The Road Warrior

Rating:
Summary: Quite possiby the best action flick ever made.
Review: I have to say I hade my doubts before I saw this movie. But then after Isaw it I was blown away. The action scenes are awsome and as the last guy said one of the best movies for guys ever. Buy this at all costs. (I also recomend Mad Max and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.)

Rating:
Summary: The Mad Max sequel turns out to be a classic Western
Review: There was a period when I would tell people that the last decent Western I saw was "The Road Warrior" (nee "Mad Max II"). I am sure there were other decent Westerns in between "Once Upon a Time in the West" and "Dances With Wolves," but that would take research and the whole point of the comment was that "The Road Warrior" has the sensibilities of a classic Western. There have been attempts to turn Westerns into Science Fiction, but just because you put "High Noon" in outer space as they did in "Outland" does not mean that it has the soul of a Western. Films such as that are reduced to gimmicks, and you do not have the sort of resonance you get by, say, updating Shakespeare (e.g., Orson Welles and John Houseman doing "Julius Caesar" in the 1930s in a fascist setting).

What I find most fascinating is that director George Miller is able to extend what he created in 1979's "Mad Max" into the post-apocalyptical world of this 1981 sequel (continued in 1985's "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" but not to be followed by the planned 2005 film "Mad Max: Fury Road"). The film opens with an explanation of what happened, which also works in scenes from the original "Mad Max." Basically, we had Mel Gibson back as "Mad" Max Rockatansky, but now civilization has collapsed. We assume Max is no longer a cop because there are no longer any cops (or he is in the wasteland of Australia where cops no longer dare venture). In the first film Max is motivated by revenge as he pays back the bikers who destroyed his family, but this time his only concern is survival, which means finding petrol to keep his car going (not that he has any where to go). But the key thing here is that in this New West just think "gas" instead of "gold."

Max and his dog are wandering the wasteland in his black V8 interceptor and after an initial encounter with one of the gangs that roam the area, he stumbles upon the Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence), so named because he has a small gyrocopter. When he finds out Max is after fuel the Gyro Captain leads him to an oil refinery being besieged by what has to be the most powerful outlaw gang in the area, led by The Humungus (Kjell Nilsson), whose hockey mask predates Jason Voorhees by several years and who is announced by his Toadie as "The Ayatollah Of Rock-And-Rolla"! Inside the fortified refinery is a group that is trying to preserve civilization, but Max could care less. They have a tanker that they are filling with petrol and that is all that matters to our hero, who is busy playing up the big anti-hero chip on his shoulder at this point.

The plot has to do with how Max eventually comes to play the requisite role of the hero, but what makes this film memorable are the action sequences. The temptation is to describe the main ones as "car chases," but when you see these you are not thinking Steve McQueen in "Bullit." Instead your are thinking of John Wayne in the original "Stagecoach." In other words, what would Indians chasing cowboys be like if they all were driving souped up desert buggies. Yet even with all the hot rods and tankers this one is going to come down to Max against Wes (Vernon Wells), The Hummungus' right-hand attack dog, who wears a big Mohawk, keeps a young blonde guy on a chain behind him on his chopper, and is as strong and as athletic as he is psychotic. Actually, Wes upstages The Hummungus as the film's villain. Then there is Emil Minty as The Feral Kid, who must have a fascinating back-story somewhere in the recesses of Miller's mind, and Virginia Hey, the future Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan on "Farscape," as the Warrior Woman.

The leader of the people dressed in white, Pappagallo (Mike Preston), wants to use the petrol to start a new life up north (I would head for the Great Barrier Reef for the fish, but what do I know about survival?). Implicit in that goal is the notion of what sort of new world can be created from the ruins of the old one, and while that is the pot at the end of the rainbow for "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" as well, it is not a real concern. This film comes down to the action sequences, and there is a sense in which the entire plot is simply an excuse to put these characters in crazy looking vehicles and tear on down the ribbon of highway at high speeds. However, a lot of people who have enjoyed "The Road Warrior" have not minded. Wes is an unforgettable villain, there are other quirky characters, and the crashes are pretty spectacular, especially since this is the old days and none of this is CGI. When it comes to films where they put the pedal to the metal, this one is hard to beat.

