Mad Max 2 [The Road Warrior] **** (1981, Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Vernon Wells, Emil Minty, Kjell Nilsson, Virginia Hey) – Classic Movie Review 6505

The bigger budget and the growing confidence and skill of star Mel Gibson and director George Miller are much in evidence in the thrilling 1981 second helping of more of the Max factor.

Gibson walks away from 1979’s Mad Max as the lone cynical drifter avenging hero Max and into this adult comic-book adventure helping a small petrol-rich besieged community against a gang of petrol-craving bandit bikers in a post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland.

The mixture is much as before, though even better, with a so-so but serviceable story as a peg on which to hang fantastic action and stunts, particularly in the stupendous tanker chase climax.

Kjell Nilsson is an extremely nasty villain as The Humungus and Virginia Hey a very dull heroine as Warrior Woman. Also in the cast are Bruce Spence as The Gyro Captain, Michael Preston as Pappagallo, Max Phipps as The Toadie, Vernon Wells, Emil Minty, William Zappa, and Arkie Whiteley.

It was a hit in America as The Road Warrior and provided the shot in the arm that Gibson needed to spark his international career.

It is written by Terry Hayes, George Miller and Brian Hannant, shot by Dean Semler, produced by Bryon Kennedy and George Miller, scored by Brian May and designed by Graham Walker.

The run time is 95 minutes or only 87 minutes in the heavily cut version.

Miller cites the sequence in Stagecoach (1939) where the Apaches pursue the stagecoach as a big influence on the climatic tanker chase.

It is followed by Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6505

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