This was the film which helped to kick start the entire post-apocalyptic wave of films which swept the world in the early '80s along with the sequel. Director George Miller uses every penny of the admittedly low budget to really deliver us the goods when it comes to action. There are lots of chase sequences and crashes, both motorbikes and cars. The large cult following is mainly down to the various high-powered vehicles on show, especially the special nitro-fuelled super car that Gibson uses at the end of the film to track down the enemies.
However I was surprised at the pacing of the film. It starts off well but things slow down a little in the middle, with not much happening at all. For instance, Gibson actually only becomes 'mad' right at the end of the film, for fifteen minutes, and half an hour is taken up with unnecessary dialogue and scene building with unimportant characters. It's not bad but not gripping either; I guess Miller was still learning the ropes. The plot is nothing new, and the futuristic setting only serves to make a little difference from the old revenge theme, used so much in Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, and films with about a hundred other action stars.
The acting is all amateurish on the part of the biker gang, and real bikers were actually used as extras. The main baddie just seems too soft to be really scary, although the unusual characters are interesting to watch. I suppose that with Gibson being the only 'name' star (and he wasn't back then, either), the acting is forgivable. At least it's adequate and the actors and actresses acquit themselves with their respective parts well. Gibson, who went on to become a huge success with the LETHAL WEAPON films, is good in the part of Max, and it's surprising to see (well, hear) how strong his Aussie accent was back then.
The film is worth watching due to the eccentricity of the characters. MAD MAX is full of oddball people, familiar to viewers of low-budget cult Australian films like RAZORBACK and DEATH WARMED UP. The comedy aspect is also high, with lots of laughs and jokes thrown in with the action. However action fans should go for MAD MAX 2, as it serves up a lot more action a lot more satisfyingly. I found this film to be not as good as I'd hoped, but different enough to be interesting, and the revenge formula certainly works despite the obvious budgetary constraints.
However I was surprised at the pacing of the film. It starts off well but things slow down a little in the middle, with not much happening at all. For instance, Gibson actually only becomes 'mad' right at the end of the film, for fifteen minutes, and half an hour is taken up with unnecessary dialogue and scene building with unimportant characters. It's not bad but not gripping either; I guess Miller was still learning the ropes. The plot is nothing new, and the futuristic setting only serves to make a little difference from the old revenge theme, used so much in Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, and films with about a hundred other action stars.
The acting is all amateurish on the part of the biker gang, and real bikers were actually used as extras. The main baddie just seems too soft to be really scary, although the unusual characters are interesting to watch. I suppose that with Gibson being the only 'name' star (and he wasn't back then, either), the acting is forgivable. At least it's adequate and the actors and actresses acquit themselves with their respective parts well. Gibson, who went on to become a huge success with the LETHAL WEAPON films, is good in the part of Max, and it's surprising to see (well, hear) how strong his Aussie accent was back then.
The film is worth watching due to the eccentricity of the characters. MAD MAX is full of oddball people, familiar to viewers of low-budget cult Australian films like RAZORBACK and DEATH WARMED UP. The comedy aspect is also high, with lots of laughs and jokes thrown in with the action. However action fans should go for MAD MAX 2, as it serves up a lot more action a lot more satisfyingly. I found this film to be not as good as I'd hoped, but different enough to be interesting, and the revenge formula certainly works despite the obvious budgetary constraints.