Mad Max
Reviews
John Chard
Low budget classic that is now a genre landmark. Set somewhere in the future we are privy to a world where the roads are ruled by maniac gangs with souped up cars, and bikers that literally could come from hell. Trying to stop these marauding loons are the overstretched police force who themselves ride in exceptionally fast cars. At the front of this story is Max Rockatansky, a good honest cop trying to hold his own against the chaotic world that is forming around him. After his best friend is burned and left for dead he decides enough is enough and thinks about retiring from the service, but whilst on a vacation with his wife and child things go decidedly bad and Max becomes an avenging force of fury with devastating affect. When evaluating this film I feel it really needs to be put into perspective just how brilliant a job director George Miller did with next to no cash to work with, in fact Miller edited the film in his own bedroom just to emphasise the low-fi nature of the beast. The costumes are excellent, the cast are terrific, with Mel Gibson as Max particularly impressive, and here we have villains to truly fit the word villainous, but it's the stunts and chase sequences that makes this film a rich rewarding experience. The opening ten minutes alone are pure adrenalin pumping genius, but the film as a whole delivers a crash bang wallop punch that has often been imitated since its release, but rarely bettered, and although the heart of the film is a simple revenge story, it grabs your attention and delivers right to the corking finale, 8/10. Footnote: Region 2 Users should note that the bargain bucket Mad Max Trilogy flip pack set still contains the foolishly dubbed version of this film, incredibly stupid move from the American distributors.
talisencrw
Though I had only seen the previous installment, 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome', which I enjoyed whilst a great many people didn't, with the present sequel earning ten (!?) Oscar nominations, I wanted to catch up on things before seeing the new film at the Cineplex. I was very pleased with this early film in the post-apocalyptic movie category, and can see how and why both it and star Mel Gibson became so successful. Other than Kenneth Anger's experimental film, 'Scorpio Rising', I have never seen a work that so fetishes both cars and the ritual of dressing, either for driving or for war. It's very well directed and suspenseful for a first-timer in Miller, and I'm so glad he's still helming the films of the series 36 years later! All that one has to do to see How To and How Not To Continue a Fine Franchise is compare how both George Miller and George Lucas have done this century. It's sad that they were so short on funds that only Gibson could be fitted with real leather in the film--I think I can rightly assume that money isn't a problem anymore...
Gimly
Who'd have thought we'd still be talking about a $350,000 film, 40 years after it was made? And who'd have thought it would be in a positive way. _Mad Max_ was one of the most formative films ever released, and not only is **one of** my favourite films, but is chief inspiration to my **actual** favourite film of all time, Neil Marshall's _Doomsday_. _Final rating:★★★★½ - Ridiculously strong appeal. I can’t stop thinking about it._
JPV852
For whatever reason, never had seen the original and doesn't disappoint, some good action and gut wrenching scenes defying the rules of killing pets and kids, Mel Gibson is quite good in the role and look forward to checking out the sequels. **3.75/5**
CinemaSerf
It's not often that these dystopian scenarios ever leave the USA, so it's interesting that this one introduces us to the massive expanse of the Australian desert and to the young policeman "Max" (Mel Gibson). His job is pretty thankless - and perilous. He must patrol the remote countryside trying to protect what is left of civilisation from marauding motor cycle gangs who are constantly on the search for fuel - for themselves and for their machines. Things start to boil over when ruthless biker "Toe-cutter" (Hugh Keays-Byrne) avenges the death of his leader by killing just about everyone he can find - including the wife and child of the now incandescent "Max". What now ensues is a grittily told, quickly paced, tale of violence and vengeance with the erstwhile law officer abandoning any sense of decency he had clung onto and going all out to destroy his enemy. This film ought to be remembered for what it spawned, rather than what it offers by itself. Most of the acting is mediocre, as is the dialogue and after a while the brutality started, for me anyway, to lose potency and become almost comedic. This is certainly ninety minutes of cinema history, but it's really not very good.
r96sk
The action is stupendous, but the rest is a bit of a drag. When the attackers be attacking it's all great to watch, like I got a lot of entertainment from seeing Toecutter's gang do their thing; and vice-versa with the MFP, really. However, the film kinda goes through peaks and troughs in switching from the action to the more mundane and the latter parts did bore me a little. The characters of Max and Jessie do act noticeably dumb in bits too, I don't necessarily mind that as the whole movie is silly and all those onscreen chew the heck out of the scenery. But it does get a bit annoying to watch, I can't lie. I do like how much extra the characters act in general, though. The whole 90 minutes of <em>'Mad Max'</em> are over the top completely, but it does fit for the majority. I just wanted wall-to-wall overexuberant action, rather than that sprinkled amongst some fairly dull attempted storytelling. Still, I am looking forward to viewing the sequels/spin-offs, particularly those modern-day releases.
