It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost half of a century since audiences were first introduced to officer Max ‘Mad Max’ Rockatansky in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic 1980 masterpiece Mad Max. The film was an indie darling when it was produced but quickly spawned a sequel which was released the following year in 1981. The follow-up film felt like a completely new story featuring the lead character from the first movie in an entirely new context. This is no longer just the story of Mad Max, this is now the story of The Road Warrior.
This week marks the 40th anniversary of George Miller’s The Road Warrior, a film that quickly went on to become more iconic than the movie it was meant as a sequel to. Lots of people know Mad Max (especially in recent years thanks to Miller’s reboot/sequel Mad Max Fury Road (2015)) that brought the franchise back to the forefront of popular culture) as a character, but when it comes to the character’s lore, the first thing that comes to mind is almost always The Road Warrior.
The story the film tells is a relatively simple one of a man who is just doing what he needs to survive following the downfall of society in a barren wasteland. We had the hero’s origin story, but Max and the now entirely post-apocalyptic world he resides in now seem almost unrecognizably different from what we had seen before. Instead of a world in turmoil and chaos, we are now treated to a barren wasteland well beyond repair as those who survive wander in an attempt to search out whatever gasoline remains.
Max finds himself caught up in the conflict between a group of survivors who have a massive amount of gasoline and a group of raiders who want to claim the gasoline for themselves. The raiders are merciless and the band of survivors has no hope of making it through the dire situation they have found themselves in without the help of Max; a stranger from the wasteland who is just trying to get some of the gas for himself in return.
The film climaxes in a massive chase sequence between the gas tanker and a seemingly endless convoy of smaller attack vehicles manned by the raiders. In the end, Max stays behind after leading the raiders away on a wild goose, while the rest of the survivors, who secretly had the gasoline stored in tanks with them in smaller vehicles, make their escape. Max ends his journey as he began it, once again wandering the wasteland on his own.
The Road Warrior is one of those films that seems to stand the test of time, and even though it is forty years old this year, it absolutely holds up. The stuntwork, entirely using practical effects in the third act, remains some of the best captured on film. While the story may not seem mindblowing, the simple tale of a man doing what is right versus what is in his own best interest is one that will always resonate. In today’s world, finding someone with both the will and the ability to do the right thing against all odds is a rarity. Max’s biggest fault is that he is a good man and isn’t as ruthless as the majority of the other survivors. He is way too open to helping those in need ahead of himself, which often costs him.
Mel Gibson, as problematic as he is today, gives one hell of a performance here. The man undoubtedly had charisma, and Gibson’s involvement with this project is one of the key ingredients that made the franchise as popular as it was. His portrayal of Max, in this trilogy of films and this film, in particular, may be the most lasting mark of his career in the film industry. I also want to give full due credit to Bruce Spence, who is always a delight when he is on screen. His character exists mostly for comic relief, but he brings a certain gravitas to the role.
Our villains are headed up by the massive, buff, and mostly naked ‘The Humungus’ (yes, that is actually his name), who rolls around the wasteland being exceptionally muscular while wearing a studded speedo, a hockey mask, and what appears to be some BDSM gear. For all his muscles, Humungus doesn’t actually do a whole hell of a lot beyond standing there looking imposing and talking through a loudspeaker. Most of the heavy lifting is done by his lead hench-villain, Wez, who is played delightfully by the legendary Vernon Wells. Wells is the star of the show here, aside from Gibson, easily stealing every scene he is in. Wez might be the most iconic character from the entire Mad Max franchise aside, from Max himself, with his signature mohawk and feathered shoulder pads.
As much as I love this film, I would love to see Miller take another stab at it with modern filmmaking technology available. In addition to being able to do a lot more with both vehicles and effects using modern technology, it would also give us a chance to place Tom Hardy back into the role of Max which he last took up in Fury Road, and retell this story in a bigger way.
If you somehow haven’t seen it yet, or just want to revisit a classic, definitely take some time to dive into The Road Warrior. Nearly half a century later, the film is still one of the best of its era; a timeless classic filled to the brim with nostalgia that you can’t help but enjoy. The film is available on Bluray and DVD and is currently streaming on the HBO Max subscription streaming service. Do yourself a favor and don’t walk away. You won’t regret it!
If you liked this Rewind Review, be sure to check out the whole series as we take a look back at some of our favorite corners of popular culture from years past!
