was just basically a been there done that feel and lack any sort of detail and urgency. I thought the story started out alright and was quite lively but it kind of lost steam halfway through and especially when the annoying Rippers took centre stage. There are some interesting elements thrown into the mix, like the device that sucks water out of people.

For me it's one of those films that it's so bad, it's good entertainment. So it breaks even for me.

One of the best films ever based on a comic, Tank Girl should not be taken seriously, but it's enormous fun, and a badly needed send-up of all those testosterone-pumped action movies. Instead of the usual male buddies, you have two sassy young woman, while a genetically modified and not very bright kangaroo plays the part of the Bond girl. All the leads perform well, particularly McDowell as the villain, and the script has some great one-liners, even if the plot is pretty dumb (it's a comic, ok? Get over it.)

Okay, okay, I'll admit it---the ONLY reason I rented this movie at all was because my favorite band sung on the soundtrack (which, by the way, is awesome). I had no idea what the movie was about, although I did know that Lori Petty and Malcolm McDowell were in it. i also knew that it wasn't exactly a masterpiece of a film, either, so I went home, started watching, and just tried to have a little fun and enjoy myself.

And, for a while, I did. The introduction was cool, the characters were funny, and it was actually interesting to watch. Lori Petty totally rocked as Tank Girl---although I heard that Tank Girl's character in the comic book was a lot more intense. Her sidekick, Jet Girl, was just as awesome. They should have had a lot more scenes with Malcolm McDowell, though, especially between him and Tank Girl. Those were some of the best parts. You can't help but love all the campy humor.

But sometime after Tank and Jet hook up with the Rippers, or whatever theyr'e called, the movie just seems to go downhill. Take out the Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-style truck sequence with Tank, and the entire middle is pretty boring. The Rippers--I mean, okay, they're half men, half kangaroos. Why not at least get mutated into something useful, like, half man, half shark or bear or cheetah or something? Ice-T was just plain annoying, as was Tank Girl's kangaroo man boyfriend, Booga. The beatnik poetry thing was cool, but the dancing thing and everything else were so stupid they weren't even funny.

The ending makes up for it a bit. Even the Rippers had some funny moments ("Count Chocula--he's the guy on the laundry detergent box, right?"). Tank Girl eventually saves the world in the end, Jet Girl gets revenge on her "boyfriend" from Water and Power, and the world has water again. Yay! Like I said, though, they should have had more scenes of McDowell and the bad guys. It's great to watch him ham it up as the evil villain (as always).

So, if you're looking for senseless fun and recklessness with no point or reason, watch Tank Girl. It may not be Lawrence of Arabia or Gone With the Wind, but it's a lot better than SOME of the movies I've seen. Oh, yeah, and don't pay over $1.50 to rent it.

A comic book with a female hero in a post-apocalyptic world with mutant kangaroos. I can see why this didn't go over big in 1995. But these days, with comic books being regularly made into films, it's worth taking another look at this little gem.

I can remember enjoying this film back then, but having viewed it fresh, there's a lot to admire: It's got energy. It's got a killer soundtrack. It's chock full of feminist grrrl power. The casting is interesting, from Malcolm McDowell and Naomi Watts to Ice-T and Iggy Pop. There's a seamless flow between the comic book and the live-action. The old-school, in-camera effects are pretty flawless—they dropped some serious coin. And Lori Petty really nails it, bringing a comic book character to life.

Look, there's no deep moral message or "hero's journey" here—it's based on a comic book, after all. It's just fun, escapist entertainment. I'm generally a fan of world cinema, and "Tank Girl" is by no means a classic. But if you appreciate films that take chances, break the mould and don't take themselves too seriously, it's worth a watch.