Review of Tank Girl (1995) by Nick N — 18 Nov 2018

Tank Girl. The oft maligned film helmed by a brilliant female director, Rachel Talalay (whom I've had the pleasure of meeting), and it's equally talented female lead, Lori Petty. Not to mention the then unknown Naomi Watts, and B-movie legend, Malcolm McDowell. This funk-tastic tongue-in-cheek romp is a beautiful piece of sarcastic art, worthy of much higher praise. From the wit and bluster of our protagonist, to the blissfully ignorant arrogance of the antagonist, you get an exciting and hilarious trek through a post-apocalyptic wasteland ripped straight out of the pages of the comic series that deservedly spawned the film.

I cannot count how often I quote the dialogue, with such lines as, "I'm not bedtime-story-lady, so pay attention." and,"I'll hit you so hard, your children will be born bruised!" Leads you a place of wickedly dark humour well derived from a woman struggling to survive and keep some shreds of her sanity while fighting against an enemy akin to The Empire. Complete with witless troopers and a taunting villain wielding *unique* abilities.

Despite, and because of its flaws, Tank Girl transcends common sense and evolves into a timeless piece to bring joy to all those who shirk normalcy in favour of the weird and kwirky.