Mad Max 2 (1981)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

Terry Hayes (written by) &
George Miller (written by) ...

Release Date:

28 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Ruthless... Savage... Spectacular

Plot:

In the post-apocolyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits.

Plot Keywords:

Gasoline | Australia | Warrior | Gang | Evil

Awards:

8 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13	10:00 PM	AMC
Sat. Nov. 14	3:30 PM	AMC

Cast

Mel Gibson	...	Max
Bruce Spence	...	The Gyro Captain
Michael Preston	...	Pappagallo (as Mike Preston)
Max Phipps	...	The Toadie
Vernon Wells	...	Wez
Kjell Nilsson	...	The Humungus
Emil Minty	...	The Feral Kid
Virginia Hey	...	Warrior Woman
William Zappa	...	Zetta
Arkie Whiteley	...	The Captain's Girl
Steve J. Spears	...	Mechanic
Syd Heylen	...	Curmudgeon
Moira Claux	...	Big Rebecca
David Downer	...	Nathan
David Slingsby	...	Quiet Man

Also Known As:

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (USA)
The Road Warrior (USA)
Çilgin Maks 2: Savasçi (Turkey: Turkish title) (TV title) [tr]
Asfalttisoturi (Finland) [fi]
Interceptor, il guerriero della strada (Italy) [it]
Le défi (Canada: French title) [fr]
Mad Max 2 (Argentina) [es]
Mad Max 2, el guerrero de la carretera (Spain) [es]
Mad Max 2: A Caçada Continua (Brazil) [pt]
Mad Max 2: Maanteesõdalane (Estonia) [et]
Mad Max 2: O Guerreiro da Estrada (Portugal) [pt]
Mad Max 2: le défi (France) [fr]
Mad Max II - Der Vollstrecker (West Germany) [de]
Mad Max no 2 - Ekdikitis pera ap' to nomo (Greece) [el]
Pobesneli Maks 2 (Serbia) [sr]
Savasçi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

95 min | UK:96 min | USA:94 min | Argentina:96 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1982) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | UK:X (original rating) | France:Unrated (with warning) | Brazil:16 | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:M | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Canada:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Kennedy Miller Productions

Trivia:

Renamed "The Road Warrior" for North American distribution because at the time, the original Mad Max (1979) had only been released there on a limited basis, so calling it Mad Max 2 would have confused viewers.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Max first sees the Mack that he will later drive, the left windshield is missing. Later, it's in place.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos. Ruined dreams. This wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called "Max". To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Midnight Run for Your Life (1994) (TV)

Not just a mindless action flick

Now I give this movie a 10 out of 10. I used to only give it an 8. Why the change? Easy. I watched the little things.

Those of you who haven't seen it, stop reading now. But for those of you who have...

The first 8 of that ten comes from spectacular action sequences. Anyone can see those. What the other 2 points comes from is the subtle things that director George Miller slipped in there that you would only notice the second time you watch.

Missed by almost everyone else's comments is that "The Road Warrior" is simply a locked room puzzle. The good guys have the gas and want to escape from their compound to "the coast." But if they try to leave, they will surely be killed by the savages waiting outside who only want their gas. Their solution is completely unexpected, yet when you watch it again, it is telegraphed the entire movie.

For instance, when Pappagallo is giving an inspirational speech to the good guys about how "that vehicle" is going to haul their gas to the coast, the vehicle in the background is NOT the tanker, as it should be, but instead the school bus that eventually takes them, and the gas, to freedom.

And what will the tanker be hauling? Notice the day before the escape when Pappagallo talks about driving the tanker with Max. He stares blankly into an hourglass, filled with SAND. He already knows he's not coming back, as his diversionary tactic will surely get him killed.

Anyone who claims "The Road Warrior" is merely a testosterone-laden guy flick should watch it again. What it REALLY is is the tightest, smartest, pure-action movie ever made. No moment is without significance. No moment is wasted. It is a testament that every post-apocalyptic movie is referred to as "The-Road-Warrior-on-'x'." The next time you watch it, REALLY watch it. You'll find there's more there than you ever thought there was before.