Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) Mad Max 2 (original title)

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

Terry Hayes (screenplay) &
George Miller (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 May 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Ruthless... Savage... Spectacular

Plot:

In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits.

Plot Keywords:

Gasoline | Refinery | Australia | Warrior | Gang

Awards:

8 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Mel Gibson	...	Max
Bruce Spence	...	The Gyro Captain
Michael Preston	...	Pappagallo (as Mike Preston)
Max Phipps	...	the Toadie / The Toadie
Vernon Wells	...	Wez
Kjell Nilsson	...	The Humungus
Emil Minty	...	the Feral Kid / The Feral Kid
Virginia Hey	...	Warrior Woman
William Zappa	...	Zetta
Arkie Whiteley	...	The Captain's Girl
Steve J. Spears	...	Mechanic
Syd Heylen	...	Curmudgeon
Moira Claux	...	Big Rebecca
David Downer	...	Nathan
David Slingsby	...	Quiet Man
Kristoffer Greaves	...	Mechanic's Assistant
Max Fairchild	...	Broken Victim
Tyler Coppin	...	Defiant Victim
Jerry O'Sullivan	...	Golden Youth (as Jimmy Brown)
Tony Deary	...	Grinning Mohawker
Kathleen McKay	...	Victim
Guy Norris	...	Bearclaw Mohawk
Anne Jones	...	Tent Lover
James McCardell	...	Tent Lover
Harold Baigent	...	Voice of Narrator (voice)

Directed by
George Miller

Writing credits
Terry Hayes		screenplay &
George Miller		screenplay &
Brian Hannant		written by

Produced by
Byron Kennedy	....	producer

Original Music by
Brian May

Cinematography by
Dean Semler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Balson
David Stiven
Tim Wellburn

Art Direction by
Graham 'Grace' Walker		(as Graham 'Grace' Walker)

Costume Design by
Norma Moriceau

Makeup Department
Bob McCarron	....	special makeup effects
Karla O'Keefe	....	make-up artiste
Lesley Vanderwalt	....	makeup supervisor
Kathy Coultrup	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Patrick Clayton	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Clayton	....	first assistant director
Brian Hannant	....	first assistant director
Brian Hannant	....	second unit director
Phillip Hurst	....	third assistant director (as Phil Hurst)
Toivo Lember	....	second assistant director
Andrew Plain	....	additional assistant director
Mark Thomas	....	assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Steve Amezdroz	....	assistant art director
Melinda Brown	....	special props designer
Melinda Brown	....	special props maker
John Daniell	....	stand-by props
Peter De Bono	....	construction team
Philip Henderson-Wilson	....	construction team
Michael Lehmann	....	construction team
Frederick Santos	....	construction team
Dennis Smith	....	construction manager
Kerrin Stevens	....	construction stand-by
George Tsoutas	....	construction team
Pauline Walker	....	art department assistant
Pauline Walker	....	props buyer
Derek Wyness	....	construction team
George Zukiwskyj	....	construction team

Sound Department
Anne Breslin	....	assistant sound editor (as Anne Breslan)
Lloyd Carrick	....	sound recordist
Chris Goldsmith	....	boom operator
Byron Kennedy	....	sound mixer
Bruce Lamshed	....	sound mixer
Bruce Lamshed	....	supervising sound editor
Mike O'Donnell	....	assistant sound editor
Penn Robinson	....	sound editor
Roger Savage	....	sound mixer
Andrew Steuart	....	sound editor (as Andrew Stewart)
Marc van Buuren	....	sound editor (as Mark Van Buuren)
David Watts	....	sound consultant: Dolby

Special Effects by
Mark Clayton	....	special effects assistant
Jeff Clifford	....	special effects chief (as Jeffrey Clifford)
Steve Courtley	....	special effects team
Mont Fieguth	....	special effects team (as Monte Fieguth)
David Hardy	....	special effects team
Brian Hunter	....	special effects construction
Greg Mulhearn	....	special effects construction

