Tank Girl is leaving Netflix and I hope you care. If you’ve yet to witness the glory that is this post-apocalyptic film for whatever reason…then stop what you’re doing, go turn on Netflix and watch it now. Leaving our streaming best friend on June 1st, Tank Girl was something too cool for people to fully understand, especially those unfamiliar with the comics.
Some people tend to hate on this film, which is something I hadn’t realized until recently. Lori Petty is considered a bad choice and the plot is apparently static. First things first: individuality plays an important role in something as badass and audacious as Tank Girl, and if we conform to the idea that she should be portrayed by someone less unprecedented than Lori Petty’s adaptation, we destroy an important piece of Tank Girl’s character and what she represents.
Do you think some random chick that totally blends in with everyone around her is going to overcome and evade death when the world meets the apocalypse, then be a courageous leader of a family who steals water from the government (played by Malcolm McDowell BTW)?? No. She will die and the one that talks funny and has the perverse attitude will try to save the rest, but can only do so much.
Anyways, here’s six reasons you HAVE to watch Tank Girl before it leaves Netflix May 31st.
1. There’s some similarities between it and Mad Max: Fury Road
I’m not saying it’s exactly the same or just as entertaining, but there are elements that match up. There’s some level of influence, and if it’s not a matter of influence then I will use the whole “if you liked THAT then you’ll loooove THIS” marketing technique.
Come on, you know you loved Charlize Theron dominate the patriarch alongside some badass women (who even did their own stunts!). Lori Petty gives us this badass performance with Naomi Watts as Jet Girl…then some kangaroo people join (we’ll get to that) and it’s just all the crazy nonsense you love about this category of cinema. So set aside some of those same finicky standards that disappear when you watch Mad Max and accept that this is the same type of crazy. We even see the same abuse of power wherein one man owns all of the water, letting the world have it at his own discretion (a fear that was prevalent even before our current drought). So, that’s a relevant argument that I don’t think I should have to argue beyond..but I will.
2. Kangaroo Mutants
Seriously. We’re not kidding. Tank Girl meets up with these freakishly awesome kangaroo mutant people, led by Ice-T as the main kangaroo mutant person. They all dance and it even gets romantic, creepily enough, but again, LET THAT SENSE OF REALITY GO and just enjoy all of the psychotic turmoil. The movie takes a fantastical turn at this point, but once you accept that this is what happens in some perceptions of the future, then you’ll hope that one day you can fight the forces of evil with a kangaroo-man that looks and sounds like rap legend Ice-T.
3. The soundtrack is delicious
Sometimes music can make all the difference in the viewing process of a movie. Courtney Love was behind compiling the maddening delightful soundtrack which features Devo, Joan Jett, L7, Bjork, Ice-T and way more. Soundtrack and score play such a vital component to a film’s conveyed emotions, and this one enhances the film just as you’d hope it would.
4. Tank Girl has the BEST hair
So there’s clearly some manipulation-or trickery with hair extensions for some of these hairdos-but that doesn’t mean they’re any less awesome. Again, all of these play into Tank Girl’s uniqueness and show a side of rebellion, which only makes her even cooler. She goes beyond having a shaved head, proving she can still have a feminine hairstyle with any haircut. Tank Girl does what she wants and we should all aspire to have the guts to rock a shaved head.
5. Malcolm McDowell
Who doesn’t love this dude? He’s wicked and…well he’s in this! He’s the king who owns all of the water and consequently, the people. It’s a cheesy role but so is the entire movie so deal with it.
6. Really, who hasn’t seen Tank Girl?
Don’t be the person sitting at the table not being able to contribute to the conversation because you don’t know how to relate. They’re all talking about the oddly placed transitions between animated-comic book Tank Girl and the live action Lori Petty, and you have to pretend you’re too busy staring at your phone to have anything to say, when really, you just have no idea what they’re talking about and know that that is a pool you’d simply drown in. Don’t be that person.
Watch it.
