Turbo Kid (2015) Movie Review

If you spent any amount of time in a video store, strolling the aisles, browsing the titles, taking in the box art, then you no doubt came across such movie classics as RAD and BMX Bandits. Maybe less bike-centric, but bikes also played big parts in the little-known flicks E.T. and Goonies.

You also might have seen, collecting dust, titles like Mad Max, Red Dawn, 1990 The Bronx Warriors, Warriors of the Wasteland (aka, The New Barbarians), Solarbabies, and Steel Dawn.

Paying heavy homage to all of the movies mentioned and their ilk is Turbo Kid, written and directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell. And while the 2015 flick starring Munro Chambers (The Kid), Laurence Leboeuf (Apple), and Michael Ironside (Zeus) bears all kinds of resemblances to the classic genre, right down to synth-heavy score, it feels fresh, fun, and original. Speaking of the music, it’s true that *Turbo Kid actually listens to the theme, “Thunder In Your Heart,” from RAD.

Instead of giving you a play-by-play and spoiling the movie for you, because you really should see it, some of the themes the movie touches on are love, survival, hope, revenge, good versus evil, and the idea that things often come full circle.

The special effects are cool too. Lots of splatter and plenty of gore, and it’s tons of fun to watch. What speaks most in regard to the effects, however, is their limited use. It doesn’t seem like budget limited them, but rather story and plot, and that is precisely why they are so appreciated and probably why they’re so well timed and placed.

The last point I’d like to make here is the acting, which is superbe. Sure, Chambers as The Kid is the central character, and Ironside turns in a strong performance, but it’s Leboeuf who steals the show as Apple. I won’t ruin the “surprise” about her, but her quirkiness and enthusiasm is addictive and a breath of fresh air.

And an honorable performance mention has to be given to Ironside’s silent minion, Skeletron… he’s just awesome!

The Verdict:

Turbo Kid is charming, nostalgic, and, best of all, it’s bloody!