Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome [WS/P&S]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

About 15 years after the events of Mad Max 2, nuclear war has finally destroyed what little was left of civilization. Grizzled and older, former cop Max (Mel Gibson) roams the Australian desert in a camel-drawn vehicle -- until father-and-son thieves Jebediah Sr. (Bruce Spence) and Jr. (Adam Cockburn) use their jury-rigged airplane to steal his possessions and means of transportation. Max soon winds up in Bartertown, a cesspool of post-apocalyptic capitalism powered by methane-rich pig manure and overseen by two competing overlords, Aunty Entity (Tina Turner) and Master (Angelo Rossitto), a crafty midget who rides around on the back of his hulking underling, Blaster (Paul Larsson). Seeking to re-equip himself, Max strikes a deal with the haughty Aunty to kill Blaster in ritualized combat inside Thunderdome, a giant jungle gym where Bartertown's conflicts are played out in a postmodern update of blood and circuses. Although Max manages to fell the mighty Blaster, he refuses to kill him after realizing the brute is actually a retarded boy. Aunty's henchmen murder Blaster nonetheless, then punish Max for violating the law that "Two men enter, one man leaves." Lashed to the back of a hapless pack animal and sent out into a sandstorm, a near-death Max is rescued by a band of tribal children and teens. The descendants of the victims of an airplane crash, the kids inhabit a lush valley and wait for the day when Captain Walker, the plane's pilot, will return to lead them back to civilization. Some of the children, refusing to believe that Max isn't Walker and that the glorious cities of their mythology no longer exist, set off in search of civilization on their own. Max and three tribe members must then rescue their friends from Bordertown and the clutches of Aunty Entity -- a quest that ends in a lengthy desert chase sequence that echoes the first two Mad Max films. Spence also appeared in Mad Max 2 in a different role, that of the Gyro Captain. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround
• Screen: Pan and Scan, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: French, English, Spanish
• Features:
  • Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Interactive menus
  • Production notes
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Scene access
  • Languages: English, Français, Español

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  George Ogilvie, George Miller

• Producer:

  Marcus D'Arcy, George Miller

• Screenwriter:

  Terry Hayes, George Miller

• Cinematographer:

  Dean Semler

• Composer (Music Score):

  Maurice Jarre

• Editor:

  Richard Francis-Bruce

• Production Designer:

  Graham "Grace" Walker

• Art Director:

  Anni Browning

• Co-producer:

  Terry Hayes, Doug Mitchell

• Associate Producer:

  Anni Browning

• Costume Designer:

  Norma Moriceau

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Phil Judd

• Makeup:

  Elizabeth Ann Fardon

• Special Effects:

  Michael Wood

• Stunts:

  Grant Page

• Casting:

  Alison Barrett

• Assistant Sound Editor:

  Robin Clarke

REVIEW:

• Although it's slicker and more hopeful than the low-budget original (and its equally nihilistic follow-up), the third Mad Max offering is still an entertaining sci-fi-action flick with breathtaking production design and a script and cast that back it up. George Miller, writer/director of the first two films, teams with co-director George Ogilvie for the most visually elaborate entry in the series, delineating his film's competing post-apocalyptic societies with a deftness and density that other science fiction storytellers should study. Despite his newfound scruples -- sparing the life of a gladiator with Down's syndrome and aiding a band of feral children -- Mel Gibson's titular protagonist is still an engagingly gritty hero. In addition to his now well-honed leather-n-guns schtick, here Gibson also gets to show off the game sense of humor that would characterize his later blockbusters, including the Lethal Weapon films. Tina Turner makes a sublimely campy villain, clad in low-cut chain mail and some serious horns. Barking orders in that distinctively gruff voice, the soul survivor takes care to strike bad-girl poses that show off her famous legs to good advantage. Despite the strong leads, though, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome would fall apart if not for the supporting characters, costumes, and settings that bring the post-nuclear outback vividly to life. From an underground pig dung factory to an idyllic valley to a desiccated frontier town, the sets look great. As for the performers, veterans as varied as horror-flick bit-part champ Angelo Rossitto and venerable Aussie thespian Frank Thring get to blend quirky character acting and far-out costumes into a truly memorable rogues' gallery. The film's chase sequences can't match those from the previous films, while the good-guy Max and the film's hopeful finale alienated some fans of the franchise. But as a stand-alone action extravaganza with a Hollywood touch, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome delivers. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi