In Mad Max 2, the world is now a desolate place. Thanks to a global war, civilisation has all but evaporated, motor vehicles are essential for survival, and fuel is a prized commodity.
Travelling up and down the outback roads of Australia is former cop, Max Rockatansky. Since his wife and son passed away, Max has become a fairly solitary figure, who moves from place to place searching for food and gas.
One day, after outmanoeuvring a vicious gang, Max crosses paths with a pilot. The pilot attempts to ambush Max, but he fails and is quickly overpowered.
Pleading for his life, the pilot presents Max with a deal. If he spares the pilot, he will lead Max to the location of a compound which includes a working oil refinery.
The two agree a deal and it isn’t long before Max is at the compound. However, Max soon finds he has more problems on his hand when he gets caught up in a battle between a gang of marauders and the settlers at the compound.
Directed and co-written by George Miller, Mad Max 2 stars Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Mike Preston, Max Phipps, Virginia Hey, and Vernon Wells. The film is the second entry in the Mad Max movie series and picks up a short while after the events of 1979’s Mad Max.
Although, if you originally watched this film in the US at the time of its release, you would be forgiven for not knowing this movie was actually sequel. When Warner Bros. put Mad Max 2 into cinemas in 1981 they changed the title to The Road Warrior and essentially ignored any connection to its predecessor.
Was that a problem? No, because while Mad Max 2 does continue Max’s story, it is more-or-less a standalone tale.
With the exception of a couple of black-and-white clips at the beginning of the film, which are lifted from Mad Max and inserted into a montage sequence, Mad Max 2 is its own thing. It requires no prior knowledge of the previous film, all you really need to know is the world has gone to sh*t and Max is doing his best to survive.
What else should you know? Well, it’s also worth knowing Mad Max 2 is often referred to as the best Mad Max film out of the three entries starring Mel Gibson.
Does it deserve this status? Yes, it does, although I personally have a huge soft spot for Mad Max.
The reason Mad Max 2 is held in high regard is because it is a more confident, more polished film than its predecessor, and just a bloody good movie in its own right. Mad Max 2 is bold, dynamic, action-packed and thrilling, and it moves along at break-neck speed.
There isn’t a great deal of story or plot development in Mad Max 2, yet it never runs out of juice. The first hour ticks along pretty rapidly, as Max befriends the settlers in the compound, while the final 30-minutes is reserved for action and spectacle, with Max proving his heroic mettle as he battles the marauders.
The last 15-minutes includes a chase sequence with a tanker truck and a collection of cars and bikes which wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of Wacky Races. There’s fire, explosions, and Farscape’s Virginia Hey brandishing a crossbow, and it is all excellent stuff!
It’s all very dramatic, thoroughly engaging, thrilling and tense. There’s also nothing (and I mean NOTHING) more exciting than seeing actor Vernon Wells stood on top of the tanker with his arse out, while sporting a mohawk and chaps.
Oh, yeah, I’ve yet to mention that following the rough and ready costumes in the first film, things have been cranked up to the… erm… max in Mad Max 2. We’re now in full post-apocalyptic mode, which means S&M gear, including straps, chains, and gimp masks.
Outside of the above, Mad Max 2 boasts a superb music score from composer Brian May (not that one), and an excellent performance from Mel Gibson. Gibbo was decent in Mad Max, but he is much better in Mad Max 2.
He may not have bucket loads of dialogue, but Gibson conveys a great deal of emotion through his physical performance and mannerisms. He sells every scene, whether he’s thundering down the highway in his car or sitting around a campfire eating dog food out of a tin.
In a post-apocalyptic world dog food is considered a decent meal, so you may wish to stock up on cans of Pedigree Chum for the future. If it all tastes as good as Gibson has us believe, we can all be living like kings when the end times come a-calling.
Although Mad Max is a big favourite of mine, there’s no denying Mad Max 2 has the edge on its predecessor. It’s bigger and more expressive, with wider brushstrokes and clearly more budget.
The first film was an example of what can be done with an idea and a lot of passion, while Mad Max 2 is what you can pull off with more financial backing and a bit more experience. It’s great!
Should you wish to watch Mad Max 2, the movie is widely available on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K, and digital.
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