"Two men enter. One Leaves."
I've always had a certain affinity for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. It may be because it was the first of the original trilogy that I saw and therefore did not have the raised expectations coming from Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior to dampen the experience and was able to enjoy it on it's own terms. Tone wise it is a very different movie than the two that came before it. It's also a richer and more imaginative film as well.
We once again catch up with Max, this time he is crossing the desert in a covered wagon drawn by a team of camels. It's a unique sight for sure, especially since upon closer inspection the wagon is in fact a retrofitted pick up truck, long since run out of gas. Before long, Max is ambushed by Jedediah (played by Bruce Spence) and his son Jedediah Jr. (played by Adam Cockburn), who is definitely a chip off the old block. The two manage to hijack Max's wagon and leave him stranded in the desert. Max follows the tracks which leads him to a shady town called Bartertown, a trading outpost in the middle of the desert. Max appeals to the local authorities to try and retrieve his stolen goods. Seeing an opportunity, they take him to see the self appointed dictator/queen of Bartertown, Aunty Entity (played by Tina Turner).
Aunty Entity has a problem that she thinks Max may be able to help with. She's locked in a power struggle with a duo that refers to themselves as MasterBlaster. Master (played by Angelo Rossitto), is the brains of the operation having created an intricate fuel and power system for Bartertown, fueled by methane derived from pig excrement. Blaster (played by Paul Larsson), is the muscle and Master's bodyguard. Aunty Entity wants Max to pick a fight with Blaster and challenge him to a fight in the town's arena, named the Thunderdome. The rules of Thunderdome are only one: Two men enter, one leaves. With Blaster out of the way, Aunty Entity can regain full control of Bartertown. In exchange for his services, she will see to it that his vehicle is returned to him, fully outfitted and fueled to send him on his way. Max agrees to the deal.
Soon enough, Max has picked his fight with Blaster and the two are brought to the Thunderdome, bringing about what may be the most inventive and interesting movie fights I have ever seen. Both Max and Blaster are led into this large dome steel cage with various weapons placed around the walls that include large steel hammers, chain saws, spears and assorted other weapons of destruction. Max and Blaster are both placed in harnesses attached to bungee cords and jettisoned from opposite ends of the area, flying through the air trying to dodge one another's attacks. The hulking Blaster proves to be a formidable foe, giving poor Max quite the beating. However, Max is able to finally get the upper hand but when he's about to kill Blaster, he knocks off the helmet that Blaster wears and discovers Blaster is mentally challenged. No longer able to go through with it, Max backs off, sparing Blaster's life. Enraged at Max for breaking their deal, Aunty Entity forces Max to face the town's wheel of fortune to determine his punishment. He winds up being banished to the desert without any supplies or water.
Stranded in the desert and having fallen unconscious, he is found by Savannah Nix (played by Helen Buday) and taken back to her oasis in the desert, a small area populated almost entirely by children. Soon Max awakens again and is shocked by the sight of his saviors. They soon reveal to him their story, calling him Captain Walker. It turns out that they are the descendants of the survivors of a plane crash captained by a pilot named Captain Walker, who was trying to get as many people away from the impending apocalypse but they didn't make it and the plane crashed in the desert. The survivors found shelter, food and water at the oasis the kids now populate. Eventually, the adults left in search of rescue and civilization, promising to return with help. They never returned. The children persevered at the oasis, keeping things up as instructed. They now believe that Max is the fabled Captain Walker, returning to take them all to the "Tomorrow-Morrow Land" they have heard stories about. Max tries to explain that everything, the Tomorrow-Morrow Land (cities) are gone and that they are better off staying at the Oasis where they are safe. Refusing to listen to reason, Savannah leads a group of them off in search of Tomorrow-Morrow Land in the middle of the night. Max is then forced to follow them in an effort to catch up with them and keep them safe from the dangers that lay ahead in Bartertown, leading to a final confrontation between Max and Aunty Entity.
