Customer Reviews

Mad Max (Special Edition)

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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 playing his wife in this movie----Joanne Samuel), believable futuristic sets, plenty of action, magnificent score, memorable dialogue. It tries hard to be more than just a movie and it suceeds admirably. But now two problems with this honestly magnificent film (maybe minor problems---maybe!). One. The film looks it's made mostly for 15 year olds. I swear. It'a alot of action and emotion (too much at times) and some more story woulda really been nice in parts. Learning more about, say, Max and Jesse's marriage. Also, how civilization fell. Two. The story itelf is uneven. After the gangmember, The Knight Rider, is killed while Max (Gibson) is pursuing he (Max) is told the man's gang is out to get him. Ok. So when Max later meets up with all of them hoods it's because the gang is after him for killing the Knight Rider, right? Wrong! It's Max that is after them for incidentally (to the KnightRider's cause) killing Max's child and wife, both of whom the gang coincidentally met up with while the family of Max (and Max too) were faraway on a vacation! What happened to the gang's original plan to get Max for killing their leader? And talk about your chance meetings and it's a small world after all. These and other uneven bits (some concerning characters, like a hood called Johnny the boy) abound. Like I said story is uneven.

i think it's the best film ever! YOU WONT REGRET BUYING THIS!!

This is not the best of the Mad Max movies, but they had to start somewhere. It amazes me to know that the original "Aussie" voices were dubbed over when this film was originally released in the USA, as if they speak a different language or something.
The stunts in his movie is what keeps it watchable.

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 the point is what a great film to launch a career with. Gibson rode the tail of these movies to being one of the most sought- after action stars of the era and used it to become a force in hollywood by making films he wanted and his way with few compromises. Watch and enjoy a great actor come into his own.

MAD MAX is one of my favorite Mel Gibson movies. He's just a kid, but he comes across as genuine and ultimately vengeful. Max is a member of a black leather-clad police force in an unspecified future. He's an "interceptor", and a good one. When his partner is burned alive by a gang of insane bikers (led by the notorious "Toecutter"), Max quits the force. When his wife and child are murdered by the same gang, Max leaves his own sanity behind and becomes a killing machine, bent only on revenge. He hunts down the "Glory Riders", slaughtering them in a suped-up, black monster car, complete with a towering V8 and nitrous injection! MAD MAX deserves it's place in movie history. George Miller re-invented the high-speed chase scene. I recommend that you get a copy right this bloody minute...

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 Rockatansky before he became a shell of a man. Officer Rockatansky was a great cop, husband and father in a time when morals and quality of life were on the decline.

Some reviewers have mentioned this movie was not so "Post Apocalyptic" or high tech. I must remind you this story is set before "the world went to war", you have to pay attention to really appreciate this movie, if you do, you'll notice the Main Force (police) has only 5 or 6 cars for a whole county, a police station with giant holes on the roof, and gangs of men who have realized there is more gain by going out on the roads/towns and pillaging than in searching for non-available jobs. This is, quite simply, the beginning of the end.

I gave this one 5 Stars as this DVD has changed the way I judge other movies on DVD. The remastering process was done so well, it looks like a movie filmed in the 90's! It actually looks better/newer than my Batman and Matrix DVD's. Lots of trivia too. Something else you should know is that this movie was put together with a budget of $200k odd US dollars, volunteer riders and many rookie actors, and it still managed to become an inspiring cult classic. This was a great low budget film brought to life by the talented George Miller/Byron Kennedy team.

Watch this movie along with it's sequel The Road Warrior and you will not be disapointed, you may skip "Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome" because by the time this movie was made, Byron Kennedy, the producer to whom its dedicated, had died and Hollywood's save the -lil' childrens- big budget hype ruined the rest.

The intro to The Road Warrior best explains why this DVD is a must see...

"To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time."

from when i heard of it i thought it was going to be a good movie but instead i find a medokre movie. there are some pluses the action is cool but also ther are those horrible close ups of the eyes