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Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Roger Ward ... see more see more... , Tim Burns , Vince Gil , Lulu Pinkus , Nick Lathouris , John Ley , Sheila Florance , Max Fairchild , George Novak , David Bracks , David Cameron , Reg Evans , Peter Ford , Jonathan Hardy , Phil Motherwell , Geoff Parry , Tom Broadbridge , Clive Hearne , Paul Young , Neil Thompson

This stunning, post-apocalyptic action thriller from director George Miller stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a policeman in the near future who is tired of his job. Since the apocalypse, the lengt... read more read more...hy, desolate stretches of highway in the Australian outback have become bloodstained battlegrounds. Max has seen too many innocents and fellow officers murdered by the bomb's savage offspring, bestial marauding bikers for whom killing, rape, and looting is a way of life. He just wants to retire and spend time with his wife and son but lets his boss talk him into taking a peaceful vacation and he starts to reconsider. Then his world is shattered as a gang led by the evil Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) murders his family in retaliation for the death of one of its members. Dead inside, Max straps on his helmet and climbs into a souped-up V8 racing machine to seek his bloody revenge. Despite an obviously low budget and a plot reminiscent of many spaghetti Westerns, Mad Max is tremendously exciting, thanks to some of the most spectacular road stunts ever put on film. Cinematographer David Eggby and stunt coordinator Grant Page did some of their best work under Miller's direction and crafted a gritty, gripping thrill ride which spawned two sequels, numerous imitations, and made Mel Gibson an international star. One sequence, in which a man is chained to a car and must cut off a limb before the machine explodes is one of the most tense scenes of the decade. The American version dubbed all the voices -- including Gibson's -- in a particularly cartoonish manner. Trivia buffs should note that Max's car is a 1973 Ford Falcon GT Coupe with a 300 bhp 351C V8 engine, customized with the front end of a Ford Fairmont and other modifications. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

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69% liked it

117,534 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

40 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: George Miller

Release Date: April 12, 1979

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DVD Release Date: November 19, 1997

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Stats: 4,486 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,486)

  • cosmo313
    March 11, 2012
    cosmo313
    This film did a lot of things: not only did it introduce the world to "Mad" Max Rockatansky, it was the film that turned Mel Gibson from an unknown (it was his second or third film) into the star he is today, and it helped to kickstart the whole near-future dystopia/post-apocalyp... read moretic genre.

    The film takes place in near future Australia, and society has really started to break down. Motorcycle gangs terrorize the land, one especially vicious gang in particular, so it is up to the police force to use basically any means necessary to stop them. Enter Max Rockatansky, a tough, but possibly unstable cop who, after his best friend and family are victimized are killed, goes over the edge, with only one goal in mind: revenge.

    This is a raw, gritty, and tough film. The low budget really brings the violent and despairing scenario to life. Yes, the film's narrative is a little muddled and incoherent, but when you have wild characters, an epic score ,and some balls-out awesome stunts and action scenes, none of that really seems to matter, especially when those thigns are doen well, as is the case here. The film is a bit slow (mostly in the middle), but it's never boring, and the slowness just serves to build up the anticipation for whe nMax systematically gets his revenge.

    Gibson is awesome, and you can really see a more unhinged version of Martin Riggs in his performance. He's wild, but eerily cool and calculating at the same time. Hugh Keays-Byrne is creepy as chief antagonist Toecutter, and he makes for a solid villain.

