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Main Cast:
Mel Gibson ~ 'Mad' Max Rockatansky
Joanne Samuel ~ Jessie Rockatansky
Hugh Keays-Byrne ~ The Toecutter
Steve Bisley ~ Jim Goose
Tim Burns ~ Johnny the Boy
Roger Ward ~ Fifi Macaffee
Director: George Miller
Writing ... Read review
The story of Mel Gibson's stately anti-hero begins inMad Max, George Miller's low-budget ... more
debut, in which Max is a "Bronze" (cop) in an unspecified post-apocalyptic future with a buddy-partner and family. But, unlike most films set in the devastated fut...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The story of Mel Gibson's stately anti-hero begins inMad Max, George Miller's low-budget ... more
debut, in which Max is a "Bronze" (cop) in an unspecified post-apocalyptic future with a buddy-partner and family. But, unlike most films set in the devastated fut...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
On a remote stretch of deserted highway a band of violent bikers has taken over ... more
attacking anyone unlucky enough to cross their savage path. Racing up and down the seemingly endless miles of asphalt the crazed outlaws blaze through small towns plowi...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Who are they? asks the burly leader of a pack of motorcycle savages. Before the dust ... more
settles and the last piston throbs, hell especially know who one of the is. So will movie fans.Mel Gibson gave notice that he was a name to reckon with in the revved-u...
In action movie annals, few compare with the full-throttle epic of speed and carnage that ... more
rockets you into a dreamlike landscape where the post-nuclear future meets the mythological past. More simply, it's also one of the most mind-blowing stunt movies ever made. Under the direction of George Miller (Babe, Happy Feet), Mel Gibson first made his mark on movie history as heroic loner Max, who drives the roads of Outback Australia in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defenders of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by The Humungus. With The Road Warrior on your side, screen action doesn't get any better.
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Advantages: Action, rock opera, choreographed violence Disadvantages: Poor script, lousy special effects
...Cert: 18
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Mad Max is the archetypal road movie. Based around a vision of a dystopic future, Mad Max of the title is Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) who is an atypical family man making his living by keeping law and order as a cop.
The movie in its simplest form is a story of revenge. When a gang of bike crazies severely injure Max's partner, Jim Goose (Steve Bisley), ... ...production it seems that The Mad Max saga is destined to continue despite it's apparent fizzling out in "Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome". In this case, both direction and cinematography (David Eggby) are aided by the Antipodean settings although Mad Max would hardly qualify as a sweeping epic.
Bearing in mind the mediocre script, Mel Gibson (aged only 23 and raw as a baby's bottom in acting terms) carries the strong silent-type ... more
One of the dilemmas facing movie producers is how much money to make available for a certain movie. Needless to say, a critical factor is the potential financial return. When a low budget affair returns many times more than its original investment, we inevitably have cult status along the lines of Blair Witch Project. An equally strong example was made in 1979. Directed by George Miller, Max Max went on to spawn two further sequels (one good, one not so good) as well as propelling the lead role into a career that has eclipsed the last four decades. ------------------------------------------------------ Main Cast:
Mel Gibson ~ 'Mad' Max Rockatansky Joanne Samuel ~ Jessie Rockatansky Hugh Keays-Byrne ~ The Toecutter Steve Bisley ~ Jim Goose Tim Burns ~ Johnny the Boy Roger Ward ~ Fifi Macaffee
Director: George Miller Writing Credits: George Miller/Byron Kennedy Running Time: 93 minutes Cert: 18 ------------------------------------------------------ Mad Max is the archetypal road movie. Based around a vision of a dystopic future, Mad Max of the title is Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) who is an atypical family man making his living by keeping law and order as a cop.
The movie in its simplest form is a story of revenge. When a gang of bike crazies severely injure Max's partner, Jim Goose (Steve Bisley), Max decides to resign from the police force. However, whilst on the subsequent sabbatical with his wife (Joanne Samuel), the latter day Hell's Angels catch up with the family precipitating the murder of Max's wife and daughter.
Determined to wreak revenge, Max hits the road in his super charged roadster determined to exact a violent retribution on those responsible for his wife and child's death.
The director, George Miller was born in Queensland in 1945. Responsible for other notable productions including the eclectic "Twilight Zone - The Movie", "Babe" and "Dead Calm", Miller has a reputation for delivering something different. With "Mad Max: Fury Road" in production it seems that The Mad Max saga is destined to continue despite it's apparent fizzling out in "Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome". In this case, both direction and cinematography (David Eggby) are aided by the Antipodean settings although Mad Max would hardly qualify as a sweeping epic.