Movie Recommendation
Mad Max 21981-12-24Max Rockatansky returns as the heroic loner who drives the dusty roads of a postapocalyptic Australian Outback in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defendants of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by the charismatic Lord Humungus, a violent leader whose scruples are as barren as the surrounding landscape.More...
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome1985-06-29Mad Max becomes a pawn in a decadent oasis of a technological society, and when exiled, becomes the deliverer of a colony of children.More...
Star Trek2009-05-06The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.More...
Mad Max: Fury Road2015-05-13An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order.More...
19411979-12-14In the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, panic grips California, where a military officer leads a mob chasing a Japanese sub.More...
Body Heat1981-08-28During an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband.More...
Acts of Violence2018-01-12When his fiancee is kidnapped by human traffickers, Roman and his ex-military brothers set out to track her down and save her before it is too late. Along the way, Roman teams up with Avery, a cop investigating human trafficking and fighting the corrupt bureaucracy that has harmful intentions.More...
Black Knight2001-11-21Martin Lawrence plays Jamal, an employee in Medieval World amusement park. After nearly drowning in the moat, he awakens to find himself in 14th century England.More...
Lethal Weapon1987-03-06A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces.More...
Superman1978-12-14Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.More...
Superman II1980-12-12Three Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod team up with Lex Luthor to conquer Earth, forcing a depowered Superman to regain his strength and stop them.More...
Animal House1978-07-28At a 1962 College, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.More...
Weird Science1985-08-01Two unpopular teenagers, Gary and Wyatt, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to "create" a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, whose purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men.More...
Machete Kills2013-09-12Ex-Federale agent Machete is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man – he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.More...
The New Daughter2009-12-18John James is a writer; his wife has left him. He moves with his two middle-school children to an isolated house off a dirt road in South Carolina. The property has an Indian burial mound, which fascinates his daughter, Louisa, who's entering puberty.More...
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley2019-01-24With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.More...
I'm for the Hippopotamus1979-11-30In Africa, Slim and Tom don't like it when a German tyrant starts selling all of the African wildlife to Canadian zoos. Slim and Tom must teach this guy a lesson by beating the hell out of him and his gang.More...
Life Partners2014-12-05A 29-year-old lawyer and her lesbian best friend experience a dramatic shift in their longtime bond after one enters a serious relationship.More...
The Fly1958-07-16Industrialist François Delambre is called late at night by his sister-in-law, Helene, who tells him that she has just killed her husband. Reluctant at first, she eventually explains to the police that he invented a matter transportation apparatus and, while experimenting on himself, a fly entered the chamber.More...
Belleville Cop2018-10-17When a childhood friend from Miami gets killed after he comes to warn of encroaching drug gangs, Baaba moves to Miami and teams up with a local officer to bring down the criminals.More...
Similar Movies
Dragon Ball Z: The Hi...
1993-02-24It has been thirteen years since the Androids began their killing rampage and Son Gohan is the only person fighting back. He takes Bulma's son Trunks as a student and even gives his own life to save Trunks's. Now Trunks must figure out a way to change this apocalyptic futureBeloved
1998-10-16After Paul D. finds his old slave friend Sethe in Ohio and moves in with her and her daughter Denver, a strange girl comes along by the name of "Beloved". Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen...Steel Frontier
1995-03-28Set in a post-nuclear-holocaust future, this sci-fi western takes place in the frontier city of New Hope, the only place around with a working oil refinery. Ever since a megalomaniac general and his followers took over the place, life has been miserable. Then a stranger, a man-of-few-words, comes to town. A quick-drawing gunslinger, he first joins the conquerors. As time passes, however, it rapidly becomes apparent that he really sides with the townsfolk, and when the time is right, he leads them into a violent uprising.The Devil All the Tim...
