Review of Mad Max 2 (1981) by Craig T — 08 Feb 2011
Mel is back as Mad Max and this time the future has become even grimmer. George Miller introduced us to Max a few years earlier in a low budget post-apocolyptic vision that has now become an epic chapter in vengeance.
This story picks up soon after the original Mad Max and from there it throws us into overdrive. What once crept up into intensity now features adrenaline pulsing action almost nonstop. Yet this is not the mindless action we might be expecting.
It is barbaric but the fight is all over the most valuable commodity the dying earth has: fuel. Max is quiet and keen on getting what he needs then moving on back onto the endless highway. When he is basically forced to help some settlers transport their tanker of fuel out of the wasteland, the plot thickens.
Yet as is thickens, it is still very simple: outrun or outfight the gang of killers that threaten them. What ensues is action bliss. It doesn't get any faster or harder than these blasts and crashes.
Mel Gibson settles any debate on his presence and proves that he will be around for a long time entertaining us. I admire the simplicity and the survival factor in this sequel and while I am not convinced it is better than the original, it is definitely a worthy sequel that will always be mentioned either before or after the original.
How rare is this? Star Wars, Alien, and The Terminator did it but not before The Road Warrior cleared the way. (B).
This review of Mad Max 2 (1981) was written by Craig T on 08 Feb 2011.
Mad Max 2 has generally received very positive reviews.
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