THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Sometimes, you can too in good of a roll where the momentum slips. Sadly, this felt the case when George Miller made Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
PLOT
The third film in the action franchise follows Max Rockatansky continue surviving the apocalyptic Australia until trouble comes his way again. His motored vehicle gets taken from him by airborne bandits Jebediah and Jebediah Junior (Adam Cockburn). He would follow their trail to a trading post dubbed 'Bartertown' and would be granted passage when proving his toughness. The ruler/founder of the town Aunty Entity would be so impressed of him that she would offer resupplying him if he completes one task. Bartertown's energy comes from the refinery 'Underworld' where pig feces is turned into methane. A dwarf named Master (Angelo Rossito) has been running the refinery for so long with the assist of his giant bodyguard Blaster (Paul Larsson) and together, 'MasterBlaster' have been challenging Aunty for overall control of Bartertown. So, Aunty wants Blaster killed so she can easily subvert Master to his will. Max infiltrates Underworld to get what he needs and upon encountering the dynamic duo, he would befriend 'Pig Killer' (Robert Grubb) who has a life sentence of killing a pig to feed his children. Max does challenge Blaster in a fight to the death at the gladitorial arena, Thunderdome, and overpowers with the use of a whistle that irritates him. However, he would choose to spare him upon noticing he has an intellectual disability. Enraged for breaking the deal, Aunty Entity would have a disciple of hers kill Blaster on his behalf and terrorize Master to keep the Underworld running. She then sends Max into the desert blindfolded. By the time he removes it on his own, he collapses due to exhaustion. Surprisingly, he would be saved by a tribe of children and teens who have built their own oasis after a plane crash they survived. They all mistake Max to be someone meant to come back for them all and take them to fabled paradise 'Tomorrow-morrow Land'. The road warrior doesn't take long in correcting them that there is no such thing of what they're seeking and should they where they are for their safety. Not everyone from the tribe accepts this reality, as one teen named Savannah (Helen Buday) leads a few separatists to Bartertown. Max would try bringing them back with a few members tagging along with him, but when both parties get in bad shape after catching up and supplies have ran out, Max is forced to take them to Bartertown to find a new home. With the help of Pig Killer, they free Master and destroy the Underworld. When that happens, Aunty Entity pursues them all. As the chase ensues, Max and his group come across Jebediah and his son, coercing them to use their aeroplane for an escape. But when Aunty Entity shortens the runway, the road warrior creates an opening for the aircraft to take off. Due to his sacrifice, he would be spared by Aunty who plans to rebuild Bartertown to her liking. Jebediah would fly Master, Pig Killer and the separatists all the way to the ruins of Sydney. The film would end in a time jump when the small group has grown into a community and Savannah not only recites her journey to others, but also light a beacon for other travelers to follow.
THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the first two Mad Max films very much, so I couldn't help having expectations a little too high. Despite trusting Miller to make something exciting like before, it is not the case when collaborating with co-director George Ogilivie. This should be a special entry, but it doesn’t feel such for the right reason when going for a vibe. Now the production/costume design is incredible for sure and that final chase was fantastically edited, but I don’t think slapstick action suits the apocalyptic tone at all. What really cripples the movie for me was how it comes off as two stories in one. Max is a drifter that chooses to help people in need, and Mel Gibson nails it again as a guy who’s pragmatic yet can’t help looking out for others due to living his past as such person. What he is not is a chosen one kind of character and him walking into that pulls me quick. We still respect him for giving a sacrifice because it’s what he’s done before, but it’s too sudden for me to care for the children tribe. Their story is too compelling to wait until the second half to introduce. They could’ve been a whole other movie and be properly fleshed out, but it’s obvious Miller and co-writer Terry Hayes didn’t have that chance. I got nothing against the kids, I just wish their introduction was more proper so I’m glad they found a new safe haven for them to rebuild. I don’t think they were clever enough with Bruce Spence playing Jebediah because he feels like a carbon copy of the Gyro Captain who he previously played in The Road Warrior. I don’t even connect with Master at all because I don’t think there is enough time to explore the dynamic between him and Aunty, but at least he was a sensible guy that actually brought order compared to the enemy. Speaking of which, the only other character that makes this character worthwhile is Aunty herself because Tina Turner owns it as the compelling villain. She stood out in her own way to being deceptive enough to get what she wants. She likes things only the way she prefers and is against change; So if you’re in denial of evolution, you’re bound to have a downfall. She spared Max because she knew it wouldn’t undo the damage he made. However, it doesn’t mean she won’t lose the power she stole. If she were to lose it all after rebuilding Bartertown to her liking by someone with a bigger mindset, it wouldn’t surprise me. With all being said, there’s still so much shit that don’t make sense storywise. Like why wasn’t there a gun check before Max entered the tunnel? If they didn’t want anyone to try being Indiana Jones the way Max did, that should’ve been done by the opening. And was Max’s arrival the first time MasterBlaster saw Aunty’s periscope? I mean that’d be ridiculous of him to not block it up sooner if it isn’t. Also, what was the point of having a wheel to decide one’s fateful punishment if you’re not gonna kill him by ‘gulag’? This may be an apocalypse, but banishment doesn’t guarantee death as it would show. If you can ignore all said flaws, then I respect your taste. In short, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a moderate action film that overdoes hitting the checkmarks in wanting to feel grand. If you hold the first two films dearly to your heart, I wish you good luck getting through this. If you didn’t like this at all, watch the better films from the series that came from the 21st century.
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