Visual Effects by
Kim Priest	....	optical effects
Richard Wilmot	....	optical effects operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Max Aspin	....	stunt coordinator
Glenn Boswell	....	stunt team (as Glen Boswell)
Vern Dietrich	....	acrobatic stunts
Gerry Gauslaa	....	stunt team
Bob Hicks	....	stunt team
Guy Norris	....	stunt team
Kim Noyce	....	stunt team
Dennis Williams	....	stunt driver
Melissa Grillett	....	acrobatic double: Feral Boy (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Brock	....	camera assistant: second unit
Dean Bryan	....	assistant electrician
Gary Carden	....	assistant grip (as Garry Carden)
Graham Carter	....	grip: second unit
Derry Field	....	focus puller: main unit
Derry Field	....	second camera assistant: main unit
Bill Grimmond	....	second cameraman/operator: main unit
Carolyn Johns	....	still photographer
Andrew Lesnie	....	documentary cameraman
Peter Lipscombe	....	additional camera assistant: main unit
Graeme Mardell	....	key grip
Andrew McLean	....	clapper/loader
Richard Merryman	....	focus puller
John Morton	....	gaffer
Paul Moyes	....	best boy
Geoffrey Simpson	....	second unit cameraman (as Geoff Simpson)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Terri Lamera	....	wardrobe machinist (as Terry Lamera)
Shelley Lodge	....	pre-production wardrobe assistant
Pam Maling	....	wardrobe machinist
Roger Monk	....	wardrobe master
Margaret Thomas	....	wardrobe machinist

Editorial Department
Ruth Beach	....	assistant editor
Arthur Cambridge	....	colour grading
Margaret Cardin	....	negative cutting
Michael Chirgwin	....	additional editor
Philip Dickson	....	assistant editor
Les Fiddess	....	assistant editor (as Les Fiddes)
George Miller	....	additional editor
Alison Pickup	....	editor's assistant
Christopher Plowright	....	additional editor
Annabelle Sheehan	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brian May	....	conductor
Roger Savage	....	music mixed & recorded by
Brian May	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Roger Savage	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Brand	....	unit driver
Ralph Clark	....	transport manager
Sue Clark	....	unit driver
Jack Skyver	....	unit driver
Dennis Williams	....	truck precision driver

Other crew
Bill Anderson	....	mechanics team
Rosanne Andrews-Baxter	....	production coordinator
Dale Aspin	....	animal handler
Dale Aspin	....	animal trainer
Catherine Barber	....	production accountant
Linda Bates	....	producer's assistant
Dixie Betts	....	office liaison: Sydney
George Bischoff	....	mechanics team
Barry Bransen	....	motorcycle buyer
Barry Bransen	....	motorcycle mechanic
Kevin Cross	....	unit runner
Jenny Day	....	pre-production coordinator
Harvey Else	....	helicopter pilot
Ray Fowler	....	caterer
Gerry Goodwin	....	autogyro pilot
Bill Gooley	....	laboratory liaison
Hugh Gooley	....	security guard
Sandy Gore	....	dialogue coach
Arthur Henley	....	truck mechanic
John Hurrel	....	helicopter pilot
David Jeffrey	....	security guard
Stuart Johnson	....	mechanics team
Byron Kennedy	....	presenter (as Kennedy Miller)
Mardy Kennedy	....	director's pre-production assistant
Steve Knapman	....	location manager
Grant Larkin	....	traffic supervisor
Jennifer Lee-Lewes	....	accounts assistant
George Miller	....	presenter (as Kennedy Miller)
Allan Mills	....	mechanics team
Ian Mitchell	....	unit runner
Peter Moyes	....	assistant caterer
John Murch	....	mechanics team
Guy Norris	....	motorcycle mechanic
Gordon Parr	....	mechanics team
Catherine Phillips	....	producer's secretary
Linda Ray	....	continuity
Marshall Read	....	mechanics team
Clive Smith	....	mechanics team
David Thomas	....	chief car mechanic (as Dave Thomas)
Reg West	....	security guard
Athnea Willcocks	....	unit nurse
Angelika Wyness	....	unit nurse
Derek Wyness	....	security guard

