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The box office may currently belong to the fast cars of Fast & Furious 6�but before Vin Diesel and Paul Walker could drive, the road belonged to Mel Gibson�s �Mad� Max Rockatansky.
In 1979�s Mad Max, a 23-year-old Gibson climbed behind the wheel of a souped-up cop car and steered himself straight to stardom. In a mysteriously post-apocalyptic, slightly-futuristic world, Gibson�s Max is a member of the MFP, a group of tough, leather-clad patrolmen who are trying to keep the peace from their bombed out Halls of Justice. But when Max takes down a crazed cop killer who calls himself the Nightrider (Vince Gil), he attracts the attention of a ruthless motorcycle gang led by the deranged Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne).
After the bikers exact their revenge on Max�s partner, Goose (Steve Bisley), Max is ready to call it quits�but the Toecutter and his crazed followers aren�t done with him yet.
Mad Max is the original road warrior thriller�a gritty adventure filled with fast cars and creepy characters, set against a kind of post-apocalyptic Wild West backdrop. From the lengthy high-speed chase that kicks off this low-budget Aussie adventure, you�ll know that you�re in for something different: something harsh and extreme�something both fast and furious, even. It may sometimes have a slightly hokey, over-the-top �70s feel to it, but the fast pace and menacing suspense make it irresistibly gripping.
As soon as you meet Max�s wild and crazy partner, his devoted wife (played by Joanne Samuel), and his adorable son, you�ll suspect that something horrible is in store for poor, likable Max. Writer/director George Miller then begins toying with his audience using hints and false starts, dragging out the action and suspense in the most intriguing ways. And he does so using a pretty horrifying band of villains.
These bikers aren�t the typical bad guys. Sure, they�re ruthless and vengeful�as any good villain should be�but they�re also uncomfortably unhinged. The wild-eyed Toecutter destroys and devastates just for the fun of it�and his deranged band of misfits playfully join in. So it�s not really a matter of if they�ll strike back at Max and his friends and family�but of when it�ll happen�and how horrifying the results will be.
Still, in the midst of the near-futuristic mayhem, Gibson stands out as a strong and likable hero. It�s no wonder that the Mad Max movies started this charming star�s climb to Hollywood A-list status. And no matter what you think of him now, you�ll be drawn to his heroic young Max.
Mad Max definitely handles its budgetary obstacles well. Despite the occasional moments of low-budget �70s cheese, it�s a thrilling, eye-catching film�and a worthy start to an iconic series. If you�ve somehow skipped over the first film in the franchise (as I had), it�s definitely worth checking out.
Blu-ray Review:
Now available as a part of a three-disc, three-movie box set (which also includes The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome), the Mad Max Blu-ray is admittedly pretty light on features. In addition to a commentary track, it includes just one making-of feature, Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon, a half-hour look back at the film, its creation, and its impact. If you�re a die-hard fan of the film, though, you�ll appreciate the fact that it also includes both the original Australian vocal track and the derided dubbed version.
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