THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The road is the more dangerous place in the world because it is just as unpredictable as a desert or a jungle where anything can happen in the blink of an eye. You want to survive the drive? Drive with intensity or just watch Mad Max.
PLOT
The 1979 film takes place in a dystopian Australia where it’s facing civil order due to oil shortages and ecocide. One of the remaining factors of law enforcement are the MFP, Main Force Patrol, and their best patrolman is Max Rockatansky. Although growing weary of police work, he is bribed with a custom V8, the Pursuit Special, after killing berserk gang member dubbed the Nightrider (Vincent Gil) in an intense chase. However, his death alerts his leader the Toecutter who wreaks havoc everywhere he goes with his gang. When his protege Johnny the Boy is found at the scene of a crime in which a car is vandalized and a young couple is brutally assaulted, Max and his co-worker Jim ‘Goose’ Rains arrest him. But with no witnesses appearing in court and being Hermes mentally unfit to stand trial, Johnny would be quickly released in custody of fellow gang member Bubba Zanetti. Shortly after this, he would prove his worth to Toecutter by sabotaging Goose’s motorbike at night. When he crashes unharmed the next day, he calls for a Ute to haul his vehicle back to MFP headquarters. At that moment, Toecutter’s gang gets the jump on him and Johnny finishes him by burning him alive. When Max finds his body charred at the hospital, he considers quitting the force until his boss Fifi (Roger Ward) convinces him to just have time off before committing to the idea of quitting. He takes the said advice and goes on a trip with his wife Jessie and their infant son Sprog. Their time of peace would be shortened when Jessie unintentionally encounters Toecutter’s gang while Max tended to get his spare tire fixed for his van. When she comes back to him, they flee together and hide together at a farm owned by an elderly woman they befriend, May Swaisey (Sheila Florence) and her adult son Benno (Max Fairchild) who has an intellectual disability. Hiding would only be temporary because Toecutter would find the Rockatanskys again. This time, he and his gang would follow Jess to a beach near the farm. Max would go out to search for the enemy in the woods whereas May helps Jess & Sprog escape via van. When the vehicle breaks down however, Jess would try to make a run for it until she and her child are ran down by the gang. Sprog would be killed quickly whereas Max’s wife would slowly succumb to her wounds in the ICU. With a devastating loss, Max takes matters into his own hands by taking the Pursuit Special without authorization to embark on his quest for revenge. He does get what he wants despite the gang trying to trap him, as he is able to shoot down Bubba with a shotgun and causes Toecutter to crash into a semi truck. After the majority of the gang is wiped out, Max would find Johnny last at the scene of another crash, trying to steal clothes from a deceased driver. As Johnny denies being responsible for the death of his family, Max would handcuff his foot to the overturned vehicle and give him a hacksaw with the decision to chop off the limb if he intends to survive the upcoming explosion, due to also setting up a delay fuse with leaking petroleum and a lighter. The film would then end with Max driving away as the fuse goes off.
THOUGHTS
With the action genre being my favorite, I know many films have and gone with a rationed amount to have stood the test of time. Lucky for us, Director George Miller and co-writer James McCausland surprised us with something much different than what we were beginning to see in blockbusters. In a setting where car chases are a must, they’re edited so well to the point you feel like you’re in one of the cars. And the costume/production design gave an accurate vibe on what it would feel like should the world be at the brink of an apocalypse. It made sense for this story to be set in such a predicament because it was a reflection of what society is and how worse it can be if we don’t push for a positive change. Having said that, this is truly a story on how our humane morals are tested when becoming emotionally crippled. This was the case when it came to our lead protagonist. No pun intended, Mel Gibson brought the drive in making Max quite likable because he was the calmest guy on the force who was able to think it over before doing the absolute necessary. On top of that, he had to something live for which was his family. We don’t even get a lot of Jess yet Joanne Samuel gave a fair amount of warmth to show she was worth living for in his case. And Steve Bisley had us admire Goose in our own way because he had similar passion in cleaning the streets of crime. So when these two loved ones were killed, it broke Max’s will and made him a vengeful figure most roads would fear him to become from then on. He felt such emotional pain, so he returned the favor in ten folds physically. This of course became possible due to a gang that thought they were unstoppable together only to discover they’re only more desirable to go after when hurting the wrong person. Before playing the iconic dictator that was Immortan Joe in Fury Road, Hugh Keays-Byrne brought a whole other realm of deranged as the Toecutter. He was indeed frightening for the majority of his time on screen for having this outgoing energy when choosing to act savage toward everyone around him. When you add the presence of followers who are delusional yet loyal the way Geoff Parry & Tim Burns portray Bubba & Johnny to be, you can make the mistake they appear unstoppable until Max becomes the one man army to prove otherwise. Max may remain a good man at heart, but it is their fault his methods now make him act with no holds barred. On that note, it can be a miracle there have been enough people lucky enough to get on his good side when the apocalypse went to full gear. This movie is generally fine for what it is, but there’s a few things I wish could’ve been done differently. For instance, I can’t be the only one who thought that couple should’ve left sooner if they wanted to avoid Toecutter’s wrath. If you see a biker gang in an area where law & order is ignored, do not observe just take off. Off of that, I think Goose shouldn’t have been surprised no one would show to court when it came to Johnny’s case. Considering how bad things get when it came to guys like Nightrider, it would be a given for something like that happen to have happened in past cases. All of that is more surprising than the fact Johnny chose to stay the crime scene when there was no guarantee things would’ve been at his favor afterwards. If this was a recurring problem, Toecutter should’ve not let him stay there in the first place. Another surprise has to be how the match was still lit when Toecutter was ordering a hesitant to kill Goose. It took like half a minute for him to cave and I doubt they last that long. And Fifi shouldn’t even be surprised Max would’ve wanted to quit after what happened to Goose. I mean you’re not gonna think straight when your friend from work gets killed. Also, I feel like Max should’ve called Fifi immediately after Jess encountered Toecutter because a local cop was bound to be unhelpful in this film’s dystopia. On top of that, it’s insane how the dog does not bark at all when Toecutter’s gang shows up at the woods following Jess. It would’ve been more suspenseful if the dog were to bark and Jess just ignored the warning. That’s more of a surprise than them taking so long to get to her. And how come no one heard their arrival when they drive in motorcycles? Those vehicles are no subtle, so that can’t be ignored at all. Lastly, why didn’t the gang try taking the gun from Max after they shot his leg? If you want to ensure you have your way with him as a villain, don’t give him an advantage. Ignore this, then you’ll still be impressed with this film as much I was. In short, Mad Max deserves its respect for getting the ground running for a different breed of high octane action we weren’t ready for. It’s not the fastest, but it’s memorable in all the right ways. If action movies are up your alley, see this whenever.
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