Review of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) by Shane V — 24 Dec 2009

Not bad, but still not great.

Max is once again making his way through the desert, when he is attacked and his vehicle is stolen. He follows the thief into Barter Town and meets it's 'mayor' Aunty Entity. She offers a proposition. She will return his vehicle and re-arm him if he kills a giant called Blaster in the town arena: Thunderdome.

It's very difficult giving a short introduction to a movie with no real plot. The acting has improved since "The Road Warrior" although only in small bits. Again, very few real 'performances' from the cast. But what little there was was okay. The post-apocalyptic feel is only improved by new setting of Barter Town. The action is pretty good, even venturing into physical action while maintaining the thrilling car action. The plot flows in a nice direction, but it feels a bit like two short movies stitched together into one and it throws off the tone a bit. But the ending wraps it all up decently and actually serves to further the story of the world slightly, and give our hero Max a good send-off. As good as I've made it sound so far, there are negatives. I mentioned that there was little real acting. And that makes the film about as bland and emotionless as the desert. And the poor storytelling decisively cuts short any notions of a real plot. It feels like you're taking a walk, having no idea where you're going and no reason for going at all. But if you can get past that (which by this point in the series, you should be able to do) then you'll enjoy it. It's not any better than "The Road Warrior," it's just different. So I give "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" 6.5 steel-domed bungie-rigged battle arenas out of 10.

"Listen all! This is the truth of it. Fighting leads to killing, and killing gets to warring. And that was damn near the death of us all. Look at us now! Busted up, and everyone talking about hard rain! But we've learned, by the dust of them all... Bartertown learned. Now, when men get to fighting, it happens here! And it finishes here! Two men enter; one man leaves. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... Dyin' time's here." -Dr. Dealgood.