Directed by: George Miller & George Ogilvie
Distributed by: Warner Bros.
Written by Nick McCann
48/100
“Mad Max” and “The Road Warrior” were smash hits for director George Miller. Moreover, they also ushered in new generations of action films that were faster, harsher, and sometimes in even more cutthroat worlds. Many filmmakers, writers, and artists tried to replicate its success, but very few got even a glimpse of its brilliance. Come the mid-80s, Miller and star Mel Gibson were back for more. If only “more” didn’t lean toward “confused” and “underwhelming” in this case.
“Beyond Thunderdome” offers up the most definitive narrative reference of the series. Things start out quite strong, seeing society take shape after the decay and occasionally dropping backstory hints throughout. The trade-off is that there is a reduction in visual storytelling like before. Once the second act kicks in, the pace dramatically dips. An overt Peter Pan parallel not only gets me scratching my head but rattles the tone into a more silly atmosphere. At the root of the problem, the film forgets to be an action movie and goes a long stretch without having some kind of fight. For the amount of scale added to the world, it’s a shame we can’t see it blow up some more.
That also applies to Gibson, who is back one more time as Max. He doesn’t feel quite the same as before or interestingly different. He’s more talkative and reluctant to get involved than in the prior films. He tries to make the performance work, but the writing does him a disservice for all he’s given at this point. Tina Turner is also the weakest of the “Mad Max” villains. She’s got the eccentricity down, and while not a terrible actor, I hardly bought her as a threat. Most everyone else feels appropriate to the style, quirks and all. It’s the kids that are rarely up to snuff. Their children’s fantasy aesthetic cannot be stressed enough how out of place it is.
There is very little action, which is a real shame because of how great the production looks! Set design, costumes, and make-up, there is a scrappy yet emerging construction that shows the rebuilding of the world. The two major set pieces almost make for sweet relief, finally getting to what this series is about. The actual Thunderdome fight has some well-done choreography, and the final car chase evokes classic “Mad Max” carnage. Albeit none of it has the raw edge factor of the other movies. A subpar musical score doesn’t help much either, even with a decent title track from Turner.
Miller and company went a different direction and the problems going that way are noticeable. For as cool as it is seeing the world expanded and nice knowing more money was put in, “Beyond Thunderdome” fundamentally forgets what it should provide most being a part of this series. A couple of good action scenes can’t compensate for slower pacing and uncharacteristic storytelling. To think this was the note the series would be left on for the foreseeable future. By divine miracle, it didn’t end here.
“Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” Trailer
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