I saw this movie when it first came out years ago, and loved it. But it seemed like I was the only one who did; the reviews in the paper trashed it, my friends hated it, and it was out of the theater before most folks ever got a chance to see it. Now it seems to be having something of a renaissance on video. Its reputation is growing, but there is still an awful lot of silly hatred for this film out there, and I think folks are really being unreasonable about it. Okay, so this is a silly movie. So what? It was supposed to be. It's just an action flick. Check out the page for Die Hard, for example. That film rates an 8.0, while this poor movie is stuck at 4.6. Why? Sure, Die Hard had better effects; it had a slightly larger budget, too. But Tank Girl is funnier, smarter (no, really, I mean it) and has far more interesting characters. Lori Petty is sexy and mad-funny. Neither film is high art but this one is simply more enjoyable (and I like both), so why the huge difference in ratings? It seems like the expectations for this film were higher than they should have been, maybe because the feminist theme (good women kicking evil men's butts) misled people into expecting a work of serious political or social intent. But if anyone thought that, they obviously knew nothing about the film or the story coming into it. In the first place, the movie was based on a COMIC BOOK, for goodness' sake. For that matter, the comic in question was basically a feminized and humorized version of The Road Warrior, not all that serious a motion picture in itself. Also, the casting of Malcolm McDowell as the villain should have provided a clue; he's the most reliable bad guy in Hollywood, because you always know exactly the character you're going to get out of him. The trailer, with all the crazy outfits, ridiculous kangaroo costumes, and zany one-liners shouldn't have misled anyone. Plus, why on Earth would expect Citizen Kane from a film called "Tank Girl" in the first place? This movie is exactly what you want for kicking back and enjoying an evening: a fast-paced, engaging bit of semi-sci-fi which, surprisingly, really does achieve a few genuinely beautiful moments, especially the dust-shower scene (to Portishead's "Roads"). Ignore all the cynics. This film is a blast. It's pure entertainment with a good cast and zany, silly story
it's the closest you'll ever get to a live-action Bugs Bunny cartoon. Just lay back and dig it. P.S. The soundtrack is fun, too.
