Mad Max (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging)

 

 

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Let's go back....way,way back.Back before the Jew-hating rants,the philandering,the ugly divorce and the numerous drunk driving charges.Back before the ugly ticking time bomb that star Mel Gibson has become now.Mad Max is Mel Gibson in his acting infancy and while it is very difficult at times to separate the actor and his career from the films,separate we must.
Trained in the more traditional classical style of stage acting(Shakespeare,etc)Gibson had debuted in films in just one role in /77 in Australia when he was offered the title role in Mad Max shortly after.Continuing working on the stage before,during and after shooting Max,Gibson,like everyone involved with the film including writer/director George Miller,were gobsmacked at the films impact.For just around a cool $1/2 million dollars,Millers' independent film company produced what would become an extremely profitable product way beyond their expectations.In fact it has pulled in to date over a $100,000,000! Gibson's career slowly lifted off the runway of mere acting mortals as he would go on to star in Gallipoli,The Year of Living Dangerously,the two sequels to Mad Max and then onto his Lethal Weapon series.And Gibson hasn't seen ground since,although some say his recent "problems" have crash landed him unceremoniously back to terra firma permanently.We shall see.
Mad Max's premise may be a simple one but it has a certain je nais sais quoi,that draws you into the story and keeps you watching.Set in a future which is decidedly bleak("dystopian" being the word often used),the film opens with an escaping convict and cop-killer called Night Rider,that is being doggedly pursued by the constabulary,this being the MFP(Main Force Patrol).Two MFP cars can't get the job done so it is up to their leather clad top pursuit man Max to get their man.And get him he does which ends with the convicts death in a fiery crash.
The scene switches to a motorcycle gang which the now deceased Nightrider was a member of.The body of their former comrade is at a train station in a small town,which they are there to collect.However a young couple watching some of the mayhem some of the gang members are unleashing decide to make a run for it in their car.The gang's boss man Toecutter(played delicously by Hugh Keays Burn)sees them and order all bodies to hunt them down.They easily overwhelm the couple and one member decides to stay behind and have some fun with the female of the two.He is caught later at the scene by Max and his partner Jim,alias The Goose(Steve Bisley)and taken to be arraigned on charges.No sooner have they got their man than they have to let him go;no one turns out as a witness.
The gang has a long memory and they eventually take out The Goose while he is trapped upside down in his vehicle as the result of a crash.Max is beside himself and he decides to retire.He turns in his resignation but his boss tells him to take some time off and then come back to reconsider.This he does with his wife and baby who go on an extended car trip around the countryside.While getting a tire fixed his wife goes to a nearby store to get some ice cream but its molested by none other than Toe Cutter and his gang.She barely escapes and they flee the area.They end up at a relatives farm but the gang has followed them there.While coming back from the beach through some woods Max's wife is being chased and he hears her screams.She manages to reach Max who whisks her into the house while he goes in search of the perps.However they have done a runaround and are waiting at the farmhouse.Wifey flees but her car has been tampered with and as she runs away from her broken down vehicle,baby in arms,the motorcycle gang run her down in the middle of the road.Arriving at the scene too late Max is filled with rage.He returns home with one thing on his mind;vengeance.He re-suits up,gets an even more jacked-up pursuit car and heads out to get his pound of flesh.He dispatches the gang members first in a group then he goes after the two important ones;Toecutter and the guy who killed his partner;in that order.Toecutter gets his kissing the front grill of a semi,while Max hand cuffs the other one to an overturned truck,dripping petrol.He rigs a little something up set to explode in a short time and gives him a hack saw.He tells him he can either cut through the hand cuffs in about ten minutes or saw his handcuffed ankle off,which should take about five(shades of "Saw"!).The last shot of the movie is from the front hood of the car looking back at Max and the scene behind as he drives away.Of course the inevitable explosion occurs with the audience yelling an in-tandem"Yesss!".But Max's face is not smiling;it's full of angst,pain and the memories of the past 24 hours as he drives off to......who knows where? Fade out.
As I mentioned before while this story may be simplistic at times,and while there are many moments that reveal its' low budget roots,this a movie you just cannot stop watching.Just when other lesser films would fade into some irrelevant love scene or other padding,this one has that hook that just won't let you walk away.You often wonder what is going to happen after such and such a moment and you may even KNOW what is going to happen,but it makes no difference.The film's rawness and punch always keeps itself on track.There are no apologies here and some of the more violent scenes are what they are because they BELONG there.
This DVD set comes packaged with the Blue Ray disc also.The Blue Ray is a single sided disc while the DVD version is a dreaded two-sided double disc,and is on the bottom holder of the two.One side contains the film,in TWO versions:widescreen(2:35:1) and full screen.The other side is devoted to features only.Specials include:commentary,a special Max Facts track,photo gallery,TV spots,original trailers and two featurettes,one on Gibson career and the other about the Mad Max phenomenon itself.The Blu Ray disc has only the film,commentary and the Mad max phenom featurette.
The film itself has restored Gibsons voice which was dubbed over in later versions and some cut footage.It now runs closer to 91 minutes than the previous 88.The transfer is beautiful and the print they use here is pristine.This is Mad Max they way it was always intended to be shown.
In short this career starting,adrenaline pumping Mel Gibson vehicle from /79 is a winner all the way.Sure it's an indie film and shows its' slip more times than not but its' compelling storyline will have you riveted to the screen from beginning to the end.As the first of three Mad Max films(a fourth is said to be in the works!),it is a must have.

