Review of Mad Max 2 (1981) by Tony R — 16 Nov 2010

This film takes place in an imagined post-apocalyptic Australia, after nuclear war has ravaged the earth. The only means to survival in this desolate land is to remain constantly vigilant and on the move.

This makes oil and gasoline, outside of food and water, the hottest commodity going. Enter Mad Max, a drifter who lost his wife and child to some violent, motorcycle riding punks. Max now has no purpose in life but to travel the wastelands with his faithful dog and his beat up but reliable hot rod.

One day, while trying to salvage some gas from a seemingly abandoned helicopter, Max falls in to a trap laid by a wacky fellow known as the Gyro Captain. Max turns the tables on him but the Gyro Captain buys his continued existence by informing Max of a nearby oil refinery that is still functional and pumping out oodles of petrol.

The pair observe the refinery for a while and notice that a group of bandits, led by a chap named Humungus are terrorizing the refinery's inhabitants, attempting to wrest control of the refinery from them by any means necessary.

As events unfold Max eventually finds himself somewhat unwillingly aligned with the defenders of the refinery and forms a risky plan to help this tribe escape the tyranny of the bandits permanently by heading north to the promised land.

What ensues is one of the most destructive and satisfying chase scenes in the history of film! I love this movie. I remember watching it a lot as a kid with my Dad and I just couldn't get enough! I was always a fan of cars and especially big trucks, so watching a whole film entirely dedicated to them crashing in to each other certainly hit the spot in my books.

Watching it again all these years later I like it even more, it was neat to see Mel Gibson as a youngster. I also really liked the actor who played the Gyro Captain, he's been in a ton of good stuff.

What I also noticed was how little dialogue there is in this movie, which I really liked. I think Castaway is the only other movie I can think of with as little dialogue. The Road Warrior is all about the walky walky, not the talky talky! I think more films should follow this example .

. .