Bearing in mind the mediocre script, Mel Gibson (aged only 23 and raw as a baby's bottom in acting terms) carries the strong silent-type of hero well enough to secure future roles of an increasing magnitude in subsequent movies. He does dominate the cast with the exception of the uncomfortably convincing Hugh Keats-Byrne as the Toecutter. With a practised crazed expression and seemingly little in the way of morals, Keays Byrne plays the kind of part guaranteed to wake the viewer in the middle of the night as the worst form of nightmare. At times making little sense, his ruthless philosophy (including, it seems, to kill cops when given the chance) lends the shallow motives to the story albeit that rock opera type of death accompanied by loud music (think "The Crow" if a lot less dramatic) makes the film a compulsive watch for those with that kind of disposition.
There are little curios in the film that lend it that far way feel that so rarely make it into modern-day movie making. The scene shot with Max's boss, Fifi Macaffee (Roger Ward) is overtly camp with the seemingly macho police chief watering his plants whilst donning an apron and bare chest. The site of the cigar crunching, inferred homosexual is enough to make the most hardened viewer double take as the obvious dichotomy of the character in that scene is only compounded with a bizarre appeal to Max to think things over rather than quit the force entirely. Remember, the whole "coming out" thing was not that common at the time the movie was made.
Mad Max as a movie has plenty of faults. The special effects belong to the cheapest of horror flicks typified by one of THE most obvious dummies disappearing under a lorry to herald the death of one of the characters. As mentioned already, the script is banal and frankly ludicrous at times. After all, would the gang really want one of its member's dismembered hands returned in exchange for a child held hostage? Perhaps most confusing of all, why would anyone run down a road that appears to go on forever when chased by gangs on motorbikes when there are fields either side which may prove more difficult to negotiate by the pursuers?
Notwithstanding the above, Mad Max is a classic film. Whilst being too short with an abrupt ending and, at times, lacking morale conviction, the movie is a shining testimony to what can be achieved with a low budget. OK, it is prone to the kind of vigilante/fascist accusations thrown at Dirty Harry (which proved the rationale for making Magnum Force) but what makes it compelling is the apocalyptic adrenaline rush it gives to it's audience when watching the white lines down the middle of the road go from day to night as the avenging angel of the title hunts down the bad guys. For anyone with a sense of political correctness then this will not be the movie for you. There are strange religious overtones at the heart of the amoral raping and pillaging of the gang (almost akin to Kubrik's "A Clockwork Orange")whilst the depressing outlook of a world where petrol/gas is the ultimate (if scarce) commodity seems to draw on a Blade Runner kind of Philip Dick, borderline manic depressive scenario of where we all might be in some future time.
Perhaps for a movie of this kind, the Australian outback was the ultimate setting for the 93 minutes of action that was banned in Sweden. Befitting what went before, the finale is as decisive as it is brutal and leaves the viewer to make their own mind up as to the ethics in question. My ultimate recommendation lies in the number of times I've seen Mad Max i.e. several. A slave to it's genre, a master class in low budget shock that is still compelling 24 years later.
Thanks for reading
Marandina
Available on Video and DVD.
DVD priced at £6.99 on Amazon
Technical info: Warner Home Video Edition Details: Region 2 encoding (Europe, Middle East & Japan only) PAL, Widescreen, Dubbed ASIN: B00005MHN8 Catalogue Number: D011170
Advantages: action/ thrills/ entertainment and down right daftness Disadvantages: sometimes a little tacky
...the cool headed Gibson as Mad Max… pure insane brilliance at it's best.
All though it will not be to every ones taste, with the sometimes tacky stunts and rather over the top special effects, especially in some of the death scenes, it is still a good movie to watch at least once for the shear action and entertainment.
* Would I recommend this…?
Yes I would… even if you're not a Gibson fan.
It is everything that a good movie should be…action packed, ... ...without doubt 95 minutes of what is seen as hell on Earth, (and I don't just mean the film… although I feel certain people will say the movie is just that.. hell…?)
If you want to get a copy of this movie then you can get one from www.amzon.co.uk for less than a fiver.
Feel free, enjoy Mel Gibson in his younger days… if nothing else it's a laugh and paying a fiver for a laugh is cheap in these 'credit crunch' days… ...
blissman70 01.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mad Max (DVD)
Advantages: A classic movie on DVD Disadvantages: Violence may offend some
Review of Mad Max. DVD format. ==The DVD== A one disc edition, this was the first in the Mad Max trilogy. ASIN B00005MHN8 , Region 2, runtime 88 minutes, released on DVD June 2006 by Warner Home Video. Classification 18, genre Sci-fi/Action. The DVD is not bursting with special features merely the following:- Interactive Menus Scene Access Languages in Dolby Digital 1.0 : English, French, Italian Bonus Audio : Original Australian Theatrical Audio ... ...the cinema screens in 1979, Mad Max has stood the test of time. The film was as mentioned earlier in the review, the first in the three Mad Max films and Max Kotanski is the archetypal anti-hero. The plot of this, the first Mad Max movie is fast moving and well paced. The acting is to be fair a little wooden in places, yet the actual action scenes are very graphic and well thought out. The plot builds tension as the story unfolds and has you fearing ...
brittle1906 06.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mad Max (DVD)
Advantages: High tension slightly futuristic style film with loads of thrills Disadvantages: None
Mad Max.