Rating:
Summary: One of the all time best action movies ever
Review: This movie, the second in the Mad Max trilogy, is easily the best of the three. Visually, it's very distinctive. The first movie showed a society breaking down in the post apocalyptic world. By this movie, it's broken down. The first movie showed the immediate aftermath. There were still working phones, power lines, people trying to go on with their normal lives, etc. There was even a police force, of which Max was a member, trying to maintain order. Now, society has descended into complete anarchy. Civilization's infrastructure has broken down completely. In the first movie you saw shops, service stations, hospitals. Now you see people scavenging in a wrecked world. Max's car is no longer a gleaming black vehicle, but a delapidated, dirty old beater, its engine still in top shape, but its interior stripped, and its body covered in dust, battered and old. Max's leather police uniform is no longer immaculate, but torn and patched. Visually, this movie set a new standard, and like "Star Wars" and "Blade Runner", changed the way movies in its genre were made. Even the setting works in telling the story. Where the first film featured country with trees and green grass, this movie is set in a blasted desert, further accentuating the sense of collapse.

And this movie's quality doesn't end with the visuals. It has a great, exciting story, very reminiscent of the pulp adventures of old. It's hero, a wanderer, a uniquely skilled and deadly loner, is a mythic archetype. The actors are all perfectly cast. Mel Gibson, with only a few lines of dialogue, turns in a compelling, emotional performance, showing the transformation from the happy, loving husband and father of the first film, to the wounded, burnt out shell of a man seen here. In this film, Max is a tough, fang-scarred old wolf, who has absolutely nothing to live for, but whose survival instinct, combined with his toughness and resourcefulness, just won't let him quit.

The other characters in this movie are also unique and memorable. Bruce Spence's gyro captain is a likeable opportunist. Mike Preston's Papagallo is the determined, idealistic leader, in over his head, but trying his best. Vernon Wells makes a great, flamboyant villain. And Kjell Nilsson is the Humungus, whose face we never see; leader of a vicious band of trash, whose hulking physique, and savage followers seem at odds with his articulate speech, and ostensibly conciliatory manner. The story and characters elevate this movie over the host of low budget imitators that followed. But the film is not short on action either. And George Miller was a gifted director who put to film what remain the best car chase scenes ever shot, right down to this day. Action lovers will find plenty of excitement with this movie. It's a terrible shame the third film wasn't very good, as it killed the prospects of a long running series. This is sad because Max, wandering lone wolf that he is, is a character who, like James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, or the Conan of the old pulp magazines is eminently suitable to a series of adventures.

Rating:
Summary: the black interceptor and the sawed off shotgun was tight
Review: The summer of '82 I remember it well. "E.T", "Wrath of Khan", "Poltergeist", "Blade Runner", "Annie"(heh-heh). Why is it that this turbo charged import from down under has more resonance for me than these high-profile domestic releases? I did see the original "Mad Max" on it's initial release in 1980. It was a huge international success while it was a cult favorite here in the States. I remember first hearing of "The Road Warrior"(or "Mad Max 2" as it was known outside North America) in a long piece in Time magazine in the spring of '82. Time's critic hailed it as "Apocalypse!Pow!" and went on to rave about the film's virtues. Later in the year he put it on the list of the ten best films which was no small feat. I finally got around to seeing this film in August of that year as the bigger releases were winding down their runs. To say I was blown away is an understatement. "The Road Warrior" had energy and imagination to burn. Director George Miller did with a fraction of the budget what other director's with bigger largesse could only dream of. The film's basic premise, a group of post-apocalyptic survivors holed up in an oil refinery while rampaging hoards of leather-clad hoodlums hover outside looking for the smallest fissure to crack this fortress and take the "juice" is a compelling one. The exodus of this band from the Outback to the promised land while the marauders attempt to hi-jack their trucks is viscerally exciting. Throw in a burned-out mercenary anti-hero, Max(Mel Gibson), and you've got a classic on your hands. One can marvel at this film and say that Miller has created an original work but his influences are subtle. I can see him paying homage to Ford, Leone, and Kurasawa here. What also distinguishes this film are the rich characterizations. Aside from Gibson whose star was starting to grow with this film memorable performances are turned in by Bruce Spence as the Gyro Captain and young Emil Minty as the Feral Kid. This film is generally hailed as an action classic but I say it's classic,period.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best action movies ever made.
Review: After a brief prologue that details the events that led to a Nuclear War and the high points of the first film, the action begins and essentially doesn't end for an hour and a half, featuring one great chase scene after another.

