Summary
- The Mad Max trilogy doesn't really get going until the second movie, The Road Warrior, which introduces the franchise's signature vehicular carnage and post-apocalyptic wasteland.
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome starts strong as a post-apocalyptic western, but takes a sharp turn downhill when it becomes a soft adaptation of Lord of the Flies with the Lost Boys from Peter Pan.
- The Mad Max movies have better action than storytelling, as the action set-pieces are impressive but the plotting that holds them together is threadbare and uninspired.
George Miller’s original Mad Max trilogy features some of the greatest action sequences in movie history, but there are some harsh realities that arise from rewatching these films in the modern day. The series began with Mad Max in 1979, a police thriller set in a dystopian near-future, before diving into a gonzo, surreal post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1981’s Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome concluded the trilogy in 1985 with an unexpectedly campy tale of bloodsport.
These movies – especially the first two – are often ranked among the finest action films ever made. Their high-octane set-pieces still hold up today, with mind-blowing stunts that put modern action movies to shame. But it’s not all roses to rewatch the Mad Max trilogy today. The original Mad Max doesn’t have the visceral thrills of its successor, The Road Warrior doesn’t have the eye-opening thematic focus of its predecessor, and there are countless issues with the overly Hollywood-ized Beyond Thunderdome.
10 The Mad Max Trilogy Doesn’t Really Get Going Until The Second Movie
The first Mad Max movie is a great dystopian thriller with some shocking twists and turns, but the Mad Max trilogy didn’t really find its identity until the second movie, The Road Warrior. The Road Warrior is a timeless gem that established Miller’s gonzo vision of a post-apocalyptic wasteland and introduced the franchise’s signature vehicular carnage with some of the greatest car chases ever shot. When audiences rewatch the original Mad Max trilogy, it gets off to a slow start with the first film before the sequels plunge them into the familiar wasteland.
9 Beyond Thunderdome Opens Strong But Quickly Goes Downhill
In its opening scenes, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a great post-apocalyptic western about a gunslinging drifter wandering into a lawless town to bring justice. The concept of the Thunderdome is a really fun idea that paves the way for the threequel’s greatest action scenes. But when the film morphs into a soft adaptation of Lord of the Flies with the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, it takes a sharp turn downhill. A once-promising action movie becomes a bitter disappointment in its second half.
8 The Road Warrior Has No Interest In The Consequences Of Violence
The Road Warrior is often called a superior sequel, because it’s a lot bigger, louder, and more action-packed than the first movie. Since it’s a more exciting action-adventure, The Road Warrior arguably is a better movie than the first Mad Max film. But it has no interest in exploring the consequences of violence, whereas the first movie was all about those consequences. The original Mad Max revolves around the devastating grief that Max feels after his family is murdered. The Road Warrior does nothing to expand on those themes; it’s pure spectacle.
7 Aunty Entity Steals The Show From Max In Beyond Thunderdome
Mel Gibson gives his most phoned-in performance as Max in Beyond Thunderdome. By that point, he’d become a major movie star and was a lot less committed to the role of Max than he had been in the past. Tina Turner steals the show from Gibson in the role of Aunty Entity, the ruthless leader of Bartertown. Turner brought her popstar flair to the glitz and glamor of the Aunty Entity character. She’s a mesmerizing screen presence who demands the audience’s attention (and takes that attention away from Max) whenever she’s on-screen.
6 The First Mad Max Is Overrated
The first Mad Max movie is hailed as a low-budget masterpiece and has been hugely influential among indie filmmakers who want to make their own action movies. But, revisiting it today, it’s clear that the movie is pretty overrated. It’s not a bad movie, but it’s not as profoundly brilliant as it’s made out to be. It barely has enough plot to stretch out into a feature-length runtime, and it moves at a painfully slow pace compared to its sequels (even the sluggish Beyond Thunderdome).
5 Bruce Spence’s Dual Casting Is Needlessly Confusing
Bruce Spence plays two different characters over the course of the Mad Max trilogy. He appeared as the Gyro Captain in The Road Warrior, then appeared as Jedediah the Pilot in Beyond Thunderdome. There’s no connection between these characters; they’re not said to be related in any way. It’s understandable that Miller had a good time working with Spence and wanted to cast him in another movie, but it’s just confusing to have the same actor playing two different roles in two consecutive sequels.
4 Beyond Thunderdome Is Too Lighthearted To Feel Like Mad Max
Tonally, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is out of step with its predecessors. The first two Mad Max movies are grimy, gritty thrillers with a real edge to them. There’s a sense of danger and darkness in those movies. By comparison, Beyond Thunderdome is a lot campier and comes off as way too lighthearted to feel like a true Mad Max movie. Thankfully, Miller course-corrected back to the familiar grittiness when he returned to the Mad Max universe to helm Fury Road.
3 The First Mad Max Is Just Setup For The Road Warrior
Not only is The Road Warrior a more exhilarating viewing experience than its predecessor; it essentially pays off all the setup from the first one. The first Mad Max movie is dedicated to setting up Max’s tragic backstory, and the backstory of the post-apocalyptic world seen in the sequels. It would be possible to start with The Road Warrior and be able to follow the story just fine. Everything that the audience needs to know from the original Mad Max is recapped much more succinctly in the sequels.
2 The Mad Max Movies Have Better Action Than Storytelling
Rewatching the original Mad Max trilogy, it becomes apparent that these movies have much better action than storytelling. The action set-pieces are a high-octane delight and contain some of the most impressive stunt work in movie history, but the plotting that holds those set-pieces together is threadbare and uninspired. Stunts and spectacle can only hold an audience’s attention for so long before they realize there’s barely any narrative momentum to back it up.
1 The Mad Max Trilogy “Went Hollywood” With Beyond Thunderdome
All three entries in the original Mad Max trilogy are Australian productions, but the third one feels more like an American production. The first movie was a major proponent of the Australian New Wave, which saw an increase in Australian cinema’s popularity in the United States. The Road Warrior bolstered that popularity with even grislier action and edgier storytelling. But Beyond Thunderdome is often criticized for “going Hollywood.” It’s the most Hollywood-ized Mad Max film by far, with a lighter tone, flashier visuals, and a bigger blockbuster scale.
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10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Original Mad Max Trilogy - Screen Rant
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