The first Mad Max film, Mad Max was about the decline of society. There was some sort of shadowy energy crisis, gang violence was out of control and law enforcement was hamstrung as it was tied to rules belonging to a society that was becoming obsolete in the newer more brutal world. The titular Max was a law enforcement officer who abandoned the rule of law after gang members murdered his family. So exactly like the Punisher (depending on cannon) except in future Australia. And that is not a criticism. It’s the best Punisher film to date.
After the gang is dealt with, Max departs the civilized world for parts unknown. The world continues it’s descent into barbarism. Either before or after the first film there was a nuclear confrontation. So as the second film, The Road Warrior, begins Max is far beyond any recognizable society and the world is a brutal murder desert. Resources like food and gasoline are at a premium. Max, a kind of wandering Conan character at this point, accidentally starts a new (seemingly benign) society as he is trying to get gas for his car. Then, as has become legend, he moves on.
Then, in what seems like the exact same plot as the previous film, Max runs out of gas again. He comes across a settlement and runs afoul of a power struggle between Tina Turner and the midget who controls the fuel supply. He agrees to best the midgets champion in the titular Thunderdome, but holds off when he realizes his opponent is retarded. He is banished to the desert and stumbles on an oasis staffed by a very peter pan group of youngsters and accidentally fulfills a major prophecy in their religion and… I’m going to skip the rest because this 3rd film was fucking stupid. Some interesting ideas but really it was boring. So Max saves one society and again accidentally creates another. And moves on.
So George Miller and company have been trying to make a 4th film for 30 years. First they were ready to go then the piece of desert they were using got 40some days of rain in a row (first in 10 years) and turned into a mudpit. Then the American dollar dropped against the Australian dollar and the budget ballooned. Then 9/11. Then they were going to shoot in Nambia but the Iraq war restricted travel. Then Mel Gibson tried to kill all the Jews, or something. So finally, they recast Max with Heath Ledger… Who did not make it to filming. And now, they have Tom Hardy playing Max. Would this kind of story still work? Do people still want to see a post apocalyptic frenetic car chase? Would the film still resonate?
Good Christ yes.
The film opens, this is Max, this is the world, then… BRWAAAAAAAAAAANNNGH!!!
Once this thing gets going it grabs your nuts (or ovaries I guess?) and doesn’t let go until two hours later when you’re asking yourself what the fuck just happened. You don’t even need to understand English. There’s maybe 10 lines of dialogue in the film. It is wall to wall action, never repetitive, and NEVER boring.
I’m not going to get into the awesome yet simple plot or Charlize Theron’s performance. Those are just extra toppings.
This film is mandatory viewing.