Series Review: Mad Max
Every once in a while, a movie franchise comes along that defines a genre. The Mad Max series was one of these. Even though it was really Road Warrior, the second film, that brought the now-familiar Mad Max world into the public eye, it all began with the self-titled film. These are a group of movies that I can watch over and over, particularly Road Warrior. And though they have their flaws and none of them is exactly perfect, if you’re looking to see some amazing post-apocalyptic, wasteland action, there are few movies that can even compare. It has become so ingrained as a cultural artifact, in fact, that they’re even putting together an open-world video game, some 27 years after the last installment of the franchise.
One of the strengths of the series as a whole is that all of them were directed by the same guy, George Miller. He managed to keep his vision alive throughout each film, telling a story that was personal to him. He even had a hand in some of the writing, particularly with the second film. They also had the advantage of bringing in a young Mel Gibson (back before he went insane) and creating the iconic character of Max. Today, I’ll attempt to break down why each of the films was a classic in its own right, along with some of the glaring weaknesses.
Mad Max (1979)
This is the one that started it all. The first film is about Max, a family man who happens to be one of the only honest cops in a world that has basically fallen into chaos. Gangs wander about the wastes and do pretty much whatever they please. Still, Max tries to fight them and bring at least some order and protection to the common man. We follow Max as he gets involved in one conflict after the other, loses his wife and child to a crazed motorcyclist and then finally takes his revenge. The cold cruelty that Max eventually descends into, coupled with his inherit honorable nature, define the character for future films and make him into one of the world’s most-liked anti-heroes.
The one thing about Mad Max that will become obvious to anyone who watches the entire series is that this one really looks to be a different setting. The general premise of the first flick is that law and order have decayed in the future. Once we reach Road Warrior, we have a setting that is a fully-fledged post-nuclear wasteland. It creates a slightly disjointed effect, but nothing that kills the series too much. Mad Max really revolves around the character and the rough world he lives in. The particulars of that world are incidental to the man and his strength. Still, I find Mad Max to be my least favorite of the series because of this slightly alternate setting.
Road Warrior (1981)
When Max comes back in Road Warrior, everything is completely screwed. Gangs control the wasteland, wandering about looking for gas to power the death machines they have turned their cars into. Without a vehicle to get around, you die in the desert wastes, so the control of fuel is paramount.
Enter one oil refinery and the fortress that has been constructed around it. A group of slightly less hostile people has moved in around the oil supply and must defend themselves against outside marauders. Max ends up finding one of their number dying in the wastes and brings him back to the complex in hopes of exchanging him for some fuel. But the deal goes sour and Max must continue to negotiate his services so that he can come out ahead. Meanwhile, the angry gang looms outside and tries to break in. A car chase/combat scene winds up the movie.
Road Warrior is, in my opinion, the far superior entry into this series. The atmosphere is truly bleak and things like costuming and make-up really add to the effect of a world gone down the toilet. It focuses mostly on action and does that exceptionally. The chase scene at the end is still one of my favorites of all time. Not to mention the iconic character of Humongous, the hockey mask wearing leader of the hostile gang.
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
The third installment of the series brings Max to a make-shift city in the desert, a place called Bartertown. It’s been long enough after the nuclear devastation that people have begun to reform cities, places to gather in safety and trade whatever they can. The leader of this town is Aunty Entity (played excellently by Tina Turner) and she’s not exactly a nice person. Seeing Max as a way to get rid of her chief rival for power, she bribes him into taking a trip into Thunderdome, where “two men enter, one man leaves”. The object of Aunty’s ire, a behemoth of a man that makes up one-half of the midget/giant tag team known as Master Blaster.
Max is successful in defeating the massive Blaster but, upon finding him to be a mentally challenged fellow, opts to refrain from killing him. Aunty is upset and sends Max into the wastes to die. Almost meeting his maker, Max gets rescued by a group of kids. They think that Max is some sort of messiah, a man that will lead them to the paradise of a proper city. So Max must return to Bartertown, deal with Aunty and rescue some of the more foolish kids. A grand escape ensues.
Beyond Thunderdome has one major flaw - George Miller only directed part of the film. Due to some personal things going on, he ended up doing the action sequences but nothing more. Another director took over for story and the lighter, more animated feel to the film is evidence. We lose some of the bleak wasteland that characterized Road Warrior, though we still get plenty of interesting and iconic characters. Not to mention more than a few timeless quotes - “Who runs Bartertown?” “Master Blaster runs Bartertown!” Though Beyond Thunderdome is fun to watch, its flavor is just as different as the first film in the series, albeit in a different creative direction.
Mad Max:
After many long years, George Miller has finally gotten back to doing another in this beloved series. He’s been seriously trying to get this thing done for more than two decades now, but many problems have set the timetable back again and again. The last time he was ready to do it, the war with
Mad Max poster courtesy of aintitcool.com
Beyond Thunderdome courtesy of blastr.com
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