Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Starring Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Vernon Wells, Emil Minty

Directed by George Miller

The Story:
The world is now a desolate wasteland.  Fuel is scarce, and more valuable than gold.  Max (Mel Gibson) is a nomad, wandering the desert with nothing but his faithful dog, his black V-8 Pursuit Special, and a sawed-off shotgun.

As he searches for fuel, he comes across a marauding gang, which he defeats.  He then comes across a seemingly abandoned autogyro, but it's a trap, and he's ambushed by the Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence).  Max manages to overpower him, and in return for his life, he'll take Max to a town with an abundance of fuel.

When they arrive, the find the city already under siege by the gang Max encountered earlier, led by the eccentric Lord Humungus (Kjell Nilsson).  Max makes contact with the town, who at first wants to kill him, but after another encounter with Humungus, they offer Max a deal - obtain a fallen Mack semi-truck so they can transport their fuel in return for his freedom, car, and all the fuel he could carry.

What follows is a harrowing tale of vengeance, revenge and retribution, as Max and the community stage one final fight against Humungus and his men, in the hopes of getting the fuel - and themselves - out alive.

The Synopsis:
When "Mad Max 2" came out in America, it was already the second film in the Max Max saga, but since it was only released in Australia, American viewers wouldn't understand how it would've been a sequel, so director George Miller changed the name to "The Road Warrior."  After its success, the original "Mad Max" was released in America.

The "Mad Max" films made Mel Gibson an international star, even though it's far from a perfect film.  In fact, in "The Road Warrior," Gibson only has sixteen lines in the entire film.  It's not a heavy-laden dialogue film, but what it lacks in talk it makes up with in action.

The story is a very simple one.  Get a group of survivors away from a gang of bikers before they kill them all for their fuel.  That's it.  No twists, no turns, no surprises.  Just a very dry bones story filled with lush scenery, oddball villains, explosive action and the coming of one of today's most famous actors.

There isn't really much more to review than that.  George Miller doesn't want to tell amazing stories with the Mad Max series, it's just a fun action romp with lots of crashes, car chases and explosions.  However, the impact this small film had can still be felt today, as it's spoofed by several shows, including South Park:

The Summary:
Although a small film in style, "The Road Warrior" left a lasting impact on today's society, and made a household name out of Mel Gibson - before, you know, he went crazy.

The Score: A-