Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

When I first saw Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, I felt disappointed. It was a letdown from its amazing predecessor. I knew its reputation as an unworthy sequel, but I still realized there was something good about it, something I had never heard from other people's points of view.

It wasn't until some time later when I watched the series a second time that I noticed what it was.

Those who think MMBT is not as exciting as The Road Warrior would be right. But those that think MMBT sucks because it is not as exciting as The Road Warrior would be missing the point. What makes MMBT a worthy sequel is its way of establishing a greater scope of the setting the series takes place in. The dredges of civilization were what set the stage for the series in the original Mad Max. The barren world of desert wastelands and sparse outposts take the idea of a post-apocalyptic world one step further in The Road Warrior. A squalid setting such as Bartertown and an oasis where the tribe of children lived in MMBT once again builds on the elaborate fantasy that makes the series as popular as it is. The final, chilling realization of just what became of civilization in the closing moments of the movie are more than enough explanation as to why the the world the viewer sees in the trilogy is the way it is.

I was too young when I first saw MMBT to understand this. It wouldn't be until I saw it again some time later, with more movie-viewing experience under my belt that I realized that what makes Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome tick is not action set pieces, but a far more subtle approach of atmospheric setting.

Who could not love this movie? It's got more imagination than five average postbomb flicks, incredible visual design, enough alternate societies with enough backstory apiece for three more movies (including an aboriginal clan who look like Peter Pan's Lost Boys and speak a dialect you'll be copying for days after you see it), car chases, amazing costumes, one of the most original death-duel sequences ever, Tina Turner, *and* Mel Gibson! I mean, goddamn, what more do you want? I personally want another movie just set in Bartertown AND a movie that follows what happens to Anna Goanna and her clan, and they don't even have to have Mel Gibson in them - that's how rich I think the imaginative depth of this movie is. I like it more every time I see it. Genuinely something special.

This will be silly and disjointed for those who found the second mean and rampaging. Spielberg had intervened in popular imagination, so there's a kid friendly dash of Indiana Jones along with some Lone Ranger. But from Mad Max I come away with two things, the narrative edges of world we discover and the cinematic action of the chase.

I don't take to the Bartertown portion of the film, it may be closer to Road Warrior in spirit but all I see here is rushed spectacle intended for a boorish audience, contraptions. We do see a bit more of the Max world around this place but not in any way I care for. It feels like this part was bolted on when they decided to turn a separate script into a Mad Max movie.

No, I find myself oddly captivated by the Lord of the Flies portion. There are glimmers of magic for me in the way the narrative of something that crashed from the skies one day has been preserved in the minds of kids. The way it's revealed through a screen that frames remnants of half- remembered story, the chorus of awestruck kids for whom all of this has profound meaning.

It does open up a window to a whole swathe of Max world but this time with deep feeling, as myth the kids have vowed to keep in memory and bide their time for. Sure, we are in Goonies territory and again in the end with the city, but there's hushed yearning here, an almost Biblical kind.

The rest is in the big chase, a train this time, briefer than usual and over before it really exhilarates, as if more by obligation than real affinity for it. They would eventually build a whole other film around it, extending it to an entire circus around the rig, but that would have to wait for 30 years.

This stirring movie in comic-strip style is packed with unbelievable car stunts , thrills, chills and noisy action . Violent movie about a futuristic road-warrior cop with high-velocity action and kinetic energy . This classic is set a few years from now , a dangerous, desolate post-industrial future world where rules the strongest law . It concerns about the exploits and feats of an ex-police named Max (Mel Gibson) on the apocalyptic future world . Being stolen of his possessions by Jeddeiah (Bruce Spence) and his son while walking through the Australian outback , Max heads toward a remote city called Bartertown , a post-nuclear location full of kind of criminals and governed by Aunt Entity (Tina Turner). Bartertown runs on methane gas, which is produced from pig feces by prisoner-slaves. All methane comes from an underground cavern, Underworld . Max is forced to fight against Master Blaster on behalf of Aunt Entity in order that she gains whole control of the town . Max survives a battle-to-the-death in Roman style Thunderdome arena . But when the combat is over he is thrown back out into the solitary desert . Exiled Mad Max meets a group of orphans, the only survivors of a plane crash during the nuclear war . The group of children and teens is living as a strange commune ( similarly to ¨William Golding's Lord of flies¨) and take to Max as their Messiah named the 'Captain Walker' . Max says them that he's not Captain Walker and that civilization is gone , wiped out by the nuclear apocalypse . Later on , Mad Max along with them returns Bartertown to confront cutthroats and the revenge takes place . Max and the group wreak havoc on the city and escape from fortress but vengeance will be terrible and bands of depraved crazies thirsty for blood pursue them . They are besieged by motorized warlords and they'll have to fight against the cutthroats , a band of depraved crazies thirsty for blood and survive some battles to-the-death with lots of blood and gore, including throating-slit , beheading , impaling and blow up.

This exciting picture packs kinetic action , thrills, chills , tension and abundant violence . Spectacular stunt-work plenty of fights , motorcycle races , cars with bounds and leaps and explosions . The picture is divided in three parts : the first happens on the boisterous city of Bartertown , the second on the sunny desert with metaphysical moments and Max surrounded by children and third , the conclusion , again on Bartertown and the subsequent getaway in ¨Mad Max 2¨ style . Top-notch Mel Gibson as road warrior at one of his first main roles , he embarks a spectacular adventure against vicious murderous and with some philosophical moments . Weird roles and fantastic atmosphere combine with stunning action scenes in this remarkable action film that completes perfectly the excellent trilogy . Rumbling score fitting to action by Maurice Jarre and emotive music including chores when are developed the scenes of the children . Special and weird futuristic atmosphere created by cameraman Dean Semler who reflects splendidly the barren outdoors . The motion picture is stunningly directed by George Miller ( and George Ogilvi) , author of the excellent post-apocalypse ¨Mad Max¨ trilogy along with the writer and producer Byron Kennedy . It's followed by numerous imitations as the recent ¨Doomsday¨(2008, Neal Marshall), rip offs, and exploitations ,especially Italians products . Rating : Good, better than average , the Mad Max trilogy result to be the most successful Aussie movies of all time . This remarkable action film will appeal to Science Fiction buffs. Rating : 7 , Above average. Well worth watching.

Why why why did someone think it was a good idea to fill Max Max 3 with a bunch of annoying kids? Its like half way through the movie the crew was switched and they thought they were making Oliver!

Such a horrible way to end a most amazing trilogy.

Max goes from road warrior to babysitter.

Still any Max is better than no Max.