Tank Girl (1995)

Huh, I could have sworn I'd already reviewed this movie (I feel like I watch it often enough), but I guess not! So lucky you, you're in for a treat as I speak wittily and perhaps over-emphatically about a film I think is often under-appreciated. Also, I went a little crazy with the screencap function. Based (loosely) on Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett's titular comic, Tank Girl sets its sights on rebellious prankster Rebecca aka Tank Girl (Lori Petty), arrested for stealing water from dominant corporation Water and Power.

You see, it's the future and there's been a 13-year drought after an asteroid struck earth, and the jerks at Water and Power control all the remaining water with an iron fist. Their leader is Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell), a general asshole who is easily peeved by Rebecca's irreverent, plucky nature and tortures her within an inch of her life. She eventually escapes with fellow prisoner Jet Girl (Naomi Watts), a mousy mechanic, and the two embark on a mission to take down Water and Power for good with the help of the Rippers, a legendary gang of mutant kangaroo soldiers. And all with the aid of her trusty tricked-out tank, of course.

While the comic is a meandering, anarchistic, stream-of-consciousness safari through Tank Girl's wacky, hyperviolent antics and extremely self-referential rhetoric, the film endeavors to be a more straightforward dystopic action comedy while retaining that wild spirit. It's a valiant effort, but it doesn't quite succeed. It is, however, a highly entertaining and unabashedly offbeat film that I enjoy the hell out of. The script is a little uneven, but fairly funny, and there's a good mix of big action scenes and comedic moments. Several scenes incorporate still comic images and frenetic animation, giving the film as varied and changeable a feel as its source material.

Tank Girl has a cool cast that includes appearances from Iggy Pop, Ice-T, and Ann Cusack, but it rightly never strays far from its title character. With her pop culture references, cracked voice, and incredibly awesome costumes/hairstyles, Lori Petty does embody the playful, slightly insane personage of Tank Girl, but imbues her with more femininity. Martin and Hewlett basically took a beer-guzzling, sociopathic dude and put him in a woman's body. Director Rachel Talalay, Petty, and company bring some lady elements to the table and the result is a character who can use her sexuality to her advantage but is never dominated by men around her. She's a smart, funny female action hero who doesn't have to resort to tight-fighting clothes or seductive one-liners. And I totally dig that.

While the film's attempts to make sense of such a deliberately ridiculous and nonlinear comic are well-meaning, it doesn't always work story-wise. I like the post-apocalyptic evil corporation thing, but tribal mutant kangaroos don't really fit in (in the comic you just sort of accept it all). Plus she spends way too long in the Water and Power work camp. Martin, Hewlett, and Talalay had major problems with the studio over the final cut of the film, and no one was very happy with the end product. I'd say that it's not the best adaptation, but serves as a very cool, goofy movie in its own right. There's a killer soundtrack arranged by Courtney Love and a highly capable, empowered, fashion-forward lady front and center. It might not be the "ultimate riot grrrl movie" Talalay intended, but it's a good effort. Plus it inspired me to one day own a bitchin' tank, a little girl's dream to which I still naively cling.

4/5

"Girl U Want"- Devo (alternate version)
"Big Gun"- Ice-T and Joe-J
"Aurora"- Veruca Salt

My original poster design for this film is available for purchase.