As I read up on Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome prior to watching it again, I was shocked at how disliked it seems to be on the internet. This came as a surprise in particular because in many ways it has always been my favorite of the trilogy. Yes, technically Mad Max 2 is the better film, but Beyond Thunderdome is still my favorite. It has a more imaginative and unique plot as well as a memorable villain in Aunty Entity. It also has the storyline with the kids which seems to be the main dividing factor, with some being on board with it and others finding it too out of place with what came before in the Mad Max series. For me, I thought it was a unique and inventive story, telling of this group of kids who were more or less left behind by their parents to fend for themselves and wound up building their own culture while isolated from the rest of the world. It is some pretty out there stuff, but it also adds some color and scope to the world this series exists in.
Another complaint is the fact that this seems to be a softer entry in the series that the two previous films, with this one being rated PG-13 and the other two being R rated. Upon revisiting the series, none of the films have been exceptionally violent or gory and this one feels just as action packed as the others between the Thunderdome fight and the chase scene between the train and Bartertown cars at the end are just as thrilling as anything in the other two films. Yes, the film is a little softer, but not significantly so. Part of this has to do with Beyond Thunderdome having been intended as the closing chapter of Max's story. In this film he finally comes full circle, from the broken, hollow man who lost his family to someone who finds purpose in his life and manages to regain his humanity in the process of looking after this tribe of lost boys and girls (and yes the Peter Pan allusion is apt as the movie suggests it as well).
Overall, I feel that Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a criminally under-appreciated film in the series that deserves to be revisited and reevaluated on it's own merits. Yes, it's going to pale in comparison to Mad Max 2 (and probably Mad Max Fury Road, although I haven't seen that one yet), but it doesn't try to beat it but rather tell a fuller, richer and more complex story than it's predecessor, focusing less on the action and more on storytelling and character development, especially when it comes to Max. That alone makes it worthwhile viewing in my book. It's a fantastic movie and one that I feel has been unfairly maligned by people who just wanted another The Road Warrior. They easily could've done that but decided to expand on what was already established and craft something new and more interesting and in my opinion they succeeded quite well.
We once again catch up with Max, this time he is crossing the desert in a covered wagon drawn by a team of camels. It's a unique sight for sure, especially since upon closer inspection the wagon is in fact a retrofitted pick up truck, long since run out of gas. Before long, Max is ambushed by Jedediah (played by Bruce Spence) and his son Jedediah Jr. (played by Adam Cockburn), who is definitely a chip off the old block. The two manage to hijack Max's wagon and leave him stranded in the desert. Max follows the tracks which leads him to a shady town called Bartertown, a trading outpost in the middle of the desert. Max appeals to the local authorities to try and retrieve his stolen goods. Seeing an opportunity, they take him to see the self appointed dictator/queen of Bartertown, Aunty Entity (played by Tina Turner).
Aunty Entity has a problem that she thinks Max may be able to help with. She's locked in a power struggle with a duo that refers to themselves as MasterBlaster. Master (played by Angelo Rossitto), is the brains of the operation having created an intricate fuel and power system for Bartertown, fueled by methane derived from pig excrement. Blaster (played by Paul Larsson), is the muscle and Master's bodyguard. Aunty Entity wants Max to pick a fight with Blaster and challenge him to a fight in the town's arena, named the Thunderdome. The rules of Thunderdome are only one: Two men enter, one leaves. With Blaster out of the way, Aunty Entity can regain full control of Bartertown. In exchange for his services, she will see to it that his vehicle is returned to him, fully outfitted and fueled to send him on his way. Max agrees to the deal.
