Mad Max
Mad Max

Mad Max

1979Movie91 minEnglish

In the ravaged near-future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force hell-bent on stopping them.

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Insights

IMDb6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes95%
Metacritic71/100
Google Users87%
Director: George MillerGenres: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller

Plot Summary

In a dystopian, near-future Australia, a police officer struggles to control a violent motorcycle gang. After a personal tragedy, he becomes a vengeful vigilante seeking retribution on the open road. The film depicts a society on the brink of collapse, where lawlessness and brutality reign supreme.

Critical Reception

Initially met with mixed reviews, Mad Max gained significant traction and cult status over time, particularly after its international release. It is now widely regarded as a landmark of the post-apocalyptic and action genres, praised for its raw energy and innovative stunts.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its visceral action sequences and relentless pacing.
  • Noted for its bleak portrayal of societal breakdown and its proto-punk aesthetic.
  • While some critics found the plot thin, the film's sheer intensity and memorable set pieces were often highlighted.

Google audience: Audiences generally appreciate the film's intense action, innovative stunts, and Mel Gibson's breakout performance. Some find the narrative simplistic, but most are captivated by its gritty atmosphere and high-octane chases.

Awards & Accolades

None notable, but widely recognized for its significant cultural impact and influence on action cinema.

Fun Fact

The film was made on a very low budget, with many of the elaborate car crashes and stunts performed by real stunt drivers and crew members, sometimes with injuries.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

6 reviews
r96sk

r96sk

The action is stupendous, but the rest is a bit of a drag. When the attackers be attacking it's all great to watch, like I got a lot of entertainment from seeing Toecutter's gang do their thing; and vice-versa with the MFP, really. Howev...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

It's not often that these dystopian scenarios ever leave the USA, so it's interesting that this one introduces us to the massive expanse of the Australian desert and to the young policeman "Max" (Mel Gibson). His job is pretty thankless - a...
JPV852

JPV852

For whatever reason, never had seen the original and doesn't disappoint, some good action and gut wrenching scenes defying the rules of killing pets and kids, Mel Gibson is quite good in the role and look forward to checking out the sequels...
Gimly

Gimly

Who'd have thought we'd still be talking about a $350,000 film, 40 years after it was made? And who'd have thought it would be in a positive way. _Mad Max_ was one of the most formative films ever released, and not only is **one of** my fa...
talisencrw

talisencrw

Though I had only seen the previous installment, 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome', which I enjoyed whilst a great many people didn't, with the present sequel earning ten (!?) Oscar nominations, I wanted to catch up on things before seeing the n...
John Chard

John Chard

Low budget classic that is now a genre landmark. Set somewhere in the future we are privy to a world where the roads are ruled by maniac gangs with souped up cars, and bikers that literally could come from hell. Trying to stop these mara...