TANK GIRL
A film review by Sue Roberts
Copyright 1995 Sue Roberts
Directed by Rachel Talalay Starring Lori Petty, Naomi Watts, Ice T, Malcolm McDowell, Don Harvey.
How can one comment seriously on a movie with origins in a joke? Well, I loved all the animation. This is the first movie I can recall with the guts to put cartoon sequences in the frame to function as an oddball narration. It's also a really neat move, as no matter how vulgar Tank Girl attempts to be; she cannot possibly be as crass as her creators intended.
So why else is this one different from all the other "Wham Bam" movies of the decade? Gosh, could it be, heaven help us, a woman's point of view on the genre? Now there's a novelty!
And wow, does Rachel Talalay let the cat out of the bag! All that stuff in action movies that women find enjoyable, but incomprehensible (like plots that defy logic, or men who behave like pack animals) is sent up with wild abandon. I especially liked the tank that responds like "man's best friend."
However, she goes one step further into the realms of true comedy. Lori Petty and Naomi Watts are used to set up all manner of skittles of subconscious female paranoia, ranging from "Oh no, is my date going to think they're gay?" to "You need to be really Glam to feature on a calendar."
Each of these is knocked flying with consummate silliness. They win!
You just can't help SMILING.
Sue Roberts chrisrob@cix.compulink.co.uk
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