A rookie director, a dirt poor budget, and a no name cast didn't stop Mad Max from becoming one of the most revered action films of all time. A pre fame Mel Gibson stars as cop Max Rockatansky in a post-apocalyptic future where he, his buddy partner, and his wife and child, try to maintain a sense of civilization while ruthless biker gangs rule the road. When his family is slaughtered, Max goes over the edge, and the movie manages to get better and better. MGM has thankfully released Mad Max the way it was meant to be seen on DVD, with the original Australian language track restored in place of the dubbed American accents that were infamously incorporated into the film for years on home video and television. The stunt work of the film is a definite highlight, as is the young Gibson's performance as the hell bent for vengeance Max. Two sequels would follow, the first of which entitled The Road Warrior, managed to surpass this film and remains what many consider the greatest action movie ever made.

The first movie in the series is good, but, Road Warrior is better. but does that mean it`s bad? Heck no! This is actually one of the best of the sci-fi genre.
It`s about this guy named Max, (duh!) who gets pissed at this motorcycle gang for killing his friend and family and seeks his hellish revenge.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Give the master some respect for early work too...
Come on people... If you liked the Lethal Weapon Series, you will enjoy the Mad Max Series. Remember that this film had almost no budget or high profile actors(at the time), so... Read more

Published on Jun 25 2004 by Charlie1701

3.0 out of 5 stars Mel Gibson + tight leather trousers = HELLO!!!
Who wouldn't watch a movie that had Mel Gibson wearing obscenely tight leather trousers, and looking scarily young? Read more

Published on May 12 2004 by Meesha

5.0 out of 5 stars That Car, That Beautiful Car!
MAD MAX is one of my favorite Mel Gibson movies. He's just a kid, but he comes across as genuine and ultimately vengeful. Read more

Published on Feb 24 2004 by Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein

4.0 out of 5 stars TOTAL TRUTH ABOUT THIS HIT FILM
It is a great movie. Just about the best of it's kind ever mind. Has bravura performances (yeah Gibson's great acting in it but how about some kudos for the nice looking chick... Read more

Published on Jan 15 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for Mel Gibson, three for the movie
I like the _Mad Max_ series, but I think the two sequels are better movies than this one.

It's not that it's _bad_. Read more

Published on Dec 28 2003 by John S. Ryan

5.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of the end...
This movie sets up the stage for what is to later become Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. If you're a fan of The Road Warrior then You owe it to yourself to see the original Max... Read more

Published on Oct 12 2003 by A. MARCELI

3.0 out of 5 stars an ok action movie
from when i heard of it i thought it was going to be a good movie but instead i find a medokre movie. Read more

Published on Oct 1 2003 by Scott Clarkin

4.0 out of 5 stars mad max
i think it's the best film ever! YOU WONT REGRET BUYING THIS!!

Published on Aug 13 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars This film is horrible
As a fan of post-apocalyptic movies, I must say that this movie is as far from post-apocalyptic as a post-apocalyptic movie can get. Read more

Published on Aug 10 2003 by deathydude

3.0 out of 5 stars *** 3.6 / 5 [B]
In 1981, THE ROAD WARRIOR was released in to the United States and became an instant hit, but George Miller's story of angry cop Max begins with his 1979 classic MAD MAX. Read more

Published on Aug 7 2003 by Tom Benton

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