In these dystopian times, it’s always comforting to think “It could always be worse.” Worse, in this case, are two Mad Max movies: The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Civilization has collapsed and anarchy rules.
In The Road Warrior Mad Max, played my Mel Gibson, reluctantly helps an lonely colony surrounded by a savage biker gang. In Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome we’re treated to Tina Turner running a gladiatorial arena complete with chainsaws! Yes, the coronavirus pandemic is bad, but these Futures are much, much worse!
Are we facing the End Times as some of our religious friends warn us? Are things going to get better…or worse? Should we all start practicing our chainsaw skills? GRADE: B+ (for both movies)
No Mad Max? The original 3 should be watched in order. I’m a big fan but out of the 4 films so far Thunderdome is by far the weakest. I hope these weren’t the transfers you watched. They are not very good. I would give Road Warrior A. Thundetdome B-.
Steve, I have a copy of MAD MAX around here somewhere. This DVD looks okay, but I would upgrade to a Blu-ray version if I run across one.
ROAD WARRIOR is definitely the best, as Steve said. I liked MAD MAX too.
Not quite ready to get the chainsaw ready, but things are definitely not normal, and we have The Very Stable Genius to blame for most of that. Instead of leading the country and bringing people together by being a good example, he is – as always – trying to divide and stir up as much fear and hatred as will get him re-elected.
Jeff, Trump’s Twitter storm over the weekend shows vividly how unstable he really is.
Chainsaw fighting?
Armageddon the Hell outa here!
Dan, things are bad. But MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME demonstrates that Things Can Always Get Worse. Rev up those chainsaws!
Since I haven’t seen any of the Mad Max movies since the original release dates my memory of them is pretty shaky. Pretty sure I liked the first three but thought “Fury Road” suffered from being all action and no discernible plot, somewhat like the second John Wick movie. The Wick series made a nice recovery in the third one, and I hope this series can do the same in the fifth entry if there is one.
I’m not at all optimistic about the future of this country. For us to even have a chance Trump must be soundly defeated and the loathsome GOP has to be completely eradicated. Even if that happens I’d only give us a 50% chance of survival.
Michael, the coronavirus pandemic revealed the social and health disparities in America. Gerrymandered districts, voter suppression, and rampant disinformation distort democracy in America. Who can fix it?
Things can only get worse real fast, or things can only get better very slowly. President Wackadoodle and his ilk need to be voted out if we have any chance at the latter.
Jerry, Trump’s attacks on Absentee Voting shows that there will be “problems” with the 2020 Elections in November. If Trump loses, he’ll claim the Election was “rigged.”
And now it appears he has some trouble standing. And that the 100, 000 deaths is probably 30, 000 less than it really is.
Patti, Trump is shaky–physically and mentally.
The Mad Max series followed much the same trajectory as the Sergio Leone “trilogy” with Clint Eastwood did in the ’60s. First installment constrained by a small budget but demonstrating style and talent. Second installment benefitting from a larger budget and stronger characters. Third one essentially repeating and refining the elements of the first two, but on a significantly more lavish scale. I suppose that FURY ROAD is the ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST of the series. ROAD WARRIOR remains the best of the four. My reaction to FURY ROAD was probably tempered by the fact that the sound-system in the theater blasted out my eardrums for the two-plus hours of running time. Liked Tom Hardy’s performance though. I think we’re closer to Mad Max’s world than we’d want to think. News blips of idiots cramming bars and beaches over the weekend, cheered on by Thumper, were infuriating.
Fred, your analysis is right on the money. I regard THE ROAD WARRIOR as the best movie in the MAD MAX series. I did like FURY ROAD and hope Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron return in a sequel although it seems like Hollywood is shut down right now. As far as the crowded beaches and bars are concerned, I suppose Natural Selection will sort that out.
Fred I had to stop and go back at your Thumper comment. I was immortalized by Harlan Coben giving me the nickname of thumper in his book deal breaker. Don Standstrom was mad at it but I got a kick out of it.
When/if the pos in the wh is defeated, I predict mass riots etc. He’ll stir up his feral supporters (like one of my cousins) and get a civil war started. I’m guessing he’ll have to be forced out of the WH, but I wonder whether melania will leave him or wait for his melt down.
Even if Biden wins, we need to keep the house and take back the senate.
Maggie, my Election Dream is that Trump and Moscow Mitch both lose.
You’ve posted on these Mad Max films before, and I wasn’t the least bit interested then, nor am I now. I don’t understand the appeal at all.
I’ve tried to ignore the Dufus as much as possible, but it seems his cult base loves him more with each weird thing he does. He may get re-elected, and I fear that.
Rick, the only Mad Max movie I’ve blogged about before this was MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (http://georgekelley.org/mad-max-fury-road/). Trump’s base doesn’t care what nutty things he does or says so yes he could win in November. Plus Biden is prone to put his foot in his mouth on a regular basis.
I cannot even remember the last time I saw these films. I do remember that I saw Beyond Thunderdome at the Drive In theater as a teenager.
Not sure how I would feel they stand up today, but I did like them.
Mary and I have unofficially started a Summer Blockbuster season, going back to re-view some of the older blockbuster films we know we liked. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl over the weekend and Alien last night. Pirates was as entertaining as I remember it, though it doesn’t make me want to watch any of the sequels again. Alien is understandably dated and the build up of suspense is not on the same level as some well-done classic films or how the movie would be made today, but it is still good and a great and necessary lead-in to the best of the franchise, Aliens.
Carl, I loved ALIEN the first time I saw it. I’ve seen it a few more times, but as you note it’s dated. I liked the first PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie but things went downhill from there. I like your idea of SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERs!
Aliens, Gladiator, Master and Commander are three I know of for certain that I want to get to again over the summer.
Carl, clearly you’re a Russell Crowe fan.
Not seeing Dick Powell in Murder My Sweet on that list, Carl.
That Dick Powell move does sound like I would like it. Mary and I love old movies.
I like several of Crowe’s films, don’t like others so much.