Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or in a barren wasteland, as it were), you will have heard of an Australian film franchise by the name of Mad Max. It’s a franchise I’ve always been aware of but never taken the time to sit down and digest. With the recent release of the latest instalment, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I decided to finally take a seat and make my way through the original trilogy and the reboot. I don’t really know what to expect going in, other than car chases, stunts and a guy called Max in a post-apocalyptic world, and truth be told, I’m half expecting to not really be my cup of tea. But let’s not judge a car by its chrome. I’m open to what co-creator/director George Miller has in store.

Mad Max (1979)
Director: George Miller
4/5

This opener to the franchise was not what I expected, but it was neither better nor worse, it was just different. In a post-apocalyptic near-future Australia that’s very dystopian, a highway patrol officer for the (stagnating) Main Force Patrol (MFP) named Max (Mel Gibson) lives as well as he can with his wife and kid. The officers and general remaining populus in a rural area are plagued by a motorbike gang, and eventually Max has to go gunning for them. Going in, all I assumed about the main character, Max, was that he was pissed off about something, owing to the Mad part of the title, but he was rather the opposite until the last ten/fifteen minutes. It was not as intense as I expected, considering the marketing I’ve seen for all other instalments in the franchise, but it does set the story up for the series, or at least the character of Max, quite well (in hindsight, after watching Mad Max 2). I’d almost not consider it to be a Mad Max film, funnily enough, as it plays out more like a prologue than an actual entry into the main concept of what Mad Max is. We are given an understanding of who Max is and why, I assume, he will go on to do the things he does in the future films. Overall, I’m impressed by the setting, stunts, characters and the plot as an introduction to the series, even if I’m confused as to why it’s/he’s called ‘Mad’ Max (he’s not crazy, but I guess he could be mad at… some stuff… by the end of the movie).

Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior) (1981)
Director: George Miller
4/5

Now THAT’S more like it. This film is exactly what I expected a Mad Max film to be. Max is now out by himself, roaming the Australian outback, until he comes across a compound of settlers and gets involved in their skirmishes with a group of marauders. The stunts are on another level, meaning the budget must have been much higher for this sequel, and the costuming and overall production value is excellent, particularly for the late 70s/early 80s. The characters are likeable and interesting, particularly Max, now that he’s grown a bigger pair, and the story is decent enough to warrant being on-par with its predecessor. I think this film has and will continue to stand the test of time – it’s clear to see that many other dystopian/apocalyptic-future films (and books, games and TV shows) have taken their cues from Mad Max. I still don’t really know why he’s MAD Max… he doesn’t really seem all that angry… perhaps it’s less him and the world around him?

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Directors: George Miller, George Ogilvie
3/5

I enjoyed this one, not quite as much as the previous two, and for different reasons, but it had its moments. It’s clear to see at this point how the films are depicting how the world has progressed (or deteriorated, depending on how you look at it) since civilisation was set back a few thousand years. Max has found himself at a trading post called Bartertown, and once again he’s got to fight for his survival. Later, he finds himself amongst a community of children and teenagers, who he ends up assisting for one reason or another. It’s got a similar vibe to The Road Warrior, but the sets and costumes have progressed exponentially, not to mention the casting, with a certain Ms. Tina Turner in a starring role. The stunts however have taken more of a backseat, as has any real plot, to make way for more exposition on how apocalyptic Australia is faring in general. The scenes with the youngsters was giving Hook and a little Lord of the Flies vibes. It’s a fun entry to the franchise, but it’s lost some of its je ne sais quoi at this point.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Director: George Miller
4/5

This entry continues the trend of the world further devolving into a state of madness and organised chaos combined with a desperate scramble for survival. Max (now portrayed by Tom Hardy) continues to wander the barren wasteland until he is captured and used as a one-man blood bank. When he becomes a personal travel-blood-bank, he is able to escape and ends up helping some women who are on the run from a tyrant. Fury Road really proves George Miller to be a visionary, as he makes use of more modern visual effects and technology/machinery while retaining the essence of what Mad Max is as a production full of stunts that is balanced with meaningful characters and their clear goals in the film. It’s not an easy thing to do, “rebooting” a 30+ year-old franchise and doing it so successfully; it’s quite rare, in fact, as is bringing back the original co-creator/director rather than going with someone “younger” or more “relevant”. The overall production is on a much grander scale and is generally a real visual treat (and someone really went for it with the colour saturation, thankfully, because it really makes the scenes pop). It’s also interesting to not have Max as the focus of the film – he may be the titular character, but it’s not really about him anymore. The world of Mad Max is expanding beyond its humble beginnings, and rightly so. A most enjoyable kickstart to the franchise this side of the year 2000.

After a slow but enjoyable start, the Mad Max franchise has certainly held its own over the years. From Mel Gibson’s initial portrayal that pulled audiences into Max’s mad world, to the more well-known actors cast in future instalments, it’s got a clear progression that steadily shows how people are surviving in the post-apocalyptic world as they rebuild all kinds of communities. Without that, it would just be known for being a visual franchise that lacked depth and character. Much of that is owed to Miller, I think, for staying true to the core of Mad Max and not allowing studios to ruin what he has built. Audiences can feel quite attached to Max by the end of Mad Max 2, root for him in Thunderdome, and just enjoy his understated presence in Fury Road while the world expands around him. I’m a little hesitant about Furiosa, with it being the series’ first spin-off, but it is probably about time Max was dropped from the main title, now that the larger world is being explored.
Check out the full review for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga here.