Power-hungry megalomaniacs, a desolate world, anger, hate, violence, raw evil and no good in sight…
No, I’m not talking about the upcoming presidential race – I’m talking about the world of Mad Max.
In honor of the kickass release Mad Max: Fury Road, I’ve decided to watch all three preceding movies in a row – Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
I know, I know; I’m really falling on a grenade for all two of you reading this (Hi Dad!), but these movies were such a pivotal part of my childhood that I couldn’t resist.
Here’s the thing about this flick – post-apocalyptic movies were so big when I was a kid that it would be difficult to imagine my childhood without this genres real forefather – Mad Max. However, I’ll try not to look at the film with rose-colored glasses and be honest.
We’re all pretty aware of (Mad) Max Rockatansky and his background as a badass road warrior in a sweet Pursuit Special, but this is the film that gets everything started. Filmed more like a contemporary revenge flick, the audience is catapulted into the near future where the world is slightly falling apart and the police have a hard time controlling roving gangs of bikers.
Early in the film, Max (Mel Gibson) is shown as the best cop running a long strip of Australian highway. Using his skill and steel nerve, he stops and kills the escaped psychopath Nightrider (Vincent Gil). This causes the ire of Toe Cutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne), the leader of Nightrider’s motorcycle gang.
Toe Cutter eventually catches up to Max’s buddy and fellow cop Jim Goose (Steve Bisley) and sets him aflame. After Goose is… well, cooked, Max calls it a day and retires out of fear. He leaves the force with his wife Jessie (Joanne Samuel) and son Sprog (Brendan Heath) for greener pastures – only to be found later by Toe Cutter. Cutter eventually kills Jessie and little Sprog, which sends Max into a spiral of revenge.
Although a little long at times and it’s almost complete removal from the other films (save for the main character), this movie works only compared to the other films. You see, instead of Miller’s Mad Max world vision of a completely dystopian future with Mohawks and colorful vehicles, this really is the film that started it all. Max’s busted leg, his haunting visions, the foreshadowing of a world spiraling into chaos… it all starts here. You can almost say that this is the perfect prequel to the franchise – because it was shot as the first, there’s no need to go back further, and it fills you in on everything you need to know.
Mad Max: The Road Warrior
This is the Mad Max most people know – the badass with the sawed-off shotgun flying through the nuclear wasteland in his black Interceptor.
This film obviously takes place some time after the first, where the future is now the awful desert we all know and love. Max, basically just surviving and being awesome, strikes a deal with a little community of people in control of a gas refinery for fuel – help escape a group of desert bandits led by the The Humungus and he can have all the fuel he needs.
After watching this film for the thousandth time, I came to the realization that this is quite possibly one of the best, classic action movies ever. It does so well setting a tone, building a world, and blowing your face off with amazing action sequences that it still solidly holds up.
Now on to…
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
How this bloated monstrosity got made is beyond me. Well… in reality it’s quite obvious, money.
Anyway, Beyond Thunderdome was probably the limpest in the series – which is strange because the first half wasn’t too bad. I mean sure, the overacting from Tina Turner playing Aunty Entity was pretty awful, but the first half held to the theme of Mad Max.
… other than the fact there was no driving at all…
However, the second half where Max randomly runs into a group of feral kids a la Lord of the Flies.
Okay, before you guys jump down my throat, I get how Max is all *SOB* “These children are introducing me to humanity!” *SOB and all that; but, c’mon. This is MAD MAX! I came to see extreme violence!
Regardless of Beyond Thunderdome’s lame-ness, watching all three movies actually helped out with the viewing of the newest version that’s blowing up critic’s minds – Mad Max: Fury Road. Watching these films again made me realize that all of them have a strong connective tissue, not only with the character of Max but with the overall universe itself.
If you have the time I would definitely check them out.
Well, maybe not Beyond Thunderdome. With that movie, I subscribe to Lord Humongous’ catchphrase:
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| “Just walk away…!” |
Until next time…
