Turbo Kid

Since i grew up as a kid in the 80´s, i have a lot of passion for movies released during these years. Some might say that the 80´s had a lot of bad releases, and that is true when it comes to some films. But i have to say, this period of time had some really good classics, just think about Back To The Future, The Terminator, Lethal Weapon, The Hitcher, Conan The Barbarian and many more films. One of my personal favourite films of the 80´s, is without a doubt The Toxic Avenger. The story of mopping boy Melvin, who turns into a mutated superhero, called The Toxic Avenger. This is a really funny story, with a lot of action, silly outfits, and dialogue so fantastic you never want the film to end. One of the great things about the 80´s films, was that they mixed in all kinds of things into action adventure films, anyone remember BMX Bandits or The Goonies ? Ghostbusters is of course one of those classic action films, that still works today. Today in the movie industry, most films that are mostly remakes, or prequels, unless we find directors who try and go a different path. I really love those directors who try to keep the old school films alive, who love the 80´s and 90´s style of action films. Because we all know how great some films were from this period, i hope you all have seen Kung Fury by now ? A short film made thanks to fans worldwide through Kickstarter, that became a massive hit worldwide. The story of a cop, who travels back in time to stop Kung Fuhrer, also known as Hitler, and his army, with the help of his viking friends riding dinosaurs, is a masterpiece. Just by reading this, you must understand that this is the greatest swedish film ever made. You can watch it online, both on Youtube, but also on other web sites. Since Kung Fury became such a huge hit, i was not surprised to see that more directors are interested in bringing back the 80´s to the big screen. Not that long ago, i came across the news of a new film, called Turbo Kid, that seemed to be a tribute to the 80´s films, and still have some different combinations included. The trailer looked amazing, where i also noticed that legendary actor Michael Ironside is in the film. You have to know who this man is, right ? Remember V - The tv series, Total Recall, and not that long ago in Terminator Salvation ? Great to see him back on screen, this iconic actor is a big part of my childhood, so it feels very good that he agreed to be onto this project. With a cool look, and with a soundtrack that sounds fantastic, is Turbo Kid one of this years best films, or did the trailer promise too much positivity ?

In the year of 1997, the world have turned into an apocalyptic nightmare. The Kid ( Munro Chambers ) rides around on his BMX bike, collecting artifacts he can find and sell to merchant Bagu ( Romano Orzari ). On his latest visit to Bagu´s store, Bagu have a special surprise for The Kid. He have a comic book of Turbo Rider. The Kid is really happy, and begin reading the comic book right away. As he sits down on a swing set, he meets Apple ( Laurence Leboeuf ). She is a very happy, and curious person. They begin to spend time together, as The Kid finds out that Apple is actually a robot. This does not bother him though, since he enjoys spending time with her. When Apple is kidnapped by the evil Zeus ( Michael Ironside ), and his evil followers, The Kid knows he have to get her back. While being chased by Zeus evil soldier Skeletron ( Edwin Wright ), he falls down underground and find a dead man, who looks like he could have been the real Turbo Rider. The Kid takes his clothes, and prepare himself to take Apple back. He locate Zeus hideout, but will only have Apple free if he fight against some chosen warriors of Zeus. Another prisoner, Frederic ( Aaron Jeffery ) is also forced to fight. The battle begins, and The Kid and Apple escape, surviving against Zeus soldiers. Zeus order Skeletron and his helpers to track them down and kill them. But The Kid have other plans, with the help of Apple. He is now known as Turbo Kid, and will make sure that Zeus will end his tyranny.

I feel like raising my arms into the sky and scream right out:- Yyyyeeeeaaaahhhhhhh

Why ? Because Turbo Kid is such a fun and great looking film, this is one of the best surprises of this year. There are so many things to be happy about when it comes to Turbo Kid. The visual style, the atmosphere, the post apocalyptic scenery, the costume designes, and most of all the really gory action scenes. You could say that this film is a mix of Cyborg with Jean-Claude Van Damme and BMX Bandits, with some influences from other classic films of the 80´s. It feels like being a kid all over again, riding my BMX bike, with a He-Man sword and my Rambo knife. This is one of the things i feel that Turbo Kid manage to do so well, bring back nostalgic feelings. This film includes some really cool synthesizer tunes, as the action kicks off with lots of blood and body parts. But hold on, there are more positive details worth mentioning. The acting from lead actors Munro Chambers and Laurence Leboeuf fit perfect together on screen, they really make their characters in the best possible way. Michael Ironside as the evil Zeus is also really good, and he knows how to act evil. This is actually his biggest strength from an acting perspective, that he can do evil characters, combining his unique look with a powerful performance. Turbo Kid is actually directed by 3 different directors, Francios Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann- Karl Whissell. They have all worked together on short films in the past, and this is their first feature film, directing all 3 of them. This is something unique actually, i can´t say i have heard of 3 directors working on one feature film. But the fisished project proves that this was a good effort. I love the fact that the film takes place in 1997, but looks like the early 80´s, and it looks nothing like 1997, a brilliant idea. Turbo Kid is a film that should be seen on screens worldwide, in every cinema possible, so a wider audience could enjoy this tribute to the classics we grew up with. Now, the film have not reached out as wide as i was hoping, but it is out now on dvd and blu ray in the UK, and will be released in Sweden in the end of november on dvd, so my suggestion is that you buy the film, and support this amazing experience. Times are changes, people move on to a new future, but sometimes it is nice to keep the 80´s alive, just for a good time. Turbo Kid should be on the list this year as one of the better releases. Its fun, looks really good and will make you jump like Tom Cruise did on the Oprah Winfrey show in her sofa. I can guarantee you that you will love this film, especially if you are a 46 year old virgin from Bergen, Norway, who get turned on by rubbing yourself against a bicycle.

I feel like dressing up like Turbo Kid right now, activate my laser arm gun, and track down the mormon planet Kolob with my BMX bike, you never know what comes out of their caves. 


Rating: DDDD