Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConOutfest LASTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Mad Max

  • 1979
  • 14A
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
214K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,208
20
Mad Max (1979)
Accessible official trailer
Play trailer1:54
3 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionAdventureSci-Fi

In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.

  • Director
    • George Miller
  • Writers
    • James McCausland
    • George Miller
    • Byron Kennedy
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Joanne Samuel
    • Hugh Keays-Byrne
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    214K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,208
    20
    • Director
      • George Miller
    • Writers
      • James McCausland
      • George Miller
      • Byron Kennedy
    • Stars
      • Mel Gibson
      • Joanne Samuel
      • Hugh Keays-Byrne
    • 442User reviews
    • 250Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Watch Official Trailer
    Mad Max: Max Vs. Biker Gang
    Clip 2:10
    Watch Mad Max: Max Vs. Biker Gang
    Mad Max: I Am The Chosen One
    Clip 3:05
    Watch Mad Max: I Am The Chosen One

    Photos195

    Mel Gibson and Steve Bisley in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson and Joanne Samuel in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson and Joanne Samuel in Mad Max (1979)
    Hugh Keays-Byrne in Mad Max (1979)
    Joanne Samuel in Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson in Mad Max (1979)
    Mad Max (1979)
    Mel Gibson and Tim Burns in Mad Max (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mel Gibson
    Mel Gibson
    • Max
    Joanne Samuel
    Joanne Samuel
    • Jessie
    Hugh Keays-Byrne
    Hugh Keays-Byrne
    • Toecutter
    Steve Bisley
    Steve Bisley
    • Jim Goose
    Tim Burns
    Tim Burns
    • Johnny the Boy
    Roger Ward
    Roger Ward
    • Fifi
    Lisa Aldenhoven
    Lisa Aldenhoven
    • Nurse
    David Bracks
    David Bracks
    • Mudguts
    Bertrand Cadart
    Bertrand Cadart
    • Clunk
    David Cameron
    David Cameron
    • Underground Mechanic
    Robina Chaffey
    Robina Chaffey
    • Singer
    Stephen Clark
    • Sarse
    Mathew Constantine
    • Toddler
    Jerry Day
    Jerry Day
    • Ziggy
    Reg Evans
    Reg Evans
    • Station Master
    Howard Eynon
    • Diabando
    Max Fairchild
    Max Fairchild
    • Benno
    John Farndale
    • Grinner
    • Director
      • George Miller
    • Writers
      • James McCausland
      • George Miller
      • Byron Kennedy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
    7.6
    Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
    Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
    6.2
    Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
    Mad Max: Fury Road
    8.1
    Mad Max: Fury Road
    Escape from New York
    7.1
    Escape from New York
    Mad Max Motion Comic
    5.2
    Mad Max Motion Comic
    RoboCop
    7.6
    RoboCop
    Lethal Weapon
    7.6
    Lethal Weapon
    Lethal Weapon 2
    7.2
    Lethal Weapon 2
    Mad Max: The Wasteland
    Big Trouble in Little China
    7.2
    Big Trouble in Little China
    Highlander
    7.0
    Highlander
    Conan the Barbarian
    6.9
    Conan the Barbarian

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most of the extras used in the film were paid in beer.
    • Goofs
      When Jessie walks to the car Max is repairing she is wearing sneakers. When she walks around to the passenger side of the car she has on boots with sheepskin trim. When she walks off to the beach she is wearing the deck shoes again.
    • Quotes

      [the Kid is handcuffed to a car that's about to explode]

      Max: The chain in those handcuffs is high-tensile steel. It'd take you ten minutes to hack through it with this. Now, if you're lucky, you could hack through your ankle in five minutes. Go.

      [the hacksaw is dropped next to The Kid, and Max limps off]

    • Alternate versions
      The original UK cinema and certified video releases (American dub) were cut by 48 seconds by the BBFC to keep an X (18) rating and to prevent the film from being banned, as X was the highest rating. They edited the scene where the bikers tear up the hot-rod with the terrified couple inside. Instead, the scene cut to black as the bikers smashed the first window and resumed on the bird hovering overhead. Though the original uncertified 1982 video release of the American dub from Warner Home Video was released uncut, the cut was re-instated on the 1986 18-rated VHS, but was restored in 1992 when the Australian dialogue version was finally released in the UK and to all later releases with the same rating (although Warner's budget labels SCREEN CLASSICS still put out the American dub with the cut scene well into the 90s). In April 2015, the film was passed with a 15 rating uncut, because of "(the scene's) implied nature and lack of visual detail of the acts themselves". The same reason was given for passing it at 18 uncut back in 1992.
    • Connections
      Edited into Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
    • Soundtracks
      Licorice Road
      (uncredited)

      Written and Produced by Nic Gazzana

      Performed by Robina Chaffey

      Sung by Creenagh St. Clair

    User reviews442

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Mad Max, the one that launched a franchise and a hundred knock-offs.
    Mad Max (1979) is a low budget Aussie film that became a huge success in the U.S. because of it's sequel Mad Max 2 a.k.a. The Road Warrior. Not only did this movie spawned a franchise but it created a new genre of film (the post apocalyptic wasteland/road film) many rip-offs and pro wrestlers inspired by the movie and it's sequels.

    Mel Gibson (in his greatest role in my opinion) stars as "Mad" Max, a cop who has seen too much while trying to enforce the law in a dying society. After clashing with the Night Rider, he incurs the wrath of his bikie buddies Toecutter and co. Toecutter has to be one of the most scuzziest and at the same time coolest bad guys. I like the way he tries to justify him and his crew's actions. Ditto for his right-hand man Bubba. Beautiful cinematography, fast paced action and awesome stunts make this movie a winner.

    I have seen both versions of the movie (the U.S. dubbed version and the original Aussie soundtrack). For full enjoyment stick to the original version because they sound like real people, not like cartoon characters or cheesy b-movie villains. A true winner.

    Highly recommended.
    helpful•154
    58
    • Captain_Couth
    • May 31, 2004

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Movie and TV Reboots and Remakes

    Movie and TV Reboots and Remakes

    Take a side-by-side look at some of Hollywood's biggest reboots and remakes.
    See the gallery
    View image
    Photos

    FAQ10

    • What is Mad Max about?
    • I heard the negatives of this film were lost. What is the story?
    • What make. model and year interceptor is Max driving at the start of the movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 12, 1979 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bolides hurlants
    • Filming locations
      • Seaford Beach, Seaford, Victoria, Australia(Toecutter gang beach scenes)
    • Production companies
      • Kennedy Miller Productions
      • Mad Max Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $300,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,750,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,773,197
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono(original release)
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Mad Max (1979)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of Mad Max (1979) in Canada?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.