Welcome to The Daily Cup a movie blog/writing project by Kyle B. Dekker, presented by Hot Chocolate Media. You can read series concept here. The basic rules, Kyle must watch 365 movies in 2018 and write about all of them. 292 of them have to be movies he's never seen before. Thanks for reading.
I’m a huge fan of apocalyptic stories. If I had to pick my favorite theme in any type of movie apocalyptic is likely at the top of my list. These films always put a magnifying glass on some of the ugliest and bravest parts of humanity. We see the different ways people handle the end of the world as they know, and which survivors feel fine about it and which ones don’t. Another choice many apocalyptic films need to make is the tone, are they going for serious and grimdark (The Road, Children of Men) or are they going to absurd and ridiculous (Idiocracy, Doomsday)? Either tone can work, as long as the film is consistent with it. Turbo Kid (2015) securely fits into the tone of absurd and I loved every minute of it.
Turbo Kid feels like the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and A Boy And His Dog had a baby at the temple to David Cronenberg with high priest Sam Peckinpah performing the blood ritual. It’s is simultaneously sweet and grotesque. It has an absurd internal logic that it follows and it’s chock full of references to the Zelda video games and other apocalyptic films.
The story follows The Kid (Munro Chambers) an orphan who scavenges the wasteland for junk to survive, he has a passion for an old comic called Turbo Man, a hero he emulates in his clothing and weapons choices. He runs into a Clint Eastwood esque Kiwi cowboy named Frederic (Aaron Jeffrey) and a hyperactive and friendly woman named Apple (Laurence Leboeuf). The evil and violent Zeus (Michael Ironside) along with his silent lieutenant Skeletron (Edwin Wright) oppose them and a violent conflict for freedom between the sides commences.
The Kid, Apple, and Frederic discuss their plan.
The violence in this film is intensely funny and gratuitous. Limbs, faces, and entrails are removed from bodies with voracious enthusiasm and fountains of blood. If you are squeamish about blood in film you may want to pass on this, but the absurdity of it all softens its impact significantly.
While the budget for this film was very low the direting trio of Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell made every penny work for the tone and style of the film. The practical effects and makeup are fantastic, and the overall color palate of the film featuring washed out landscapes with colorful costumes really works. What Turbo Kid really nails is the emotional bonds we can form with people who become our chosen family, an idea I enjoy in film. You really feel attached to The Kid and Apple and you are rooting for them to excel in this dark world. I’m intentionally avoiding too many details about the plot, this is a film best enjoyed knowing little about it, just sit back and enjoy the violents and goofy ride.
Tally
Movies new to me watched: 6/292
Total movies watched: 6/365
Have your own thoughts or opinions on this movie? Comment below or contact Kyle at kyle@hotchocolatemedia.net or on Twitter at @kbdekker.