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Mad Max 2
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
The Road Warrior
Australia 1981
produced by Byron Kennedy for Kennedy Miller Productions/Warner Brothers
directed by George Miller
starring Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps, Vernon Wells, Kjell Nilsson, Emil Minty, Virginia Hey, William Zappa, Arkie Whiteley, Steve J. Spears, Syd Heylen, Moira Claux, David Downer, David Slingsby, Kristoffer Greaves, Max Fairchild, Tyler Coppin, Jerry O'Sullivan, Tony Deary, Kathleen McKay, Guy Norris, Anne Jones, James McCardell, Harold Baigent (voice)
written by Terry Hayes, George Miller, Brian Hannant, music by Brian May, special effects by Jeff Clifford, stunts coordinated by Max Aspin
Mad Max
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Finally, after some only vaguely defined apocalypse, the world is in a
state as broken as Max (Mel Gibson) was at the end of the first
movie, and now it seems everybody's cruising the countryside on
the search of broken down fuel trucks as gasoline has become the number
one currency. Max of course is one of them, and probably the toughest of
them all. He's a loner because he doesn't believe in humanity anymore, but
he's not a heartless man, so when he witnesses an attack by some marauders
on an innocent couple, he speeds to the scene to intervene, but comes too
late. But one of the victims, Nathan (David Downer), offers him all the
gasoline he can carry if he takes him back to the compound he's from. Max
does just that, but Nathan dies on the way, and thus there's not only no
gas for Max, he's also held captive. Worse yet, the compound is attacked
by the most vicious gang of marauders, led by Lord Humungus (Kjell
Nilsson), and while they're warded off they soon lay the compound under
siege, as it holds a vast fuel supply. Papagallo (Michael Preston) the
compound leader meanwhile wants for the folks in the compound to make a
run for it as there's a promised land a few thousand miles down the road -
but how can they, being under siege, with Lord Humungus and gang wanting
their fuel. Max has the solution, as he knows about a broken down gas
truck not too far off he can get into the compound ... which he manages in
a wild chase, that ends in another attack of Humungus' gang on the
compound. Max then leaves the compound in his car on his own, feeling he
has served Papagallo and friends enough, but the marauders brutally attack
his car, and despite his best efforts, he crashed and is only saved thanks
to the Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence), an eccentric with a one-man helicopter
who has only recently joined the compound. Back at the compound, Max
agrees to drive the fuel truck. When finally the compound people leave
the compound, they do so in all different direction, but none follow the
truck too closely - which is the sole target of attack of Lord Humungus
gang, and it's an extremely brutal chase with many casualties ... and
ultimately the truck crashing - but it only hauled sand and was used as a
decoy for the compound people to escape. What went for the
original Mad Max is even more
valid here: This isn't an intellectual masterpiece, it's macho cinema
about weapons, cars, motorbikes and explosions, focusing on action rather
than anything else - and frankly, it does an even better job at it as the
first film, it's action cinema in its purest form, extremely well directed
and edited, maybe without much depth, but never dumbing it down for the
audience. And it looks just amazing, making perfect use of its locations,
and furnishing them with great costumes, vehicles and props. And at least
for me, the film's underlying B-movie vibe is almost irresistible. A
must-see pretty much, and one of the few instances where the sequel is
better than the (already great) original.
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