When it comes to long-running Sci-Fi franchises, I find the "Mad Max" series to be one of the most unique and original. They have a distinct look, tone, and personality that sets them apart from other genera franchises. It's also one of the oldest Sci-Fi series, and as of now, their consistently the work of writer and director George Miller. The original 1979 "Mad Max" also launched the carrier of it's leading star Mel Gibson, making this film amusing to look back on, and see the young actor before his more famous roles in the decades to come. Being honest for a moment ... I've never called myself a fan of the first 1979 picture "Mad Max", and am far more fond of the franchise that followed after. In my mind, I view the 1981 sequel "The Road Warrior" as the real Sci-Fi/action classic that Mad Max's legacy stems from. With that said ... neither the sequel or the series would be here without that first film ... and it did just enough credible things on it's own that I feel it's worth looking back on.
Our movie is set in Australia, in an un-labeled,
not to distant dystopian future. Most of the Outback has been reduced to
low-populated communities, with minimal fuel and small towns, but many people
seem to be living peacefully. The only problem is a gang of psychotic motorcycle
riding serial killers called The Acolytes, who dominate the streets, and
terrorize all innocent civilians in their path. The only thing that stands in
their way is the Main Force Patrol, which is all that remains of law and
justice in the country. The best man on the job is none other than Mad Max, who
always cleans up the street. One day he goes too far, and is responsible for the death of a lead
gang member, to which the Acolytes respond to with vengeance. Soon, officers of
the MFP are becoming targets, and Max himself gets it the worst as the gang
members kill his wife and infant child. Full of rage and vengeance, Max takes
to the street as the Road Warrior, to hunt down and eliminate the Acolytes once
and for all.
That may sound like a short synopsis of the
films set-up, but surprise ... it’s actually the bulk of the movie. Max doesn’t even
suit up to take vengeance until the final 15 minutes or so of the film. For me, it always felt like a pilot episode for a TV series that never happened. The
majority of the movie spends most of its time with the villains doing their awful
and curl acts to innocent people, while building-up to Max’s inevitable tragedy
that turns him into the Road Warrior. Like I said, once our hero goes off the rail, he very quickly gets his revenge, and the film stops rather abruptly, without even an epilogue. You could say this film is all set-up, while the sequels are all about the journey ... but with that said, I always wondered ... this film has the benefit of those sequels, but would it hold-up on it's own without them? There
are certainly some highlights in this first film, including some top-tear road stunts, and a fair amount of tension. The slow build-up to the demise of Max’s family
was pulled-off very effectively, and we do feel a dynamic change from where we first meet hero, and the anti-hero he becomes at the end of the film.
The best scene of all is the opening car
chase, which puts you in the mind-set that you’re going to be watching a fast
paced thrill ride of a movie. No joke, the car crashes and driving choreography
in this opening is a real spectacle, and it’s shot beautifully. While it may
seem a touch generic by today’s standards, it was still an impressive feat of
over the top stunt work, and vehicle destruction for the late 1970's. The opening chase also
serves as a great introduction to our main character, as he spends most of the
time acting all chill while listening to the chase progress on his radio. Then
when everyone else fails to do their jobs, Max goes out riding to get the job
done, which is easily his coolest moment of the film. There really aren’t too many note worth action scenes after this, as the rest of the film focuses on establishing mood and tension.
I suppose I should talk about the character
himself, who quickly became the archetype for most action characters of this
sort. Max is a guy who questions his humanity, and fears that he’s becoming too
much like the villains he’s battling. Unfortunately, the issue isn’t brought up
much, and once he becomes the Road Warrior, he pretty much just throws all
humanity out the window, and becomes a vengeful psycho path. It’s a formula that
I just find all too familiar, and conveyed more effectively in other popular
characters. Aside from the opening scene, I honestly didn’t even find Max to be
that much of a "tough guy", at least until the sequels. He’s played by a now
unrecognizable Mel Gibson, back when he was a young and more respected actor.
He plays the role of Max well, but I never felt he really left an impression as this character until later down the road. I think it was more the novelty of the film that made this a highlight in his
carrier, rather than a stirring performance that deserves acclaim.
I will say that Director George Miller is
on top of his craft when directing this film. He definitely knows how to shoot a
car chase, as well as create an uncomfortable atmosphere for this dystopian setting.
Aside from all the “Mad Max” sequels,
George Miller is best known for directing and writing family movies like “Happy Feet” and “Babe”, which is personally one of my favorite childhood gems of all
time, so he’s undeniably a talented and versatile filmmaker. I also have to
admire the subtlety of this apocalyptic future the film creates. Most movies
with this type of setting go all-out with demolished cities, and fields of dead
bodies, with rows of skulls everywhere, but this film is very different. In
fact, it’s probably the cleanest and tidiest looking apocalyptic future ever
captured on film. If you just caught a
glimpse of this film on TV, you’d probably just assume it takes place in some generic
outback area instead of a dystopian future. It wouldn't be until the next film that we'd get the more recognizable staples of the deserts, and armored land vehicles.
Whenever I review a critically acclaimed film
like this, I always do my best to point out the positives, but unfortunately, I do still have my reservations with this film. I obviously don’t care
for the structure of the plot, and there’s very little about the overall experience
that makes it worthwhile for me. Other films like “Robocop”, "First Blood", “The Terminator”
and “Die Hard” have their fair share
of over the top violence and action bonanzas, but I also feel like there’s more
substance to those films, structure to the narrative, and even characters, which balances everything out. Also, I personally can’t stand the villains in this movie. While the Acolytes
are functional as threatening bad guys, I also feel their way too over the top, and cartoony, to the point where their more irritating then menacing. Obviously, I get that their crazy, a result from their end-of-the-world living-conditions, but still, there's only so much of their shouting and boasting that I can stomach. Lastly, like I established earlier ... I'm really not a fan of the ending, which just seems to stop
the movie on a dime. Seriously, after montaging its way through the climax, the
film comes to a sudden stop, which always leaves me wondering what the heck I just
sat through.
Unsurprisingly, the film received mixed feelings upon it's initial release, has been reevaluated in the time sense, and is now celebrated as a minor classic in it's own right. I'm certainly fond of the franchise as a whole, but the 1979 original has yet to connect with me as anything special. I certainly don’t
hate it, I just don’t care to watch it. It has its fare share of improbable car
stunts and crashes that were very impressive for the time and still cool to see,
but I can’t say that the experience as a whole really works for me. Despite it's colorful and cleaner environment, I'd argue this is thematically the darkest, blackest and most depressing film of the series ... which is probably why it has fans. It's not a movie that played things safe or had a conventional narrative, which more then anything gave this film a unique voice, and led to the series have such an original personality over other Sci-Fi pictures with apocalyptic settings. In the end, the original "Mad Max" won't be a movie for everyone ... it's never really been one for me ... but it has earned it's place in the history books of Sci-Fi cinema, is different enough to be memorable, and more then anything launched a great franchise, that's still going strong decades later.
Thanks for reading my review of the 1979 Sci-Fi picture “Mad Max” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
