History YMMV / TankGirl

* VindicatedByHistory: Critics weren't kind to the film during its release, with the consensus being that it's shallow, annoying, and far exceeds its ambition, with only a scant few highlights. However, [[CultClassic the film has endured with a cult fandom]], and starting from the mid-2010's, critical reevaluation has become a lot more favorable, with modern reviews still acknowledging that it's tremendously flawed, but with increased praise towards its [[TheApunkalypse apunkalyptic]] visuals, soundtrack, and gloriously silly acting, including Creator/LoriPetty's take on the titular character. One particular talking point is the fact that it's a surprisingly strong FeministFantasy -- Tank Girl [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl is unabashedly sex-positive]] and [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority antidisestablishmentarian]], subverts and laughs at several female stereotypes, dismantles many direct acts of misogynist villainy with carefree reverence, and is overall in control enough that she never feels like a "victim" even as she suffers -- with some critics arguing that [[ValuesResonance the film was ahead of its time in terms of depicting feminist-skewing Hollywood action of the 2010's and beyond]]. The most obvious comparison is ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', a much more critically and commercially successful [[TheApunkalypse apunkalypse]] action film with a similarly progressive slant.

* VindicatedByHistory: Critics weren't kind to the film during its release, with the consensus being that it's shallow, annoying, and far exceeds its ambition, with only a scant few highlights. However, [[CultClassic the film has endured with a cult fandom]], and starting from the mid-2010's, critical reevaluation has become a lot more favorable, with modern reviews still acknowledging that it's still tremendously flawed, but with increased praise towards its [[TheApunkalypse apunkalyptic]] visuals, soundtrack, and gloriously silly acting, including Creator/LoriPetty's take on the titular character. One particular talking point is the fact that it's a surprisingly strong FeministFantasy -- Tank Girl [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl is unabashedly sex-positive]] and [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority antidisestablishmentarian]], subverts and laughs at several female stereotypes, dismantles many direct acts of misogynist villainy with carefree reverence, and is overall in control enough that she never feels like a "victim" even as she suffers -- with some critics arguing that [[ValuesResonance the film was ahead of its time in terms of depicting feminist-skewing Hollywood action of the 2010's and beyond]]. The most obvious comparison is ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', a much more critically and commercially successful [[TheApunkalypse apunkalypse]] action film with a similarly progressive slant.

* VindicatedByHistory: Critics weren't kind to the film during its release, with the consensus being that it's shallow, annoying, and far exceeds its ambition, with only a scant few highlights. However, [[CultClassic the film has endured with a cult fandom]], and starting from the mid-2010's, critical reevaluation has become a lot more favorable, with modern reviews still acknowledging that it's still tremendously flawed, but with increased praise towards its [[TheApunkalypse apunkalyptic]] visuals, soundtrack, and gloriously silly acting, including Creator/LoriPetty's take on the titular character. One particular talking point is the fact that it's a surprisingly strong FeministFantasy -- Tank Girl [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl is unabashedly sex-positive]] and [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority antidisestablishmentarian]], subverts and laughs at several female stereotypes, dismantles many direct acts of misogynist villainy with carefree reverence, and is overall in control enough that she never feels like a "victim" even as she suffers -- with some critics arguing that [[ValuesResonance the film was ahead of its time in terms of depicting feminist-skewing Hollywood action of the 2010's and beyond]], with the most obvious comparison being the far more critically-successful [[TheApunkalypse apunkalypse]] action film ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad''.

* GuiltyPleasure: Nobody is going to call this movie a masterpiece, but there are plenty of viewers who are more forgiving of its glaring flaws and even feel that a lot of things about it either work better than most give them credit for or could have worked had the overall film been stronger.

* CompleteMonster: In this film based on the [[ComicBook/TankGirl comic]], [[BigBad Kesslee]] is [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the head of Water & Power]], a tyrannical MegaCorp holding a monopoly on a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]] world's water. Happily condemning the rest of the world's populace to die of thirst, Kesslee demonstrates his cruelty by [[BadBoss forcing]] a [[YouHaveFailedMe failed minion]] of his to walk on broken glass before sucking out all the water in his body and drinking it. Ordering a massacre of peaceful farmers for stealing water, Kesslee captures the two survivors-- Rebecca, the titular Tank Girl, and her young companion Sam-- and, fascinated by Rebecca's fighting prowess, begins to break her down through a series of [[ColdBloodedTorture sadistic, prolonged tortures]] to convince her to work for him. After a failed attempt to break into a Ripper hideout leaves him mortally wounded, Kesslee restyles himself as a cyborg--thanking the doctor who initially attempted to heal him by [[UngratefulBastard murdering her]]--Kesslee leads an attack on the Rippers' nightclub and threatens to drown Sam in front of Rebecca as one last ploy to control her. Establishing slave labor for his own benefit and allowing his guards free reign to commit more atrocities, Kesslee thoroughly proves himself the worst in a dog-eat-dog world.

* HilariousInHindsight: [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Ice-T's character claiming to be a cop in a previous life]].

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Franchise/MadMax'' fans, primarily because ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' shares many overlapping themes with this movie.

* HarsherInHindsight: A movie about the world becoming an apocalyptic wasteland as a result of running out of water seems a lot less fun in a more climate chance-conscious world, where one of the biggest concerns is the planet running out of fresh water.

* CargoShip: Tank Girl and her tank... and her alcohol.
** Hardly a ship... in one storyline she bears the tank's child, and with all the alcohol involved that encounter counts as a threesome.

* CrazyAwesome: Tank Girl and, ultimately, the entire comic in the eyes of its fans.

* GuiltyPleasure: Nobody is going to call this movie a masterpiece, but there are plenty of viewers who are more forgiving of it's glaring flaws and even feel that a lot of things about it either work better than most give them credit for or could have worked had the overall film been stronger.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uv-9mJCTkk The Girl U Want]], by {{Music/Devo}}.