Discription
Turbo Kid (2015)
Summary:
Turbo Kid is a retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic dark comedy/action film set in an alternate 1997 wasteland. It follows an orphaned, comic book-obsessed teenager known only as "The Kid," who scavenges the desolate landscape on his BMX bike. After discovering a mysterious, powerful weapon and teaming up with a quirky, relentlessly optimistic girl named Apple and a tough arm-wrestling cowboy named Frederick, he must become the superhero "Turbo Kid" to defeat the sadistic overlord Zeus, who controls the region's scarce water supply.
Plot:
The film is set in a nuclear winter-ravaged wasteland in the post-apocalyptic year of 1997, where water is the most valuable commodity. The Kid (Munro Chambers), a lonely teenager, spends his days scavenging 80s and 90s relics and obsessing over his favorite comic book hero, Turbo Rider.
His solitary life is interrupted by Apple (Laurence Leboeuf), a mysterious, eccentric, and perpetually cheerful girl who aggressively attempts to befriend him. Despite his reluctance, they grow close.
The wasteland is ruled by the tyrannical and ultra-violent warlord Zeus (Michael Ironside), who uses a machine to "juice" captured victims into drinkable water. When Apple is kidnapped by Zeus's right-hand man, Skeletron (Edwin Wright), The Kid attempts a rescue. During his flight, he accidentally stumbles upon the remains of the original Turbo Rider and the hero's hi-tech suit, complete with a powerful wrist-mounted laser weapon (resembling a modified Nintendo Power Glove).
Armed with his new gear, The Kid becomes Turbo Kid and sets out to save Apple. He teams up with Frederick (Aaron Jeffery), a rugged arm-wrestling survivor and local folk hero who is also captured by Zeus's men.
During a gruesome battle in Zeus's arena, The Kid and Frederick discover a shocking truth: Apple is a robot, a "friendship model" who is immune to physical harm. She is severely damaged in the process of their escape but urges The Kid to find a robot graveyard for spare parts.
The Kid and Frederick ultimately return to Zeus's camp for a final, gore-filled confrontation. A flashback reveals that Zeus was the one who killed The Kid's parents for their water when he was a child. The final battle results in the brutal, over-the-top deaths of Zeus's forces and the exposure of the villain himself as a robotic corporate overlord. Though Turbo Kid manages to destroy Zeus, Apple sacrifices herself to save The Kid from the final explosion.
Afterward, The Kid buries Apple's body. Frederick, who has now fashioned a robotic hand, invites him to stay and help distribute the newly discovered water source, but The Kid, now a true hero, declines and rides off on his BMX bike to explore the rest of the wasteland.
Cast
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Munro Chambers as The Kid / Turbo Kid
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Laurence Leboeuf as Apple
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Michael Ironside as Zeus
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Aaron Jeffery as Frederick
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Edwin Wright as Skeletron
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Romano Orzari as Bagu (the junk dealer)
Crew
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Directors: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell (known collectively as RKSS)
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Screenplay by: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell
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Producers: Anne-Marie Gélinas, Ant Timpson, Benoît Beaulieu, Tim Riley
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Music by: Le Matos (Jean-Philippe Bernier, Jean-Nicolas Leupi)
Release Date
August 28, 2015 (United States - Limited/VOD)
Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2015
