MAD MAX 2

Review by Andrew L. Urban:

Mad Max 2 is a stunning, stunt-driven action film that set the standard for car chase stunts 20 years ago – and has not been bettered, not even by the explosive truck-n-car chase in The Fast and The Furious – which no doubt owes a debt to Mad Max 2. The last 25 minutes is an extended series of white-knuckle action pieces as the forces of good and evil do battle to the death. Made four years after Mad Max, this is not so much a sequel as a development of the original Mad Max ideas. (And the score is more ‘developed’, too; same Brian May, in better form.) The script has jumped forward in time, more than four years, we feel, to an even bleaker world – designed on a much bigger budget! Mel Gibson’s face matured just enough in the four years to make him less baby-faced and more like the man we got to know on screen since those early days. The plot is unburdened by complexities other than logistical, and has many screen cousins; but the execution and the design – the whole look and feel of the film – give it all serious value as a thrilling, dramatic, unpredictable and eye-glueing action classic. The characters are defined by their appearance in a way that avoids the obvious – for one thing, they are all brilliantly inventive with their accessories! The weaponry is from a unique world of its own, and the only thing that is familiar – apart from the rubber tyres on the vehicles – is the English language. Unique in execution, Mad Max 2 is a fantasy in screen violence that challenges and pushes the boundaries of the action genre – to this day.

Review by Louise Keller:
It only takes a few minutes for us to make the leap into an inspirationally wacko futuristic world, where characters seem to have been drawn by a cartoonist with a vivid imagination. George Miller's energising sequel stands out as one of the all-time landmark films of Australian cinema, and certainly one of the most memorable. Mel Gibson's Max is no longer grounded by family, and has been swallowed up by the dusty outback, where survival is everything, and he shares his life with his loyal, trusty cattledog. Watch for the look on the dog's face as Max digs into a can of Dinki Di dog food! Gibson's very handsome features are showcased in every frame; he is credible to the hilt and rivals a young Clint Eastwood. Marvellously innovative characters – from Bruce Spence's lanky simpleton pilot to the mohawked S&M lover Vernon to the Feral Kid - stimulate our imaginations and - although the violence may be high grade, like that of Starship Troopers, it is mostly over the top. The incongruity of finding a musical box that plays Happy Birthday, in the middle of the desert is one of many memorable moments that you will never forget. Striking production design and an edgy score with harrowing themes complement the action driven narrative, and the final 25 minutes is a showcase of stunt sequences that will have you glued to your seat. Huge explosions, daring stunts as steel crumples under tyres… thrilling, breathtaking action from start to finish. The road stunts are as daring as they come and that moment when the Feral Kid reaches for the shotgun shell on the bonnet of the speeding truck is one that will haunt you in later moments. Filled with laconic humour and outlandish violence, Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) is a bikie road fantasy set in the desert and captured by our imaginations.