Tank Girl

Marvel and DC movies’ multi-billion dollar success makes it nigh impossible to think of a time when comic book movies didn’t rule the roost. However, it wasn’t all that long ago when comic book movies were either campy or high-risk gambles. I’m talking of the 90s.

Yes, The Dark Knight was steadily answering the bat signal during that time. I think we can all admit that as the decade went along, the franchise’s campiness increased exponentially. I love campiness, and Batman has been no stranger to camp. But, I admit, Batman Forever and especially Batman and Robin brought the franchise into a whole new level. A level audiences could have done without.

But I’m not here to talk about Batman. Today, I’m going to talk about a lesser-known comic book movie.

Tank Girl. Based upon the work of Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, Tank Girl hit the big screen in 1995. Lori Petty stars as the titular heroine alongside Malcolm McDowell as Kesslee, the ubiquitous bad guy. Ice-T, a then little known Naomi Watts, Ann Cusack, and Jeff Kober, support our hero on her mission.

From a financial standpoint, this film can only be labeled a box office bomb, bringing in only 6 million with a 25 million dollar budget. These figures, no doubt, helped along the belief female-led comic book movies don’t make money. If we’re looking for something positive to say about 2020, at least that myth doesn’t hold water anymore. Well, it doesn’t hold as much water as it did.

In Tank Girl’s defense, putting out a movie with that kind of budget in March was a bonehead move. Even with the film targeting an older audience with its R rating. But then again, the release date shows the lack of confidence in the movie to begin with. Which is unfortunate since they had a diamond in the rough.

Tank Girl isn’t a typical hero. I think that statement would be true even if the character was a man. Just about every hero story begins with an insecure fledgling trying to find his or her way. That’s not Rebecca Buckler. She is already in possession of herself and her goals. Which are modest: find water, stay away from the Rippers, avoid the domineering overlords, and find that perfect birthday gift for the boyfriend in a post-apocalyptic world. All the same, she has a targeted direction in life and is contented.

Tank Girl is very much a contraction in terms. She is pragmatic, stripping the corpse she finds of all of its useful resources without sentimentality. Yet, she has protected a Doris Day autograph through an apocalypse of all the possessions to keep with her. In a world where resources are sparse, she snips at her tights, which would help retain body heat, in the name of realizing a fantasy with her boyfriend.

It’s this self-possession that makes her unique, not just in the comic book movie genre, but in any film genre. Even Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel lacked the same level of self-confidence right out of the gate. She did not have to come into her power on screen. Rebecca already had it. If Tank Girl was given a pair of Ruby slippers, she wouldn’t have had to go down the yellow brick road. She would have been able to click those bad boys three times, find herself home, sweet home with spare time to buy a bustier or gun clip to match.

I’d hazard a guess that it’s also part of the lack of confidence the studio showed in this movie. Studio schmoodio. Their lack of faith is still disturbing. But her innate confidence wasn’t the biggest reservation. I’ll get to that in a bit.

We wouldn’t have a movie if Rebecca’s life didn’t get flipped upside down, though. Those pesky overlords had to go and mess up the great scene she had going. Motivation enters stage right.

In this, too, the storyline differs from traditional fare. If you’re reading this without first seeing the movie, well beware, spoilers are about to crop up. Also, you’d probably hazard a guess and say that Malcolm McDowell’s hit squad snapped up Tank Girl’s beau. No, her motivation was not inspired by the need to reclaim her love interest. He sadly doesn’t make it out of the exposition. Tank Girl’s ultimate goal is to rescue her plucky protege, Sam.

This rabbit hole brings us to what I think is the biggest reason Tank Girl didn’t inspire much confidence from the studio releasing it. Malcolm McDowell puts in a solid performance as a megalomaniac. His second in command and other lackeys though…they are a different story.

His second in command, Sgt. Small is a horse of a different color. The man exudes sleaze. Interestingly, he is a sexual predictor who will take no for an answer. There is an insinuation that it’s only a matter of time, but it’s not backed up by any real action. Naomi Watts’ character, even at her most introverted and intimidated, can spurn his advances. But that’s probably more to do with the film rating more than anything else.

Outside of the scenes with Naomi Watts, he doesn’t improve any. Sgt. Small is a clown wound up by Tank Girl’s sarcasm and wit, making his name ever so apropos. He is inept in every way. In the end, the character appears more akin to the man Maya Rudolph’s character hoodwinks in Idiocracy than anything else. Small and his band of merry men exist in the movie to display a hyper realized version of masculinity.

This dunce-like portrayal of man probably turned off executives like no other aspect of the film. And is perhaps the reason it’s become the cult classic it is.

How many other movies are you going to find with a witty, sarcastic lead with a mind to go after what she wants? And one with such a killer wardrobe?

I can’t think of many. Certainly not any that would be universally accepted as a valid candidate. Perhaps Pretty Woman. Totally different situations. Not to mention someone could make an easy argument that the film oversimplifies and glorifies sex work. But I digress.

Tank Girl was far, far ahead of its time. It honestly doesn’t get the credit it really deserves. The praise garnered by Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman says there has been an eagerly awaiting audience for female-led vehicles. If more attention had been given to Tank Girl back then, maybe those movies would have been released sooner. Perhaps a woman lead wouldn’t be as shocking in the context of action and comic book movies as it still is.

So, in short, if you haven’t seen this, give it a try.