It's funny, Waterworld used almost the exact same plot except on water and it was a very poor movie, whereas this is a very good movie. A lot of that can be attributed to the acting of Mel Gibson as the taciturn loner Max, and Director George Miller, with his flair for car chases. The plot is simple: Max is a haunted loner who drives perpetually through the outback of Australia. He comes across a refining station, defending their oil agaisnt hordes of marauders led by the Humongous. These marauders are, for lack of a better word, rather gay. The same trend existed in the first Max film, and why George Miller must make his villains homosexual is beyond me. Perhaps he thinks the audience will hate them more if they are sexual deviants. However, this is the only flaw (aside from un-neccesary and sometimes grating sped-up footage) in the film.
In any event, the defenders of the refinery need someone to find a rig capable of towing their gasoline tanker, and ultimately drive it. Max is eventually enlisted in both tasks.

This film is a visual feast, with flame-throwers and razor-boomerangs, colorful characters, lots of crashes and explosions, sweet cars and great car chases. Up there with Aliens for best action movies ever made. 8/10

Rating:
Summary: The Best Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland Film Ever Made
Review: George Miller's sequel to the Australian hit film 'Mad Max' takes us to the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Australian Outback where our hero must choose between defending the last shreds of civilized life or plunge himself into the depraved depths of anarchy.

Although the opening scene in this film starts off where the first one ended, there isn't much continuity between the two films. The first film is set in a rather civilized setting where Mad Max is exacting revenge on an average biker gang that killed his family. In the 'Road Warrior' there are no towns or any signs of civilized life other than a small group of squatters holding an isolated oil well and refinery. The settlers are continuously besieged by hordes of punks/anarchists on bikes and muscle cars who want the installation as a criminal base of operation. Although at first coming to the settlers as an opportunist only looking for gas, Mad Max find his humanity and helps the settlers free themselves from their attackers.

This is a great post-apocalyptic film with some of the best car chases ever put on film. A fast-paced plot with a good script keeps the audience on the edge of their seats until the final showdown. A great film to own and watch many times.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest action movie of all time. No debate needed.
Review: Before Mel Gibson became such an immense Hollywood icon that he could make a film of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on his own, he was an Australian movie star who made a number of that fantastic film nation's best movies...and none of them were bigger or better than "Mad Max 2", released as "The Road Warrior" in a North American market that (save for a few raving cult film devotees like myself) generally never knew there was a "Mad Max 1".

George Miller and Byron Kennedy have reinterpreted the American Western in a fashion similar (though hardly as literal) to that of Sergio Leone's own "Spaghetti Western" visions and Akira Kurosawa's samurai epics...and Mel Gibson (as "Max", of course) wraps himself in the Clint Eastwood/Toshiro Mifune anti-hero cloak as naturally as any role he has ever undertaken. Max is no longer "mad" as seen at the end of the first movie (bits of which appear interspersed with newsreel footage to introduce the current world in which the movie takes place in a wonderful narrative piece to update any viewers unfamiliar with "Mad Max 1"). He is the apocalyptic loner who rides a supercharged black car instead of a pale horse...of course, feeding the car is more of a challenge than feeding a horse, and that is the cycle that Max finds himself trapped within when salvation is offered in the guise of an extremely quirky set of characters ranging from Bruce Spence as a gyrocopter pilot to a besieged town based around an oil refinery who are terrorized by a band of motorcycle brigands with whom Max forges an emnity within the first five whiplash minutes of the movie.

That's the plot, and it works, even in this post Cold War world in which we live now. It works because the action in this movie is absolutely unsurpassed anywhere. It's set at a breakneck pace that only lets up long enough for the viewer to catch his/her breath...and by the time the movie is over, it is impossible to believe that 95 minutes could go by so quickly.

And the action is all that more amazing when considering that all of it was handmade and carried out by real people...real CRAZY people. This was before the age of big budget CGI special effects; there are no blue or green screens here (most of the budget was in the cars)...they lined it up, they shot it, and it is an absolutely amazing string of events around which the film's star has perhaps two dozen lines of dialogue at the most. And it doesn't even matter.

This is the film that helped launch Mel Gibson in the USA. It wasn't the critical success he found with the more mainstream "The Year Of Living Dangerously", but it put US moviegoers on notice: Watch out for this Gibson dude; he's a major up-and-comer, fair dunkum. Easily one of the most re-watchable movies I own and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who THINKS they know great action movies.

Rating:
Summary: MEN OF THE WORLD, WATCH THIS
Review: This is quite possibly the greatest MAN movie ever made. Cars, guns, blood, exploding heads. I can't even begin to say how much I love this movie. It is truly a fantastic spectacle and the best sequel I've ever seen.