Mad Max (film series)

MAD MAX (15)

D: George Miller

Warner Bros (Byron Kennedy)

Aus 1979

100 mins

Action/Thriller/Science Fiction

W: James McCausland & George Miller

DP: David Eggby

Ed: Tony Paterson & Cliff Hayes

Mus: Brian May

Mel Gibson (Max Rockatansky), Joanna Samuel (Jessie), Hugh Keays-Byrne (The Toecutter), Steve Bisley (Jim Goose)

During the dawn of an apocalyptic new age, a policeman seeks revenge on the motorcycle gang that murdered his wife and child.

Though much of the execution behind the vision has dated quite badly with its low-budget style, the idea itself was streets ahead of the time. Despite its low budget, the film was a huge box office hit, especially in its native Australia, and for nearly two decades, the film held the biggest budget/profit ratio worldwide.

Much of the film is build up towards a violently climactic ending which set up a further two sequels with Mel Gibson in the starring role.

7/10

MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (15)

D: George Miller

Warner Bros (Byron Kennedy)

Aus 1981

96 mins

Action/Science Fiction

W: Terry Hayes, George Miller & Brian Hannant

DP: Dean Semler

Ed: David Stiven, Tim Wellburn & Michael Chirgwin

Mus: Brian May

Mel Gibson (Max Rockatansky), Bruce Spence (The Gyro Captain), Vernon Wells (Wez), Emil Minty (The Feral Kid), Michael Preston (Pappagallo)

A former policeman turned drifter becomes involved in a war over petrol between what remains of the old police forces and a violent gang of bikers.

A continuation of events from the first film, with a more expensive budget making for a much wider scope, bigger stunts and more explosive action scenes.

There aren't many sequels which better the original film, but this was one of them. In fact, it was the best of the entire series until Mad Max: Fury Road emerged in 2015.

7/10

Mel Gibson in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME (15)

D: George Miller

Warner Bros (George Miller)

Aus 1985

106 mins

Action/Adventure/Science Fiction

W: Terry Hayes & George Miller

DP: Dean Semler

Ed: Richard Francis-Bruce

Mus: Maurice Jarre

PD: Graham Walker

Mel Gibson (Max Rockatansky), Tina Turner (Aunty Entity), Bruce Spence (Jebediah), Angelo Rossito (Master), Frank Thring (The Collector), Adam Cockburn (Jebediah, Jr.)

The weakest of the Mad Max films sees the policeman turned drifter arrive in a desert town ruled by a ruthless woman.

Though the vision is continued from the previous two films, the storyline here is much weaker. Tina Turner vamps slightly in her supporting role, but provides some pretty good songs for the film soundtrack (most notably "We Don't Need Another Hero").

5/10

Mel Gibson in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (15)

D: George Miller

Warner/Village Roadshow (Doug Mitchell, George Miller & P. J. Voeten)

US/Aus 2015

120 mins

Action/Adventure/Science Fiction

W: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy & Nico Lathouris

DP: John Seale

Ed: Margaret Sixel

Mus: Junkie XL

PD: Colin Gibson

Cos: Jenny Beavan

Tom Hardy (Max Rockatansky), Charlize Theron (Imperator Furiosa), Nicholas Hoult (Nux), Hugh Keays-Byrne (Immortan Joe), Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley (The Splendid Angharad), Riley Keough (Capable), Zoë Kravitz (Toast the Knowing), Abbey Lee (The Dag)

Though Hollywood output has become far too overshadowed with sequels, remakes, reboots and re-imaginations in recent years, Mad Max is a film series which probably needed a makeover, with a new age of computer-generated visual effects able to portray the futuristic world much better than what could be afforded in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Unclear whether the film is a sequel to the Mel Gibson trilogy or a remake of the second movie (The Road Warrior), it's fair to say it could be neither, simply presenting the vision to a new generation with a new cast of actors.

As for the story, it's practically a series of car chases and a flurry of action sequences as a rebellious woman (Furiosa - Charlize Theron) drives across the desert wastelands of a post-apocalyptic Australia with a trio of gangs in hot pursuit. Coming to her aid is Max (Tom Hardy), once a cop, but now a drifter whose only means is to survive in this new world. He escapes from being a hood ornament for one of the pursuing gangs and assists Furiosa in smuggling a group of women to safety and away from their husband, a tyrannical leader who controls the water supply of the new world.

Though the story isn't going to win any awards, the visuals are brilliantly conceived. It's not really any better or worse than the original trilogy, but this is clearly what director George Miller would have wanted to make back in the early 1980's had the budget and technology been at his disposal, and also manages to be quite allegorical with the conflicts in the Middle East.

This will whet the appetite for anyone craving a decent action movie, hitting full throttle early on and not once stopping to hit the brakes.

8/10

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (15)

D: George Miller

Warner Bros / Domain (Doug Mitchell & George Miller)

Australia/US 🇦🇺🇺🇸 2024

148 mins

Action/Adventure/Science Fiction

W: George Miller & Nico Lathouris [based on characters created by George Miller, Nico Lathouris & Byron Kennedy]

DP: Simon Duggan

Ed: Margaret Sixel & Eliot Knapman

Mus: Tom Holkenborg

PD: Colin Gibson

Cos: Jenny Beavan

Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa), Alyla Browne (Young Furiosa), Chris Hemsworth (Dementus), Tom Burke (Praetorian Jack), Lachy Hulme (Immortan Joe), John Howard (The People Eater)

A Mad Max film that didn’t feature Mad Max didn’t endear itself to the fans who turned out in their droves for 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, which is a huge shame, as this origin tale of the Furiosa character makes for an entertaining watch and certainly didn’t deserve to be a box office flop.

The film opens with Furiosa as a young girl, abducted by a biker gang who roam the post-apocalyptic landscape under the leadership of warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), who craves even more power and flexes his muscles before dictator Immortan Joe, who has a stronghold on all the water and oil. Dementus subsequently takes over “Gastown”, and as part of negotiations, Furiosa is sold to Immortan Joe.

Some years later, an older Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) vows revenge on the man who took her from her home and murdered her mother, a journey which takes her onto the opening events of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Whilst part of me thinks that this is a film that doesn’t really need to exist and the mystery of the Furiosa character was one of Fury Road’s strengths, this certainly isn’t a cash grab sequel and George Miller helms it with the respect it deserves, just as he did with the first four films. Anya Taylor-Joy does a fine job in the lead, though her performance is overshadowed by the really impressive Alyla Browne, who plays the character as a young child.

If I was to nitpick, it would only be to say that the visual effects in the 2015 film were far more impressive, but the scale of that film was also larger. For the most part, all the production values here are very good, especially with the set design, costumes and makeup, the latter of which may have had a chance for an Oscar nomination were it not for Chris Hemsworth’s needless prosthetic nose.

It’s nowhere near the same area as Mad Max: Fury Road, but it’s still an exciting journey.

7/10