    Yeah, the film is quite rough around the edges, but given the type of film it is, this works in its favor. It's fun in the sense that seeing all Hell break loose is fun, and with awesome cars and cool stunts, you really can't go wrong by giving this one a watch.
  • kenstachnik
    November 13, 2011
    kenstachnik
    Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.
  • theylovealexis
    May 13, 2011
    theylovealexis
    I finally saw this cult classic. It was cool. Mel was such a babe, even with that bowl cut. But this movie had a lot of leather and sh*t hair. And for a movie called Mad Max, I don't think it should have taken an hour and 13 minutes for Max to get mad.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 25, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Car chases, insane villains and jaw dropping acton. What more could you want from the first film in the Mad Max trilogy of films directed by George Miller. This film introduced us to Mel Gibson. A film with awesome car chases and stunts , this is a film that will entertain you to... read more the max. Mad Max is one amazing action packed film, and is quite possibly one of the best films Mel Gibson has ever played in. Mad Max is set in a dystopian future where law is constantly broken. Max is a good cop who when he sees his family get murdered by a gang of bikers, he goes on to do vigilante justice using his car as a weapon. George Miller has crafted a unique film, and this is a primer example of an effective and well made car chase film. The Aussie's are masters at stunts, and Mad Max certainly delivers that and more. One impressive aspect of the film is that it combines elements of a vigilante thriller with a car chase movie, and the formula is quite simple, but very effective. The film is a nonstop thrill ride, and Mad Max remains an action classic. The film is brilliantly directed and the stunts are intense. Mad Max will satisfy any action movie buff and will deliver awesome thrills. The fact that the filmmakers are able to do something so simple with a plot, yet make it seem big is very impressive. Because after all, Mad Max doesn't really have that complex of a plot. But what makes the film work is like I've a couple times before, is the stunts, car chases and overall chaos of the picture. The car chases themselves are a character of the movie, and become part of the plot. Mad Max is a fine Piece of cinema filmed with style by George Miller.This was only beaten, only slightly by it's sequel, The Road Warrior.
  • ythelastman89
    November 22, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Next to Escape From New York, the Mad Max series is by far the best action/sci-fi in existence. It has ridiculously cool and realistic stunts, an adrenaline fueled plot and a great dystopian future as a backdrop. Mel Gibson reigns supreme as a good natured family man turned venge... read moreful obliterator, accompanied by the last of the V8s and a sawed off shotgun. This was his emergence into the action genre and he does it without flaw. No one will ever be able to display as much rage in one look. The look of this movie is part of its effectiveness, the minimalist views of Australian outback are really captivating. George Miller managed to make a science fiction movie that doesn't linger in its theories, but incorporate them into a character driven scenario. The style is undoubtedly one of its stronger suits, there is no room for compassion in the world of Mad Max; only destruction.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 19, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "They say people don't believe in heroes anymore. Well, damn them! You and me, Max, we're gonna give 'em back their heroes!"

    In a dystopic future Australia, a vicious biker gang murder a cop's family and make his fight with them personal.

    ... read moreury Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Mad Max is still today a highly entertaining and exciting action thriller and that is a great achievement considering the low budget and high age of 31 years. Of course there are some hairstyles and fashions in the movie that does not look right today and the pacing is a little slow by today's standards. But that does not hurt the experience so much that you forget about the good things in the movie. The action scenes are terrific with superior camera work and editing. The stunts are spectacular but not so implausible that you think "hang on a second. Stuff like that can't happen" unlike many James Bond movies and Michael Bay flicks. Mel Gibson in his debut is magnificent. He is especially good in the last twenty minutes of the movie when Max really goes mad. The rest of the cast are also good notably Hugh Keays Byrne as the Toecutter. A very memorable villain indeed. The semi-apocalyptic world they live in is also very interesting as it could all happen someday when the world goes nuts. Overall a good example of how little it takes to make a good action flick. You don't need an all star cast or a million dollar budget. All you need is a good director and talented actors. Well done George Miller!
  • lewiskendell
    October 25, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "Look, any longer out on that road and I'm one of them, a terminal psychotic, except that I've got this bronze badge that says that I'm one of the good guys."

    Mad Max is all about vehicle fueled vengance. A young Mel Gibson plays a lawman in a near-future, gang infested Australi... read morea. His encounters with a especially vile gang result in a deadly attack on his wife and infant son, and the last act of the movie focuses on his single-minded payback on those responsible.

