Doom Runners
A 1997 Made for TV Movie from Showtime, though most of us know it from its broadcast on Nickelodeon. Set in a post-apocalyptic future of an uncertain time, the story follows teen a group of young people (siblings Jada and Adam, bad boy Deek, Magical Girl Lizzie, and ex-soldier Vike) who trek across the dangerous wastelands to find "New Eden" -- a place where the unpolluted Earth of yesteryear still exists. However, the must also contend with the evil Corporation led by Mad Scientist Dr. Kao and his minions the Doom Troopers.
Unfortunately for those of us looking for a nostalgia trip, the film is not available on DVD, but there are a number of VHS copies floating around.
Tropes used in Doom Runners include:
- Actor Allusion -- Tim Curry's line about "anticipation".
- After the End
- Badass Biker -- Deek, the teen pretty-boy equivalent
- The Big Guy -- Vike
- Bowdlerize -- A couple shots in the final scenes, of Dr. Kao trying in vain to crawl away from the poison gas, severely burned, only to die on the floor of the tunnel were cut from the Nickelodeon broadcast for (presumably) being too gruesome. This is actually a rare case where the bowdlerization makes it better, since the shots are not only completely unnecessary--we assume Kao's dead anyway--but also, being intercut with our heroes discovering New Eden, they provide some serious Mood Whiplash.
- Brainwash -- Dr. Kao's special talent
- Chewing the Scenery -- Any time Dr. Kao is mind-wiping someone.
- Cloudcuckoolander -- The denizens of Endgame, esp. Cesar
- Cool Old Guy -- William
- Crowning Moment of Heartwarming -- Cesar recognizing Vike from the old days.
- Heroic Sacrifice -- Vike
- Large Ham -- Tim Curry as Dr. Kao
- Mad Scientist -- Dr. Kao
- Magical Girl -- In an otherwise mostly realistic world, we have Lizzie, who can do crazy stuff with fire.
- Mega Corp -- The unnamed "corporation" seemingly responsible for all of the bad stuff that's gone down in the past however many years.
- Parental Bonus -- See Actor Allusion above.
- Road Movie
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism -- Firmly on the idealistic side, given its set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
- The Speechless -- Vike
- Title Drop -- In the final lines of narration.