Production Companies

• Kennedy Miller Entertainment (made by) (as A KENNEDY MILLER ENTERTAINMENT Production also)
• Kennedy Miller Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1981) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures An AOL Time Warner Company) (as Warner Bros. Pictures A TimeWarner Company also)
• Warner Bros. (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1982) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (1999) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Victor Michailides (1982) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2001) (Greece) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• AAV Australia  music mixed & recorded at (as A.A.V. Australia)
• AAV Australia  post-production sound (as A.A.V. Australia)
• Ansett Airlines (I)  the producers wish to thank
• Australian Army and Navy  the producers wish to thank
• Berger Paints  the producers wish to thank
• Budget Rent-a-Car  the producers wish to thank (as Budget Rent-A-Car)
• CIG Medishield  the producers wish to thank (as C.I.G.)
• Cinesound Movietone  special thanks for the use of their library footage included in the opening montage
• City and People of Broken Hill, The  special thanks (as The City and People of Broken Hill)
• Coca Cola  the producers wish to thank (as Coca-Cola)
• Dunlop Olympic Tyres  the producers wish to thank
• Electrolux  the producers wish to thank
• Film Australia  sound mixed at
• Hella  the producers wish to thank
• Hoover  the producers wish to thank
• Mack Trucks  special thanks
• Mathews Haritos  the producers wish to thank
• Mitch Consultancy  casting
• Mr. Juicy Fruit Juices  the producers wish to thank
• Nashua  the producers wish to thank
• Nikon  the producers wish to thank
• O'Brien Glass Industries  the producers wish to thank
• Optical & Graphics  titling (as Optical & Graphic)
• Philips / TMC Radio Division  the producers wish to thank
• Pics  the producers wish to thank
• Spectrum Films International  post-production facilities (uncredited)
• Spectrum Films  post-production sound
• Wormald International  the producers wish to thank

Also Known As:

"Mad Max 2" - Australia (original title)
"The Road Warrior" - USA

Runtime:

95 min | UK:96 min | USA:94 min | Argentina:96 min | Germany:87 min (heavily cut)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) (as Dolby Stereo) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1982) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | UK:X (original rating) | France:Unrated (with warning) | Brazil:16 | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:M | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | UK:18 (tv rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) (2006) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Canada:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Kennedy Miller Entertainment

Trivia:

When the gyrocopter flies off carrying 2 people, one of them is a dummy as 2 real people would have been too heavy for the machine to carry.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Max mans the flamethrower and helps turn away the marauders, there's a brief shot of him looking back into the compound. This shot is from earlier, when he was cuffed to a railing. (The crossbow turret can be seen to his left.) The flamethrower turret is to the left of the crossbow, so the crossbow should be on his right.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator:My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos. Ruined dreams. This wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called "Max". To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Midnight Run for Your Life (1994) (TV)

Concentrated testosterone, and fun

I think this may be the greatest 'car movie' ever made. The chase scenes are gritty and thrilling, and quite realistic. None of that 'car falls over cliff and blows up' crap.

In the fighting/war scenes, it plays a perfect balance between hidden action and open action, never overselling the gore nor underselling the violence.

The plot is an excuse to have a long highway battle, but I'm not complaining. It's vaguely feasible enough that you don't worry much about it, just accept it as a needed background to hang the fun stuff on. Oh, to be a stunt driver in this movie! Or even to be a mechanic! That would be a story to tell your children.

This is every driving fantasy I've ever had, and played perfectly. I know that certainly flavors my review, but tell me that movies which are cathartic for you haven't affected YOU that way?

Bottom line: thin plot, heavy action, decent characterization. Symbolism absent, directness the rule of the day. Jump on this bandwagon and ram something. Fun all the way.