2020-09-11In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters converge around young Arvin Russell as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family.The Shift
2021-07-10Many years ago tech giants lost control of AI robotic technology. By kidnapping and monitoring newborns, the Ai robots are now trying to master the one thing they have yet to understand… Creativity.Kaw
2007-04-07On the last working day of Sheriff Wayne, his small town is attacked by blood thirsty ravens that eat human flesh. Meanwhile his wife Cynthia visits a farm where a Mennonite family lives to say farewell to her friend Gretchen and discloses a dark secret about the origin of the fierce ravens.Sound of Freedom
2023-07-03The story of Tim Ballard, a former US government agent, who quits his job in order to devote his life to rescuing children from global sex traffickers.Kickboxer 3: The Art ...
1992-06-11Kick-box champion David Sloan arrives in Rio de Janeiro for an exhibition fight. He and mentor Xian take pity on Brazilian rascal Marcos Coasta, an urchin who offers guide services but routinely steals from tourists for himself and his older sister Isabella. David is shocked when he sees how his Argentinian opponent Marcelo needlessly abuses a courteous local sparing partner. That's the doing of his evil US manager, Lane. He has nasty plans to force David to cheat and runs a white slavery racket.Macabre
2009-10-08Six friends are captured and tortured by a murderous family after giving a ride home to a desperate stranger.Captured
2013-07-31The Bradley family mysteriously go missing on a trip along the Great Alpine Road in Victoria, Australia. An investigation uncovers evidence including camcorder footage and the empty family car. No member of the family has ever been found...World Gone Wild
1987-10-01In the nuclear ravaged wasteland of Earth 2087 water is as precious as life itself. The isolated Lost Wells outpost survived the holocaust and the inhabitants guard the source of their existence. Now an evil cult of renegades want control of their valuable water supply. And the villagers are no match for such brute military force. Only one man can help the stricken community - a mercenary living in a distance cannibal city. But even he, and his strange henchmen, may not be able to survive in the world gone wild.Logan's War: Bound by...
1998-11-01Chuck Norris stars as martial arts extraordinaire Jake Fallon, who, after the death of his brother and sister-in-law, adopts (and trains) his orphaned nephew. Logan (Eddie Cibrian, TV's Invasion). After fifteen years of careful instruction, Logan is determined to avenge his parents Death... And, he'll need Uncle Jake's help to do it.Cycle Vixens
1978-07-21Three Colorado girls decide to hop on their motorcycles and head to California. On the way they get mixed up in drugs, rape and stolen motorcycles.Tangled
2010-11-24Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.Mr. No Legs
1978-05-01A double amputee known as Mr. No Legs oversees a drug syndicate while cavorting around in his double shotgun-equipped wheelchair. When one of the syndicate's drug dealers accidentally kills his own girlfriend—whose brother is a cop—after she announces plans to leave him, the game is on to bury the evidence, protect the syndicate and evade the long arm of the law.Rampage
2009-09-27The boredom of small town life is eating Bill Williamson alive. Feeling constrained and claustrophobic in the meaningless drudgery of everyday life and helpless against overwhelming global dissolution, Bill begins a descent into madness. His shockingly violent plan will shake the very foundations of society by painting the streets red with blood.The Theta Girl
2017-10-13Gayce, a take-no-shit young woman, deals a hallucinogenic drug called "theta," facilitating an audience for her friends' all-girl rock band. When Gayce's friends are brutally murdered, she must solve the mystery behind the murders and protect herself from the killer. She discovers the connections between theta and the murders - and learns a terrifying truth. That the world -- indeed her whole reality -- is not as it seems.RED
2010-10-13After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe, crazy Marvin and wily Victoria to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission -- breaking into CIA headquarters.While the Children Sl...
2007-09-16A prosperous couple find the perfect live-in nanny but soon discover she intends to do her job to deadly perfection.Scum of the Earth
1974-07-01Newlyweds Helen and Paul are honeymooning in a Texas cabin when Paul is murdered by an unseen assailant. Fleeing into the woods, Helen is taken in by Odie Pickett and his impoverished hillbilly family, becoming trapped in their isolated shack while the killer is still on the loose and wreaking havoc.