Despite numerous production hurdles, Mad Max was a commercial success, grossing over $100 million worldwide versus its A$400,000 budget. With this success, George Miller got numerous offers from Hollywood, including directing the Sylvester Stallone vehicle First Blood. Instead, he teamed up with Terry Hayes, who wrote the first film’s novelization, for a rock and roll picture. Ultimately, that project fell through, and Miller became interested in resisting the world he created years earlier. Miller recruited Hayes and fellow writer Brian Hannant to craft a post-apocalyptic tale based on the need for oil. With a larger budget of A$4.5 million, principal photography lasted twelve weeks near Broken Hill in the winter of 1981. American International Pictures released the original stateside and was changing hands, so Warner Bros picked up the sequel’s distribution rights. For its late 1981 release, the studio retitled Mad Max 2 to The Road Warrior.
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Synopsis
The world has plunged into chaos after a global war erupted over oil shortages and the destruction of Earth’s environment. Amidst all this, former officer Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) roams the desert in his Pursuit Special with his canine companion. During his travels, Max comes across a gyrocopter pilot (Bruce Spence) who shows him a nearby compound refining gasoline. The compound is besieged by a marauder gang led by Lord Humungus (Kjell Nilsson) and his lieutenant Wez (Vernon Wells). Max arranges a deal with the compound’s leader, Pappagallo (Mike Preston), to deliver a big rig in exchange for gas. Though damaged, Max provides the rig to help the settlers move their gasoline to a safe space. Despite the settlers’ pleas, Max leaves with his gas only to get attacked by Humungus’ men and his car destroyed. Returning broken and damaged, Max steps up and helps the settlers escape the wasteland.
Review
Much like The Empire Strikes Back, Mad Max 2 takes what worked in the original and makes it better. The film doubles down on the action, the stuntwork, and the intensity that propelled the first one to success. Usually, a higher budget would result in a worse movie, but in this case, Miller uses the bigger budget wisely. He manages to craft a larger world and more elaborate action sequences without losing the visceral quality of the original. Like its predecessor, Miller employs the same low-angle camerawork and quick-cut editing to intensify the action. The highlight of the action is the climactic chase where Max drives the big rig of gas across the wasteland. It’s a well-crafted, well-staged, and well-filmed sequence that never lets up and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Of course, action sequences are only as good as their characters, which this film succeeds with.
Like the last film, Mel Gibson is excellent as Max Rockatansky, once again giving a very stoic yet intense performance. His body language and little dialogue tell you he’s a broken man, far from who he used to be. Max is more of a reluctant hero, not wanting to get involved but finding himself stuck in these situations. He’s just trying to survive in this harsh wasteland however he can but still maintains a code of honor. Conversely, Bruce Spence provides comedic relief as The Gyro Captain to help offset the overall dreariness. Kjell Nilsson shines as the villainous Lord Humungus, though Vernon Wells steals the show as his lapdog, Wez. Another standout is Emil Minty as The Feral Kid, who, despite mainly speaking in grunts, plays a pivotal part. It’s also interesting seeing Mike Preston in a heroic role since he’d play the villain in Metalstorm years later.
While the previous film was about a society on the brink of collapse, this one fully showcases a post-apocalyptic world. George Miller expertly used the locations and production design to craft a chaotic, action-packed world that’s also bleak and desolate. Admittedly, there’s little characterization and a lack of a deep, thoughtful story, which some might see as a negative. To that point, as strong as the cast is, some characters aren’t given much to do or feel like extras. For instance, Virginia Hey’s Warrior Woman is an interesting character, but we don’t know much about her. Also, The Gyro Captain finds a love interest, but the romance doesn’t seem to go anywhere, so it feels pointless. Minor gripes aside, this is still an impressive feat of filmmaking that deserves all the acclaim it gets. Overall, Mad Max 2 is one of the best sequels and action films ever.
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