    Mad Max is certainly low-budget, but the movie doesn't really suffer from it. It is dated, however, and so many movies with similar premises have been made in the last thirty years that this one doesn't make nearly as much of an impression now as it probably did back in 1979. Watching this is a near-requirement for fans of Mel Gibson, but for everyone else, it's a decent movie that should be seen more for its classic status than its current entertainment value.
  • sononothing
    August 22, 2010
    sononothing
    A few years from now anarchy will reign supreme. Oil shortages will make V-8 engines virtually non existent. The infrastructure has collapsed due to the over burdens on the system. Public works is just a pile of ruble. The price of human life is very little. Wow, it almost seems ... read morelike we're on our way to roving motorcycle gangs and meat trucks.



    The title character in Mad Max (Mel Gibson) doesn't represent the thin blue line. there is no line anymore. It's just a bunch of guys who do a job they are disillusioned with for a variety of reasons. One guy does it to get off on the violence, another to get the chicks. Max does it because it's a job. He's good at the job, but he's disheartened by it and the mayhem it causes. His job is to stop renegades on the road without any concern to anyones safety, including his own. That's a tall order considering that he has a wife and son at home. There's a strong urge to leave, but deep down he knows that even if he left the Main Force Patrol, there would still be a kicking and screaming animal wanting another piece of him.


    Mad Max is first and foremost an action film. The stunt work and crash sequences are magnificent. If you don't understand just check out the motorcycle crash at the end of the picture when one of the riders is scraping across the pavement only to be hit in the head with another riders motorcycle. You've heard of gorilla film making, this is gorilla stunt work. These sequences alone are worth the admission/rental/download price, but there's also a story here, too. It's your basic western set ahead of our time. A law man pushed to the brink, yet pulled back into the fray by circumstances beyond his control. You know he will saddle up one more time.


    Directed by George Miller, this is a well made film for being so cheaply made by quite a few first time film makers. That's probably why it's so much better than standard fare in that it pushed the envelope because it was a low budget film. Mad Max is a classic apocalyptic tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final explosion.
  • guaybanex
    July 16, 2010
    guaybanex
    Australian low budget thrill-fest put Gibson on the map yet borders on camp excess which adds to its appeal - yet its the maddest of all revenge flicks.
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    April 9, 2010
    LoughnerWasLucid
    Whole lotta dirt and rubber and bikes and bad accents and sawn-off shotguns and boy i bet the odor this movie made is like unmatched.

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Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli
May 30, 2007
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Overnight, Mad Max went from being a U.S. cult hero to a mainstream figure, and Mel Gibson's place in the firmament was secured. Full Review

May 30, 2007
Variety

Stunts themselves would be nothing without a filmmaker behind the camera and George Miller, a doctor and film buff making his first feature, shows he knows what cinema is all about. Full Review

Dave Kehr
May 30, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Some of the most determinedly formalist filmmaking this side of Michael Snow. Full Review

Tom Buckley
May 21, 2003
Tom Buckley, New York Times

Mad Max is ugly and incoherent, and aimed, probably accurately, at the most uncritical of moviegoers.

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

More jangly, visceral energy and encompass more creative innovations than something made with today's computer technology and bottomless resources. Full Review

Scott Nash
March 29, 2012
Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs

Mel Gibson rules the road in the original Mad Max. Full Review

R. L. Shaffer
November 2, 2010
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD

Perhaps a bit clumsy in the lumbering middle act, but Mad Max delivers the goods when it comes to pulse-pounding car chases and stunts. Full Review

James Plath
October 30, 2010
James Plath, Movie Metropolis

Despite its budget and other shortcomings, Mad Max is still worth watching and worth adding to the post-apocalyptic section of your home video collection. Full Review

Rob Vaux
October 6, 2010
Rob Vaux, Sci-Fi Movie Page

Like all of the best exploitation films, it transcends its limitations while simultaneously embracing them. Full Review

Cole Smithey
September 5, 2010
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

The greatest example of Ozploitation movies, George Miller's 1979 "Mad Max" is a pure cinematic anomaly. Full Review

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