Product: Mad Max (1979)
Rating: 3.0
Well-made, but not equal to its sequels.
Often cited as the one that started it all (Which could be reference towards the sequels, Gibson's successful career, or the numerous rip-offs), this low-budget actioner stars Mel Gibson as a cop pushed to the edge. With its dark tone and brutal violence, this is probably the first movie of its kind to de-glamorize car chases. Several such sequences are thrilling (Particularly the opening car chase, one of the better ones in film history) but well-crafted as it often is, the pace is snail-like, and the dialogue and scene transitions are sometimes rather silly. Still a decent set-up for the superior sequels, though.