Review of Mad Max (1979) by Sebastian K — 03 Apr 2011

OK, admission time. I've never seen any of the Mad Max films before last night. I finally decided to do my duty as an Australian and picked up Mad Max and Mad Max 2 on Blu-Ray.

I liked the film, although I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It's solid, with some very well shot action/car chase sequences with some slightly camp acting that is often associated with "near future" movies of the '70s and '80s.

Is it me or was it wrong of me to be more obsessed with why the near future Australia is the way that it is and that it wasn't addressed in the film? From what I saw, it seemed as though life goes on and the general public seemed quite normal, but seeing the dilapidated nature of the Police headquarters (which was the only image of authority in the film) had me asking why the country was in a state of decay. Is there a coherent government? What lead to the kind of gang crime that would warrant the kind of police force depicted? I'm thinking too much, just enjoy the film...

I did enjoy it, though and I look forward to seeing the sequel.