Alrighty! So its time for yet another review and this is a new one (no revisitations this time) although it will be on an older film, 35 years old to be precise and that film is Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior (well in the US mainly).
And with the release of Fury Road last year, which was acclaimed as one of the best action films in recent years (although I personally didn't think so!) how does The Road Warrior stack up in comparison??? Well let's find out.....
Oh and the usual warning will be ahead:
SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!
STORY
Right so the story begins set quite some time after the events of the first film in a dystopian future with "Mad" Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) who is now a scavenger who roams the desolate desert in search of fuel, food and water in his old battered supercharged V-8 pursuit special. Max at the start of the film is being chased by a group of gang members who lead by the psychotic motorcycle rider named, Wez (Vernon Wells) who Max injures and Wez flees. Afterward Max checks out a crashed semi, he comes across a gryocopter out in the desert but as he goes near it, he is ambushed by its pilot, the Gyro captain (Bruce Spence). Max with the help of his dog, manages to subdue the Gyro captain who pleads with him for his life, telling him the location of an oil refinery where Max can stock up on fuel.
Max then goes with the Gyro captain to the site of the oil refinery and view it from afar to see a large collection of nomad gangs riding motorcycles and cars outside the refinery all lead by their musclebound, masked leader "Lord Humungus" (Kjell Nilsson). Humungus offers the defenders of the refinery safe passage out of the refinery if they surrender it to him and his men, however some of the defenders break out and are killed by Humungus's men. Max then waits for the gangs to leave before he manages to rescue the one sole surviving defender, whom he makes a deal with to bring him safely back to the compound in exchange for a tank of fuel. However on taking the injured man into the compounded he soon dies and the leader of the facility, Pappagallo (Michael Preston) reneges on Max's deal he made with the man and prepare to expel him from the compound.
At this point however, Humungus and his men return again as he makes another offer for the refinery defenders to leave the refinery peacefully if they let them in. During this however one of the occupants of the compound, a young boy with long hair simply known as the Feril kid (Emil Minty) defiantly kills Wez's male companion with a boomerang, enraging Wez who is subdued by Humungus who tells Wez that he has no intention of letting the settlers leave and they soon depart again. Afterward, Max offers Pappagallo a deal to locate the semi-truck his discovered earlier and used that to haul the tanker trailer they use to refine and store the oil they have. Max also asks in exchange for this that he can take as much fuel for his V-8 as he can possibly hold to which Pappagallo agrees to but they keep his car to ensure he co-orporates.
Max soon on his way back to semi-truck finds the Gyro captain again who has been walking around with his leg chained to a tree log and he uses him to locate the truck with the help of his gyrocopter. Max soon locates the truck and he let's the Gryo captain go free as he drives the semi back to the compound but he is ambushed by Humungus's men enroute but he manages to make it back in along with help from the Gyro captain. After this Pappagallo, to show his gratitude, offers Max a chance to join them in their journey and to drive the truck but Max refuses as he wants to just to get his petrol and leave.
However as Max leaves the compound he is soon spotted by Wez who rams Max's vehicle, forcing it to crash off the road, leaving Max badly injured but before Max is killed by Wez's men, as they approach his crashed V-8 it engages a booby trap which destroys the car and kills Wez's men who flees. Max is soon rescued by the Gyro captain and taken back to the compound where after Max recovers offers to drive the tanker, which Pappagallo accepts. And its from here the film goes into a big long epic chase finale where Max tries to lead Pappagallo's people to safety as Humungus's men go after him one last time.....
THOUGHTS
There is not much doubt that Mad Mad 2 - The Road Warrior is the best of the films in the Mad Max series and its dystopian setting works really well throughout not to mention Max's scarred character is memorable one (as his wife and child were killed in the first film) where he is now scavenger purely looking out for himself and his own survival in a harsh land. But even though Max does appear to be largely self serving in the film he ultimately does help out the settlers as he probably realises despite his own burnt out existance that he too once had a family and roots of his own.
The film's production in comparison to the first film certainly looks that bit more lavish and impressive and this is also thanks in part to its larger budget as the film was made for approximately 4 million Australian dollars (approx 2 million US dollars). And the film also features some incredible chase scenes and visual setpieces, particularly the lengthy, epic chase scene at the end where Max is pursued by Humungus and his gang of bikers and nomads in armoured cars. The setting of the film in the Australian outback also makes the film looking quite stunning visually as it was filmed out near a small mining city called Broken hill and it provides the movie with the perfect backdrop for its visuals and its tone.
PERFORMANCES AND NOTEWORTHY SCENES (Warning spoilers in this section might be ahead!)
I will try and keep this section a bit smaller than usual given that there isn't a massive amount of dialogue in the film itself but the performances generally speaking are pretty good.
