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Mad Max 2 (1981)

★★★★½ — Mad Max 2 (1981)

George Miller returned to the world of Max Rockatansky just two years after the original 1979 film, which had been made on a shoestring budget and become one of the most profitable Australian productions of its era. For the sequel, Kennedy Miller Productions secured a comparatively generous two million dollars, and Miller used every cent of it on practical stunt work shot in the harsh terrain around Broken Hill, New South Wales. The film arrived during a fertile period for Australian cinema, riding the wave of the so-called Australian New Wave that had been building through the late 1970s, and it served as a significant international breakthrough for Mel Gibson, who had already appeared in Gallipoli that same year. Released in North America under the title The Road Warrior, it earned over twenty-four million dollars worldwide and effectively launched the post-apocalyptic road film as a genre template.

One of the best intros of all time. Mad Max 2 is so superior to the first one it's literally like night and day. The post apocalyptic feel is captured perfectly. It's like a DnD one-shot but in the desolate outback, with cars. The stunts are unbelievable. The finale is nail biting. Honestly... I tried to think why isn't this a 5* for me and I couldn't think of a reason to mark it down to 4.5* so up to the 5s it goes.

Rating: ★★★★½ | Year: 1981 | Watched: 2025-05-03

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