==========
The Story
~~~~~~~~~~
A film set the in the future when there is starting to become a fuel shortage. We join the film watching two pursuit officers chasing Night Rider, a cop killer and his woman as they drive uncontrollable across state in a mad crazed mood. The chase continued for a few miles and now we see another pursuit car join the chase. Suddenly the first pursuit car spins out of control and is sent flying off the road ... ...means nothing anymore. Max is Mad and he wants revenge.
Mad Max speeds off in the black car seeking revenge for the death of his wife and son, and for his best friend Goose.
Does Mad Max get his revenge, and if so how. Well that you will have to watch for yourself to know.
The Cast.
-------------------------------
Mel Gibson - Max Rockatansky
Joanne Samuel - Jessie Rockatansky
Hugh Keays-Byrne - Toecutter
Steve Bisley - Jim Goose, MFP Officer
...
welshwickedone 19.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mad Max (DVD)
Mad Max is known as the film that made Mel Gibson as an actor, but its a damn good film as well.
The theme is your normal near future societal breakdown, but this film does his in a highly convincing and believeable way, without falling into the trap of introducing too many technogadgets, and funky new words. they stick to bad 80s hair and unrestrained violence, in a world on the edge of anarchy.
There is something about Max that means you either ... ...i mean if you watch Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Tina Turner and a bunch of Kids! Bloody Hollywood....ok im done ranting now, ill get back to mad max :)
Where was i? oh, yeah no happy ending.. thats what really makes this film for me, because youre waiting for poor old max to kill the bad guys, save his wife and child, and drive off into the sunset.....oh, dear... so when his wife and child are run down, his legs broken, and all his friends dead, ...
sdavey 26.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mad Max (DVD)
Advantages: great film Disadvantages: started mel gibson
This is a great film made on a low budget with a group of then unknown actors altho' the male lead has gone since to make it biggish ( ha ha) in hollywood. set in a post apocolyptic world where the rules are basically take what you can and run if you can't win. The star of the film is a regenade cop/ bounty hunter who is close to the edge of sanity especially when his mate get hit by some loon motorcycle gang. then there is a trail of mayhem destruction ...
elrathia 28.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mad Max (DVD)
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Advantages: 3 action dvds in one box Disadvantages: Not everyone's cup of tea
Review of 3 Action classics ?We Were Soldiers, MadMax and Lethal Weapon? DVD, starring Mel Gibson..
This is a boxed DVD set, which I must admit had been sitting unwatched and ignored in the cupboard for some time. I believe the set was a Christmas Gift to my other half a few years ago, which we never got around to watching, probably because we already owned a couple of the movies as single dvds!
The set consist of three popular Mel Gibson movies, on three individual discs. They comprise of 'We Were Soldiers', 'MadMax' and 'Lethal Weapon'. The box is really rather uninteresting, just three pictures of Gibson in each of the movies on the front and a small amount of information about each film on the reverse, along with information about directors and classification.
I will attempt to give a brief synopsis of the films ...
Advantages: great action packed entertainment Disadvantages: none
compound and Lord Humungous's gang, he has to make some hard decisions? made more so by a disastrous escape attempt from the compound?
** IN CONCLUSION **
This second movie in the MadMax saga opens with a briefing of the first movie, so in essence you do not have to have seen the first film to understand this one? but I do recommend watching the first as it is a great movie with some fantastic action and thrills.
Anyway?
The Character Max Rockatansky has already made Mel Gibson a bit of a household name due to the very first MadMax saga in 1979 becoming a bit of a cult movie from the moment it was viewed? so this movie would probably have a little group of followers who would expect this to be as good as the first? and they wouldn't be too disappointed.
The story line is a simple one of survival of the fittest in a war torn ...
Advantages: More great futuristic action from Mr Gibson Disadvantages: slightly mad in parts
Directors: George Miller and George Oglilvie
Producers: Terry Hayes, George Miller and Doug Mitchell
Writers: Terry Hayes and George Miller
Stars: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence and Angelo Rossitto
This third instalment in the MadMax sagas was released in the summer of 1985...and continues to follow the hellish life of ex-police officer Max Rockatansky.
** BRIEF PLOT **
Max Rockatansky, (played by Mel Gibson) was once an Australian police officer until he sought revenge for the death of his wife and children? now, a washed out loner, he simply wonders the desert trying to survive in the hell which is Earth?
Max is ambushed, losing everything he owns, he is left defenceless in the vast sands of hell? wondering the desert until he stumbles upon Bartertown, a small place where some very unsavoury characters ...
Rebel bikers combat the police in a bleak post-nuclear future where the highways are bloody battlegrounds. When a gang of motorcyclists brutally murder a policeman's family he becomes Mad Max, avenger of the highways. Sequel: "The Road Warrior."
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