Review of Mad Max (1979) by Chris W — 11 Mar 2012

This film did a lot of things: not only did it introduce the world to "Mad" Max Rockatansky, it was the film that turned Mel Gibson from an unknown (it was his second or third film) into the star he is today, and it helped to kickstart the whole near-future dystopia/post-apocalyptic genre.

The film takes place in near future Australia, and society has really started to break down. Motorcycle gangs terrorize the land, one especially vicious gang in particular, so it is up to the police force to use basically any means necessary to stop them. Enter Max Rockatansky, a tough, but possibly unstable cop who, after his best friend and family are victimized are killed, goes over the edge, with only one goal in mind: revenge.

This is a raw, gritty, and tough film. The low budget really brings the violent and despairing scenario to life. Yes, the film's narrative is a little muddled and incoherent, but when you have wild characters, an epic score ,and some balls-out awesome stunts and action scenes, none of that really seems to matter, especially when those thigns are doen well, as is the case here. The film is a bit slow (mostly in the middle), but it's never boring, and the slowness just serves to build up the anticipation for whe nMax systematically gets his revenge.

Gibson is awesome, and you can really see a more unhinged version of Martin Riggs in his performance. He's wild, but eerily cool and calculating at the same time. Hugh Keays-Byrne is creepy as chief antagonist Toecutter, and he makes for a solid villain.

Yeah, the film is quite rough around the edges, but given the type of film it is, this works in its favor. It's fun in the sense that seeing all Hell break loose is fun, and with awesome cars and cool stunts, you really can't go wrong by giving this one a watch.