Short Attention Span Review: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

I didn't remember this one too fondly before revisiting it this weekend.  In fairness, I only watched it once, and that was a very long time ago.  I was really hoping for The Road Warrior Part II when I slapped that VHS tape in the old VCR many moons ago.  And while there is a bit of that film's reckless abandon (and a gnarly chase sequence in the third act) in the mix and the big showdown inside Thunderdome is a spectacular piece of action filmmaking, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is also wildly different.  This is Mad Max for the family to some extent, placing our apocalyptic antihero to the forefront of a tale that you could almost put alongside something like The Goonies the next time you're feeling nostalgic and want to watch a couple of movies with the kids.  So there was no way I was going to enjoy this when I originally viewed it, but this weekend I was able to appreciate it a lot more.  Even if this look at the softer side of Max bit is a bit jarring in comparison to that which came before, it's executed to perfection and the story is nothing if not entertaining.  Tina Turner brings a lot of charm and energy to her role as the big bad and Mel is Max in so many ways.  It's perfect casting, to be sure, but I don't want to take anything away from Gibson, who was clearly invested in the part and did a splendid job of bringing this unique hero to life once again.  There's a different vibe to the proceedings and it may be that this particular Mad Max adventure is more whimsical than bleak.  We're definitely dealing with a different Max, a much warmer version of the character--though it's important to note that a warmer version of Max is still pretty damn rugged.  That's okay, it's a different landscape, deftly realized by virtuoso director George Miller and George Ogilvie.  It's a different sort of Mad Max film, but it works, and it is a lot of fun.  It may not be in the same league as The Road Warrior, which is an absolute classic, but the third pairing of Mel Gibson and George Miller makes for a quality motion picture.  Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome brought a great actor and a great director together again for yet another wild ride, one that's surely worth taking.

Final Grade: B

Related Blogs:
Mad Max: Fury Road vs. The Road Warrior
Short Attention Span Review - Mad Max: Fury Road

The showdown in Thunderdome is a battle for the ages that showcases
George Miller's amazing imagination and his equally impressive technical prowess.

Mad Max: Fury Road vs. The Road Warrior

 
I just posted a review of Mad Max: Fury Road.  I gave it a well-deserved A and I can't recommend it highly enough.  However, I do want to address two things.  I've heard a lot of people claiming that Fury Road is the best picture in George Miller's merrily insane post-apocalyptic series of movies and I've also heard people say that Tom Hardy makes for a better Max than Mel Gibson did. 

First off, the latest venture is surely the most energetic and the most violent film of the bunch, and it is truly a top-notch action flick.  However, in my humble opinion it isn't as good of a movie as The Road Warrior.  That 1981 gem is in my Top 10 and could actually be in my Top 5, and it has a bit more drama in the mix to go along with all the carnage.  It may not be nearly as spectacular, but I think it's a bit more fulfilling. 

Secondly, Tom Hardy is awesome and he did a great job as Max--but he isn't Mel.  Mel owned that part in a way that few performers own any role, and while I do think that Hardy was fantastic, he didn't quite match Mel's greatness.  In fairness, I think he did the best job that he could have possibly done, but the part wasn't as rich or as complex in Fury Road.  This new take on Max was also a bit more sympathetic.  For some reason, I've always felt that one of the most intriguing aspects of Mel's legendary work as the character in The Road Warrior was the fact that he is compelling in spite of the fact that he's a bit of a dick.  If you don't believe me, just ask the Gyro Captain.  Seriously, right up until the closing reel, there isn't a lot to like about Max, but we know his history and we understand that he's a product of his environment, so we root for him in spite of his icy demeanor. 

In short, I had a blast with Mad Max: Fury Road and I thought Tom Hardy rocked as Max.  It was a terrific action movie and if you haven't seen it yet, you need to remedy that.  Yet it wasn't as potent as The Road Warrior, which is not merely a great action movie, but a great movie in general.  And while Hardy rocked it, Mel was better.

Tom Hardy played the part well, but . . .

Mel Gibson is Mad Max.

Short Attention Span Review - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Believe the hype.  The latest film from the incredibly talented George Miller is an action movie unlike any other.  I was expecting big things from the newest Mad Max adventure, and I wasn't at all disappointed by this grand and chaotic film.  The picture is essentially one big chase and the delirious action that it delivers from start to finish is unlike anything you've ever seen before.  Moving at a breakneck pace and populated with wild characters and their twisted vehicles, the experience is a bit exhausting, but it is also 100% entertaining.  The score is ripe, the carnage is downright intoxicating, and I don't know what more we could possibly expect from a movie called Fury Road.  I was really keen on all the girl power that Miller inserted into the mix and the cinema goddess known as Charlize Theron totally killed it as Furiosa.  This movie belonged to her as much as it belonged to Tom Hardy as Max, and if she didn't outshine him, . . . well, we'll have to call it a draw.  Both were incredible and badass and as much as Miller's robust imagination is to thank for this maniacal blockbuster, it may well have faltered without the benefit of such an impeccable cast.  Nicholas Hoult was astounding, totally losing himself in the part of Nux, and it was great to see Hugh Keays-Byrne (he played the villainous Toecutter in the original Mad Max way back in 1979) as the heavy, a colorful and imposing lunatic called Immortan Joe.  While it may be a bit simplistic in terms of plot, Mad Max: Fury Road is as invigorating and bold as any movie that we've ever been blessed with.  If you're looking for a killer movie to blow your mind as the summer draws to a close, you need to take to take a spin with Mad Max and Furiosa.  Oh, and be sure to buckle up--it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Final Grade: A

Let's put it like this: if one were to refer to Mad Max: Fury Road as gleefully
over-the-top and excessively violent, that would definitely be an understatement.