And to kick off we have the film's star, Mel Gibson who is excellent here as Max and even though he doesn't get much dialogue, Gibson's presence and onscreen charisma definitely shine through here. Its also helped by the fact that in Mad Max 2 that Gibson looks that bit more mature than he did in the original film as he no longer appears to be as boyish pretty boy but now a hardened survivor.
Gibson naturally has some good scenes in the film that include the one where Max addresses the settlers and offers them a deal to help them out. And in the scene, Max whistles for their attention and tells them regarding the semi-truck he spotted earlier on "Two days ago, I saw a vehicle that would haul that tanker. You want to get out of here?! You talk to me!".
Then there is the scene where Max has the Gyro captain chained as he spies out the oil refinery from afar on a hilltop. And the Gyro captain complains to Max about being chained up " Look, we had a deal. I show you the gas, and you let me go, right?" and Max says to him "The arrangement was I wouldn't kill you". And the Gyro captain says to him "After all I've done for you...." and Max grabs the Gryo captain's chain and brings the cap's head next to his and says "reckon you got a bargain, didn't you?!".
And lastly there is the scene where Max, after he is rescued by the Gyro captain and taken back to the compound he offers to drive the truck for the settlers. And in the scene, badly wounded hobbles up to Pappagallo and says "If it's all the same to you... I'll drive that tanker". But Pappagallo says to him "The offer is closed. Too late for deals" but Max insists "No deals. I want to drive that truck" and Pappagallo asks him why and Max says "I haven't got a choice. Come on, cut the crap! I'm the best chance you've got!".
Bruce Spence is also really good as the gawky (not to mention very skinny!) Gryo Captain who helps out Max and the settlers.
Spence too has some good moments that include the scene when the Gyro Captain first ambushes Max in the first scene together. And as the GC points his crossbow at Max, Max kneeling down next to the back of his car tries to grab hold of a concealed knife underside the back wheel. However the Gyro captain suspects Max of trying something and says to him "A fellah, a QUICK fellah, might have a weapon under there. I'd have to pin his head to the panel...!".
Then there is the scene where Max drives towards the oil refinery with the Gyro Captain chained up next to him and Max has his sawn-off shotgun wired and pointing at the GC with the other end of the wire in his dog's mouth who has a bone in its mouth. And the Gyro Captain nervously smiles at the dog saying "Nice doggy, nice dog!" as the dog simply stares at him and Max smiles.
And later on there is the scene where the Gyro Captain who plays his part in helping out the settlers and he lands his gryocopter in the compound and the Feril kid looks curiously at the gyro's blades and touches one on them. And the Gyro Captain annoyed says to him "Don't touch please, that's a precision instrument!" and as the Feril kid continues to, the GC says "Don't touch! Go on, scat!" which prompts the kid to angrily growl at him. And in the next moment one of the older settlers asks the Gyro captain "Tell me, son, this thing of yours, can it take two?" and the GC looks on and notices one of the settlers, a young attractive blonde woman (Arkie Whiteley) and he looks at her and smiles saying "Possibly".
Vernon Wells is also pretty good as the secondary antagonist of the movie, Wez, the crazed rider who is one of Humungus's men.
Wells plays the part with as much relish as he can possibly muster and almost similar to his role in Commando (well actually far more so here!) his character his clearly a homoerotic one given that his male companion is killed during the film by the Feril kid. Wells doesn't have much dialogue but his most memorable line comes when Wez manages to infiltrate the compound but he is warded off by Max. And in the scene just before Wez leaves he shouts at Max "YOU! You can RUN but you can't HIDE!!" and then jumps off and flees from the compound.
Michael Preston also does very well in his part as the leader of the settlers, Pappagallo who Max aids in their attempts to leave the compound and fight off Humungus and his gangs.
Preston's best scene comes when Pappagallo tries to persuade Max to stay with the settlers and drive the semi-truck against the gangs but Max refuses to go with them. And in the scene Pappagallo pushes Max on why he won't stay " What is it with you, huh? What are you looking for? C'mon, Max, everybody's looking for something. You're happy out there, are you? Eh? Wandering? One day blurring into another? You're a scavenger, Max. You're a maggot. Did you know that? You're living off the corpse of the old world. Tell me your story, Max. C'mon. Tell me your story. What burned you out, huh? Kill one man too many? See too many people die? Lose some family?!". And Max gives Pappagallo an angry glare who says "Oh, so that's it, you lost your family? That makes you something special, does it?!" and this prompts Max to punch Pappagallo in the face who falls down.
And as Pappagallo get's back up he says to Max "Do you think you're the only one that's suffered? We've all been through it in here. But we haven't given up. We're still human beings, with dignity. But you? You're out there with the garbage. You're NOTHING!".
Kjell Nilsson also does very well in his role as the musclebound, masked, charismastic and violent Lord Humungus who leads the marauding gang of bikers and nomads.
