Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

As summer begins to fade, and after a short break, my venture into the Mad Max series continues with its most iconic entry, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. This had been circling around on my radar for some time now and so with it on TCM recently I had no excuse not see what it was all about. 

Like some, I saw Fury Road first and was a little surprised at how different the 1979 Max Max was in comparison to the post-apocalyptic action chase film. The first one started off as an eerie Aussie crime thriller that gradually became much darker as it went along and was a great film. The Road Warrior continues with Mel Gibson's Max travelling across the Australian(?) outback following an apocalypse of sorts, trading biker gangs for crazy psychopaths.    

We start with a Max being pursued mid-chase and its not long before he faces the choice between collaborating with survivors or finding his own way through the harsh landscape. It's very similar to what Tom Hardy faced, but there's enough difference between the two to keep things fresh and exciting. Really helping the film this time around is a much larger budget and, for 1981, the film looks visually amazing with a considerably larger scope. 

Of course it would not be Mad Max without car chases and this boasts one of the best towards the end, to the point more people will have seen it on Youtube than the entire film itself. But car chases can mean nothing without an experienced hand at the wheel and George Miller returns showing how you can go bigger and better without sacrificing the story. 

Should you check this film out? Yes, for any fan of Tom Hardy's version, there is lots to enjoy here and Mel Gibson offers another impressive role even if he's not the most popular person at the moment. My only regret now is that I'm left with the what is known as the weakest in the series. Maybe one day I will give it ago but regardless, Miller has still provided three fantastic films well worth watching.