Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Starring: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence, Adam Cockburn
Directed by: George Miller, George Ogilvie
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
1985

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Max (Mel Gibson) continues to battle to survive in a post-apocalyptic Australia, this time getting caught up in Thunderdome in Bartertown, while facing off against Aunty Entity (Tina Turner).

Review:

Tim: I have always been hard on the Mad Max movies. The original one was an important movie, but not necessarily a great one. The Road Warrior was certainly an improvement an a special movie, but not necessarily a great one. Here, the trilogy is rounded out with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, a movie that doesn't quite reach the heights of the previous installment, but is still a fairly good movie.

At this point, we are familiar with the character of Max. Mel Gibson is quite good as our titular hero. He seems world-weary, but heroic. He was definitely the right actor for the role, and although it doesn't require the greatest acting effort to pull it off, he still works well here. I wasn't a massive fan of Tina Turner as Aunty Entity, but I have to admit that she did a far better job in the role than I expected.

This third Mad Max movies features a few terrific action scenes. While they don't live up to those in the previous film, they are still good in their own right. The highlight of the film has to be the Thunderdome battle. This is exciting, intense, action-packed, and thoroughly enjoyable. I love the concept of Thunderdome battles, the "Two men enter, one man leaves" chant, and just how different the whole battle sequence was. As if the action wasn't enough, the battle ends in one of the most unpredictable and surprisingly powerful ways imaginable. This whole sequence was just fantastic. That is the good news. The bad news is that the rest of the film can't quite live up to this early moment. Now, this is not to say that the rest of the movie is a disappointment. I certainly enjoyed the climactic train/car chase/battle. There were some excellent action moments here, but these scenes again paled in comparison to those in The Road Warrior.

I liked the bigger ideas this film presented. In a post-apocalyptic world, it makes sense that places like Bartertown would emerge, with their own rules and morality.I also like the village of children Max discovers, and their mistaking him for a legendary hero who would restore them to the long-lost world. These scenes change up the pace of the film, but are not unenjoyable.

Despite this film's flaws, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a fitting conclusion to a unique and important trilogy. While I probably see these movies as less amazing than many people, I wholly acknowledge the importance of them as well. I liked this third film in the franchise, and although it wasn't the best, it ended the trilogy on a good note.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Maverick, Braveheart, Lethal Weapon