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Mad Max (1979)

If you’ve never seen Mad Max before and you're interested in the series, watch this as a companion piece to The Road Warrior. It’s not that the movie is bad, but you can tell that in many ways, this is a prototype. It’s almost more fun to watch as the progression of a genre than for what it brings to the screen on its own. It’s often rough around the edges, unconventionally paced, and crude, all of which work in its favor once you realize what you're seeing. There’s a reason this film essentially inspired a whole genre.

Set in the near-future, in Australia, the world has started breaking down. While roaming gangs of lunatics on motorcycles come and do as they please, there is also hope. It comes in the form of the police officers who patrol the roads, and their figurehead, "Mad" Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson). When Max's actions catch the eye of “Toe Cutter” (Hugh-Keays Byrne), the full force of his gang begins heading his way.

Mad Max is a lot like Assault on Precinct 13. When you see them for the first time, you wonder what the big deal is. The more you think about it, the more you notice the little details that make them special. In most post-apocalyptic stories, everything is broken, covered in crap, or on fire. Here, it’s more subtle. Some people walk around like nothing's wrong, but the edges tell you nearly everything in this world is cobbled together from old things. It's as if all production has stopped. The way people talk, you can tell there's still hope. They believe things will be alright if they just stick together and keep the door open for the hero they need, the one who will rise and fix everything. None of this is spelled out. You pick it up over multiple viewings.

The plot meanders quite a bit at first. Sometimes it’s just downright weird. The first time I saw it, I could see what captured people's imagination back in the day but left the film with mixed feelings. Many will feel the same. Initially, you have difficulty identifying what the movie's about. Once "Mad Max" and Toe Cutter confront each other, you understand. Before then, everything was about the world-building, which is the last thing you'd expect considering its reputation.

The thing is, you don't watch Mad Max for the story. You watch it for the stunts. Right away, you're hit with an explosive car chase. You will be scratching your head wondering “how did they do that?” when you're not exclaiming “oh, THAT’s where that idea came from?!” just as the novelty of the twisted metal, broken glass, violence and screeching tires begins to wane, the story kicks in: our hero is finally pushed too far and is forced to embark on a trail of vengeance.

Once you get into it, Max is a fully fleshed-out character. He’s not just some angry Punisher wannabe the villains have made the mistake to cross. When he's with his wife, Jessie (played by Joanne Samuel) and son (Brendan Heath), he's gentle. Mel Gibson has undeniable charisma, guaranteeing your investment in his story. When it comes to the villains, they're outlandish but memorable. There’s something genuine about these all-out lunatics with their nihilistic attitude. It's as if they know the world is about to collapse and have decided to roll with it, caring little about what happens next.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is superior to its predecessor. For that reason, this film works better as a “prequel” than as the first entry into this world. These are humble beginnings, which is perhaps why my rating of it fluctuates with each viewing. There's certainly something here that grabs you. (On Blu-ray, May 30, 2015)

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NO DRAGON JUST BALLZ | EPISODE 16 "IT'S JUST BUSINESS"

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[adamwatchesmovies]

Mad Max (1979)

Mad Max has become synonymous with “post-apocalyptic”. In fact, the genre wouldn't exist without this 1979 movie. It will come as a surprise then, that it isn’t your typical “the world has gone to hell” story. It may throw off those going in initially (which might tempt you to skip directly to The Road Warrior) but its unique identity is what you'll come to appreciate about this film. There's a unique quality in the way that that it isn’t trying to tell a big story. It's raw. There’s a reason why this film went on to inspire three sequels.

Set in the near future, in Australia, the world is starting to break down. While roaming gangs of lunatics on motorcycles come and do as they please, there is also hope. It comes in the form of the police officers who patrol the roads, and their figurehead, "Mad" Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson). When Max's actions catch the eye of “Toe Cutter” (Hugh-Keays Byrne), the full force of the gang begins heading his way.

This movie is a lot like Assault on Precinct 13. When you first see it, you wonder what the big deal is about. The more you think about it, the more you notice the little details that make it special. Most movies are “traditional” post-apocalyptic. Everything is either broken, covered in crap, or on fire. Mad Max is more subtle. Some people walk around like nothing's wrong, but all the edges are frayed. Nearly everything in this world is cobbled together or has been repaired a dozen times. As if there were no “new” things being made. Similarly, there’s something about the way people speak that's off. Everyone says there's hope. You sense no one believes it, that everyone's praying for a hero to come and fix everything. Nothing's spelled out. Every time you re-watch the film, it becomes more apparent.

But what you really came to see are the action scenes and the stunts. You will be scratching your head wondering “how did they do that?” during the car chases and crashes. Many scenes will make you say “oh, THAT’s where that idea came from?" This movie's been imitated. A lot. This hinders the film by giving you the wrong impressions about it. Mad Max is about a man slowly realizing there's a storm coming and frantically trying to nail down the doors and windows so that he and his family aren’t torn apart. It contains elements of a vigilante justice/revenge story but for the most part, it's about a guy who is held up on a pedestal by everyone around him. You wonder what'll happen to this tall blade of grass when the mower comes.

Ultimately, the focus is on our protagonist. Max is a fully fleshed-out character. He’s not just some angry Punisher wannabe. He’s gentle but able to turn into a tough-as-nails enforcer at the drop of a hat. You care about the chases and vehicular carnage because you care about him. It isn't about the smoldering wrecks and the twisted metal. What happens when this man of the law crosses paths with lunatics who have given into the idea that it's only a matter of time before everything is swept away by a nuclear holocaust?

There’s no question that Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is a far superior sequel but this has caused some to unfairly dismiss this first movie. It’s all about humble beginnings, the kind of picture with more to see than screeching tires and sadistic killers. I’ve come to appreciate this film more with each viewing. I trust you will too. (On Blu-ray, February 28, 2015]

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[superman-2050]

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