The tone sometimes wavers into self-parody, and there are occasional crude patches, but overall this edge-of-seat revenge movie marks the most exciting debut from an Australian director since Peter Weir.
Comment
06/24/06
Mad Max (1979)
95
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:37
Fresh:35
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Staging the improbable car stunts and crashes to perfection, director George Miller succeeds completely in bringing the violent, post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max to visceral life.
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Futuristic tale set in Australia, which has become a wasteland where vicious, fast-driving criminals cause death, destruction, and mayhem on the highways. The police do their best to maintain... [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Tim Burns, Steve Bisley
Director: George Miller
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Reviews for Mad Max
Though director George Miller took the post-apocalyptic tough guy Max a lot farther in the sequel The Road Warrior, Mad Max still packs in Miller's particular brand of black-comedy thrills.
05/26/06
[A] very effective piece of cinema.
01/01/00
It's a tough and grimy little piece of cinema, full of ambiance ... and attitude, with occasionally inspired flourishes.
01/01/00
More jangly, visceral energy and encompass more creative innovations than something made with today's computer technology and bottomless resources.
01/01/00
Mad Max is the exciting original that got the whole series (and Mel Gibson) rolling.
03/10/03
Overnight, Mad Max went from being a U.S. cult hero to a mainstream figure, and Mel Gibson's place in the firmament was secured.
05/30/07
Top CriticMad Max is ugly and incoherent, and aimed, probably accurately, at the most uncritical of moviegoers.
05/21/03
Top CriticDrive-in fascism at its most cinematic.
01/08/02
It's still well worth seeing the original, complete with the Australian accents, to truly appreciate George Miller's apocalyptic vision.
02/02/02
This was a great movie!
08/04/06
Some of the most determinedly formalist filmmaking this side of Michael Snow.
05/30/07
Top Criticends up looking a bit strained in some places, although much of it is undeniably effective
02/27/01
Mel Gibson brings a strong presence and easy confidence to Max.
12/04/01
This import B-movie gem launched not only [Mel Gibson's] career, but the whole post-apocalyptic genre of the 80's and beyond.
03/19/03
It's [the] car chases that make the first half of the film tolerable, which is devoid of any interesting characters or situations.
08/01/03
Features the best anti-hero cinema has given us in the past few decades.
01/01/00
...one of the most original and visionary post-apocalyptic adventures ever made.
01/14/02
The stunt work is spectacular.
07/04/07
The most impressive feature film debut by any Australian director is also one of the best action-exploitation films ever committed to celluloid.
08/17/02
Latest News for Mad Max
November 16, 2009:
Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
Not a lot of people know that actor Eric Bana, familiar to most from roles in the likes of Star Trek, Munich and Ang Lee's Hulk, is a massive petrol head. With the release of... More...
October 30, 2009:
Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy Set for Mad Max 4 
George Miller's fourth "Mad Max" movie could have its stars: Tom Hardy is in talks to take over the title role, and Charlize Theron is negotiating for the female lead. More...
October 26, 2009:
George Miller Talks Mad Max 4, Shows Off New Cars
George Miller is in pre-production on "Mad Max 4" -- and to prove it, he invited ABC Australia into his studio to show off its cars (and talk about the movie, of course). More...
May 19, 2009:
Mad Max 4 Rumbles to Life
Nothing much in the way of actual information has been released, but according to AICN's sources, George Miller is officially at work on a fourth "Mad Max." More...
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