Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome Movie Review

Third and final episode in the Mad Max trilogy has Max (Mel Gibson) drifting into a nasty methane-fueled Bartertown (pig slop abounds) ruled by Auntie Entity (Tina Turner), an evil over-sexed dominatrix type lookin’ for love and more power from Max. Disputes are settled in the Thunderdome, gladiator style, and Max has a go-at-it with the Blaster, an iron-clad behemoth with the required more-brawn-than-brains ratio needed for the smaller Max's victory to be believable. Spears, maces, spikes, and even chainsaws are all used while the opponents are tethered from the top of the Thunderdome. Oh, the only rule is: “Two men enter. One man leaves.” All this makes for a pretty exciting, gritty, violent fight. After leaving the Thunderdome the movie goes downhill as both director George Miller (George Ogilvie is listed as co-director) and Gibson reportedly wanted a “much more human story” and not a “reworking of The Road Warrior.” Therefore, dumped-in-the-desert Max is rescued by a band of feral orphans who have survived the dimly remembered nuclear holocaust and believe that Max is their prophesized savior. Interesting concept, but not enough killer cars or Millerian high-energy sped-up death chases.

1985 (PG-13) 107m/C AU Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Helen Buday, Frank Thring Jr., Bruce Spence, Robert Grubb, Angelo Rossitto, Angry Anderson, George Spartels, Rod Zuanic; D: George Miller, George Ogilvie; W: George Miller, Terry Hayes; C: Dean Semler; M: Maurice Jarre. VHS, Beta, LV, 8mm WAR