CTVA 215 Week 10 - Tank Girl (1995)

Sometimes the best way to watch a film is to just let it wash over you. Not necessarily turning your brain off, but meeting the film where it's at, accepting what it throws at you, and appreciating it for what it brings to the table. This is why, even with a fairly messy script with its fair share of pacing issues and very confusing moments, I absolutely loved Tank Girl. Once the first scene established the tone of the film perfectly, I was able to let myself just get immersed in the film and all its quirks. The film loves to take random detours, including an entire Cole Porter musical number that has 0 bearing on the plot, and I can dissect and criticize those scenes after the fact, but when I’m actually watching the out of nowhere unexplained Cole Porter musical number, I’m sorry, I can’t complain! I had an absolute blast with this film.

Tank Girl has so much going for it, especially Tank Girl herself. She’s a very likable, anti-authoritarian, Harley Quinn-esque character who’s the perfect protagonist for a setting as off the wall as the post-apocalyptic world this film takes place in. Her comedic personality allows me to not take the film super seriously yet still be invested in the story, if nothing else to see what she does next. The other aspect that kept me engaged and really let the film wash over me was Catherine Hardwicke’s expertly crafted production design. I love films that are full of practical sets and effects, and these aspects are expertly crafted, giving audiences a unique, distinct post-apocalyptic world that, as zany as it is, feels believable for the film. I’m very curious what I would think about this film on a rewatch. Will the plot and pacing issues end up dragging my experience down? Or will the masterful production work and the charm of Tank Girl herself make me an even bigger fan the second time? I’m not sure yet, but I know that after one watch I’m an avid Tank Girl defender.