Soon enough, Max has picked his fight with Blaster and the two are brought to the Thunderdome, bringing about what may be the most inventive and interesting movie fights I have ever seen. Both Max and Blaster are led into this large dome steel cage with various weapons placed around the walls that include large steel hammers, chain saws, spears and assorted other weapons of destruction. Max and Blaster are both placed in harnesses attached to bungee cords and jettisoned from opposite ends of the area, flying through the air trying to dodge one another's attacks. The hulking Blaster proves to be a formidable foe, giving poor Max quite the beating. However, Max is able to finally get the upper hand but when he's about to kill Blaster, he knocks off the helmet that Blaster wears and discovers Blaster is mentally challenged. No longer able to go through with it, Max backs off, sparing Blaster's life. Enraged at Max for breaking their deal, Aunty Entity forces Max to face the town's wheel of fortune to determine his punishment. He winds up being banished to the desert without any supplies or water.
Stranded in the desert and having fallen unconscious, he is found by Savannah Nix (played by Helen Buday) and taken back to her oasis in the desert, a small area populated almost entirely by children. Soon Max awakens again and is shocked by the sight of his saviors. They soon reveal to him their story, calling him Captain Walker. It turns out that they are the descendants of the survivors of a plane crash captained by a pilot named Captain Walker, who was trying to get as many people away from the impending apocalypse but they didn't make it and the plane crashed in the desert. The survivors found shelter, food and water at the oasis the kids now populate. Eventually, the adults left in search of rescue and civilization, promising to return with help. They never returned. The children persevered at the oasis, keeping things up as instructed. They now believe that Max is the fabled Captain Walker, returning to take them all to the "Tomorrow-Morrow Land" they have heard stories about. Max tries to explain that everything, the Tomorrow-Morrow Land (cities) are gone and that they are better off staying at the Oasis where they are safe. Refusing to listen to reason, Savannah leads a group of them off in search of Tomorrow-Morrow Land in the middle of the night. Max is then forced to follow them in an effort to catch up with them and keep them safe from the dangers that lay ahead in Bartertown, leading to a final confrontation between Max and Aunty Entity.
As I read up on Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome prior to watching it again, I was shocked at how disliked it seems to be on the internet. This came as a surprise in particular because in many ways it has always been my favorite of the trilogy. Yes, technically Mad Max 2 is the better film, but Beyond Thunderdome is still my favorite. It has a more imaginative and unique plot as well as a memorable villain in Aunty Entity. It also has the storyline with the kids which seems to be the main dividing factor, with some being on board with it and others finding it too out of place with what came before in the Mad Max series. For me, I thought it was a unique and inventive story, telling of this group of kids who were more or less left behind by their parents to fend for themselves and wound up building their own culture while isolated from the rest of the world. It is some pretty out there stuff, but it also adds some color and scope to the world this series exists in.
Another complaint is the fact that this seems to be a softer entry in the series that the two previous films, with this one being rated PG-13 and the other two being R rated. Upon revisiting the series, none of the films have been exceptionally violent or gory and this one feels just as action packed as the others between the Thunderdome fight and the chase scene between the train and Bartertown cars at the end are just as thrilling as anything in the other two films. Yes, the film is a little softer, but not significantly so. Part of this has to do with Beyond Thunderdome having been intended as the closing chapter of Max's story. In this film he finally comes full circle, from the broken, hollow man who lost his family to someone who finds purpose in his life and manages to regain his humanity in the process of looking after this tribe of lost boys and girls (and yes the Peter Pan allusion is apt as the movie suggests it as well).
Overall, I feel that Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a criminally under-appreciated film in the series that deserves to be revisited and reevaluated on it's own merits. Yes, it's going to pale in comparison to Mad Max 2 (and probably Mad Max Fury Road, although I haven't seen that one yet), but it doesn't try to beat it but rather tell a fuller, richer and more complex story than it's predecessor, focusing less on the action and more on storytelling and character development, especially when it comes to Max. That alone makes it worthwhile viewing in my book. It's a fantastic movie and one that I feel has been unfairly maligned by people who just wanted another The Road Warrior. They easily could've done that but decided to expand on what was already established and craft something new and more interesting and in my opinion they succeeded quite well.
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