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 NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • 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

  • 19791979
  • RR
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
206K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,169
192
Mad Max (1979)
Accessible official trailer
Play trailer1:54
1 Video
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.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
206K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,169
192
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • George Miller
    • Writers
      • James McCausland(screenplay)
      • George Miller(screenplay)
      • Byron Kennedy(original story)
    • Stars
      • Mel Gibson
      • Joanne Samuel
      • Hugh Keays-Byrne
    Top credits
    • Director
      • George Miller
    • Writers
      • James McCausland(screenplay)
      • George Miller(screenplay)
      • Byron Kennedy(original story)
    • Stars
      • Mel Gibson
      • Joanne Samuel
      • Hugh Keays-Byrne
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 424User reviews
    • 243Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Official Trailer

    Photos176

    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(screenplay)
      • George Miller(screenplay) (original story)
      • Byron Kennedy(original story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Road Warrior
    7.6
    The Road Warrior
    Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
    6.2
    Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
    Mad Max: Fury Road
    8.1
    Mad Max: Fury Road
    Mad Max Motion Comic
    5.2
    Mad Max Motion Comic
    Escape from New York
    7.1
    Escape from New York
    Lethal Weapon
    7.6
    Lethal Weapon
    Lethal Weapon 2
    7.2
    Lethal Weapon 2
    RoboCop
    7.6
    RoboCop
    Lethal Weapon 3
    6.7
    Lethal Weapon 3
    Conan the Barbarian
    6.9
    Conan the Barbarian
    Untitled Mad Max Project
    First Blood
    7.7
    First Blood

    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 The Road Warrior (1981)
    • Soundtracks
      Licorice Road
      (uncredited)

      Written and Produced by Nic Gazzana

      Performed by Robina Chaffey

      Sung by Creenagh St. Clair

    User reviews424

    Review
    Top review
    A sadistically fun movie
    Mel Gibson is Mad Max in, well, "Mad Max!" This is the film that made Mel an international superstar. In his starring debut, Mel plays Max, a leather-clad cop in the near future who fights to control security on the road from vicious bikers and road thugs. When the thugs lead by the psychotic Toecutter kill Max's wife and baby, our hero is livid with vengeance. Armed with his armor-plated muscle car and a sawed-off shotgun, Max wreaks turbo-powered revenge on the murderous punks.

    Though a bit dated compared with the action films we have today, "Mad Max" still stands out as a very impressive movie. For one thing, this film had a tiny budget. Well, as proven in "El Mariachi," a movie doesn't need a $1 million budget if you have a creative story and imagination. "Mad Max" stands out as a classic low-budget flick that made it big without the intense u
    helpful•34
    24
    • coverme6
    • Jun 30, 2000

    FAQ9

    • What is Mad Max about?
    • I heard the negatives of this film were lost. What is the story?
    • Are there two versions of the same film?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 21, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Pobješnjeli Max
    • Filming locations
      • Seaford Beach, Seaford, Victoria, Australia
    • 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
    • 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 Hindi language plot outline for Mad Max (1979)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign 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
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.