Review of Mad Max (1979) by Andres V — 09 May 2015

B-movie classic that while has agedt, still holds up thanks to a star-making turn by Gibson & George Miller's unrelenting direction. Watching this with the other 'Mad Max' movies, it becomes apparent this a prequel & origin story to Max, showing how he became the way he is & where he got his V8 Interceptor (one of the coolest cars in all of film).

The world hasn't even collapsed yet, though there are signs of decay (the police department is a mess). It's really a straight revenge film in classic B-movie style. As a result, the plot has some holes in it (at first, Max is warned the biker gang is after him, but later, they find him by accident not knowing who he is).

The biker gang itself, while fun to watch & menacing, come off as two-dimensional while the movie gets melodramatic at times (the score is especially overbearing). Nevertheless, this the film that made Gibson a star, and it's easy to see why, as he's instantly likable on screen with a caged intensity just waiting to come out (when it does.

..whoa). Miller does delivers some brilliant action & chase scenes, more impressive today considering they are done with practical effects (and not real stuntmen but local bikers working for beer).

He also doesn't pull any punches (as he will do in the later films) as both the crimes done to Max & his vengeance are unsparing, building to a classic final scene that James Wan said directly inspired the 'Saw' franchise.

While flawed, especially when compared to it's masterpiece sequel, "The Road Warrior", this is still an entertaining film and, to date, the second best in the "Mad Max" franchise.