Nilsson's has some good scenes too that include the one where just after Wez's male partner is killed by the Feral kid, Wez goes apeshit and demands they kill the settlers now but Humungus restrains him. And Humungus shouts "Be still my dog of war. I understand your pain. We've all lost someone we love. But we do it my way! We do it my way. Fear is our ally. The gasoline will be ours. Then you shall have your revenge!".
And Humungus addresses the settlers over his intercom again saying "There has been too much violence. Too much pain. But I have an honorable compromise. Just walk away. Give me your pump, the oil, the gasoline, and the whole compound, and I'll spare your lives. Just walk away and we'll give you a safe passageway in the wastelands. Just walk away and there will be an end to the horror. You have one full day to decide!".
And lastly there is Nilsson's best line in the scene where Wez spots Max's car from a distance and he goes off after him. And this leads to Humungus looking at Wez leaving and he says of Wez "You disobey me! You puppy!".
And lastly there is Emil Minty as the Feril kid who as his character is completely mute has no lines of dialogue and instead Minty just resorts to using a series of grunts for his character to communicate and he does a good job at it. Minty's character however is the narrator of the film, who narrates as a grown man (voiced by Harold Baigent) who reminisces over his memories of Max.
DIRECTOR AND MUSIC
As for the director, George Miller, he does a terrific job here with the film and after the original, Miller was given various offers to direct different films such as First Blood (i.e. the first Rambo film) but he decided to go back to the world of Mad Max and try and make a sequel that improved on the first film. Miller also more than confidently handles the film's action and chase scenes which are very well staged especially the film's climactic chase between Max and Humungus and his gang and he expertly cranks up the tension throughout these scenes. So overall this is easily one of Miller's best directorial efforts.
As for the film's music, the score was composed by Brian May who is not to be confused with the Brian May of the rock band, Queen, but May was actually an Australian composer who also scored the first film. The score sounds quite lush and orchestral and overall its very good although it does get a bit repetitive in its themes and it tends to overuse the same sections of music at times but despite that its a fine one that does its job of capturing the atmosphere and tone of the movie.
FLAWS (Warning: this may contain the odd spoiler!)
As for flaws....yes Mad Max 2 does have some and for starters I felt the one thing that does drag the pace of the film a little bit is actually at the start with the intro of the Feril kid (as an adult) narrating about the background of the story and his memories of Max. It just feels a bit longwinded and while it has its purpose it kind of isn't consistent with most of the pacing of the rest of the film.
And I felt the same could be said for the scene where Max is camped out up on a hill above the oil refinery as he literally spends night and day watching Humungus's activities and this sequence also feels a bit drawn out and affects the film's pacing. So I think a little bit of trimming here and there wouldn't have hurt to keep things that little bit tighter even though the film itself is only 96 minutes long anyway.
Another issue with the film is that it is somewhat devoid of strong female characters and the main characters are all men and any of the women in the film are largely sidelined. And the one strong female character in the film, the warrior woman (played by Virginia Hey) is very much underused and she only has a handful of scenes and she is quickly killed off during the film's final chase scene. The film also even hints that the warrior woman might have had an attraction to Max but if anything this is very underplayed as she says to Max after he comes back with the semi-truck that she was wrong about him. Miller however did make up for this lacking in Mad Max 3 with the main female villain, Aunt Entity (played by Tina Turner) and also the protagonist, Furiosa in Fury Road (played by Charlize Theron).
The plot itself is also pretty flimsy and there isn't really a great deal to it and its nothing more than just a western in the outback in Australia where the Max and the settlers are the good cowboys and the Humungus and his men are the baddies. Its a pretty simple tale in the end but despite I guess it still works well enough even if there is nothing overly special about it plot wise although the final reveal of the tanker (SPOILER!!!!) that Max was driving was nothing but a decoy (as it was filled with sand and not petrol) was a nice touch.
And lastly one of the plot points I felt was pretty stupid was Max's decision to leave the compound after he has his V-8 fully refuelled and he heads straight into the path of Wez and his men. I mean surely the guy could have taken a different route so that way he wouldn't end up bumping into Wez in the first place! But instead they use Max's hasty decision as another plot ex-machina for him to eventually go back to the settlers and decide to help them out in their dangerous journey. Although it does seem a bit daft that they would let Max drive the truck given that he is in such a banged up state!
Anyway that's it for the flaws.
SUM UP
So to sum up Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is easily the best film of the series and its packed with exciting action set pieces, impressive visuals despite its pretty modest budget and an excellent central performance by Mel Gibson. And even after 35 years the film has dated pretty well thanks in part to futuristic setting of the movie itself and overall I still think its a far superior film to the frankly overrated Fury Road that came out last year. And if you have seen Fury Road and think its the better film than I'd urge people to check out this film again as it is certainly worth it and one of the best action films of its time.
Right! So that's it for now and I will be back on here sometime soon with another review.
Till the next one its bye for now!
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