Product: Mad Max (1979)
Rating: 5.0
Fantastic plot, good acting, amazing stunts, constuming, and vehicles
For those NaySayers that give this movie anything less than 4 stars, are you off your rocker? This movie was put together for $100,000, by ametuer actors and directors. It grossed $100 million worldwide in the last 30 years. It did this with few special effects, no computer graphics, no high paid superstar actors... It did it with a compelling plot, convincing acting, great character development, we can identify with the characters and their motivations, awesome vehicles, car chases (some of the best ever on the big screen) and stunts and it scores and A for creativity, especially the ending! Just thinking about it there are at least a few of the most amazing car chases ever, only to be outdone by RW. Aside from its sequel, The Road Warrior (which I would give 6 stars if possible), it's difficult to think of better post apocolypic or car chase movies that also have good acting and a real plot and character development. Can you even think of a cooler car than Max's V8? The other yellow and blue police cars are also so sweet.As for this one and RW, they were copied countless times which is impressive to say the least. For the movies weaknesses: RW avoided "dating" itself by disguising the cars and clothing so it couldn't be pinned on any specific date whereas Mad Max falls into the trap of appearing to take place in the 70's due to the clothing and autos and bikes. Some have complained about the dubbing. I have both versions, which are on this DVD, and actually prefer the American version over the Australian version. Either is fine though, honestly. Some say the movie is slow. In rebuttal, the slowness occurs in the middle and is character development, showing the bond between Max and his wife before she is murdered, to further explain why he goes after the biker gang to extract revenge and also to help the viewer like Jessie as a charater. If you took that out the viewer wouldn't be able to identify with the young mom, his love for her, and her brutal murder wouldn't be as powerful. I think the film wouldn't be as solid if you took that part out. Others have complained that the 'post apocolypic' world isn't nearly barren enough. To rebut that, it's very realistic and hints at the gradual downfall of man. We're witnesses the progression. Maybe some bombs have fallen somewhere else, maybe not. It's never explained but it's clear that there is alot of chaos. The fact that the viewer has to "think" for a moment, rather than being spoonfed exactly what happened, it an asset to this movie. The movie leaves it open to your imagination to tie it with the current world. Maybe it's nukes elsewhere, maybe oil shocks have tightened the grip of oil and has ruined the economy, maybe it's a global war not directly affecting this region and most able bodied men have enlisted, maybe it's biological weapons elsewhere... we just don't know, nor is it important to the storyline. Things are just really bad and society has decayed and that's all that's important. Civilization is in the process of decay. There are few cops left (presumably they've been killed or quit and not replaced, or left to fight a war and Max stayed because of his family), the highways are dangerous and overrun with gangs most people stay off the roads, the police station is in ruins and a state of disarray inside, etc. As for the viewer that said this movie was pointless, I don't understand his comment... This movie has as much "point" as any other movie. It's entertaining and thought provoking. And, unlike so many others, it's got a good plot, good acting, and phenominal stunts and car chases. An all time great made 30 years ago.