← Back to Reviews
in
So a few hours ago, I suddenly got a craving to watch Whiplash, but my local blu-ray rental shop has closed. While waiting, I decided to watch another movie instead in hopes that I could maybe get back to my movie-viewing streak once more. Tonight, we have...
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Mad Max 2 is certainly not the highly-praised sequel I have expected. Its plot was pretty average compared to the rich world and the multiple themes we were introduced to in the first movie. I kinda wish they had dived deeper into the deterioration of society as narrated in the opening prologue, but I was told that the third movie would continue such exploration of the Mad Max universe.
That being said, I could definitely see why people consider it one of the most entertaining movies of the '80s. For a product of its time, it was a non-stop action film pumped with adrenaline. Throw in a character as badass as Max and you're guaranteed an explosive good time. The car stunts in particular were as great as the first movie.
The characters who were not Max didn't impress me as much as those from the first movie. This goes back to the incorporation of multiple themes in the first Max. With those many themes, the movie had an opportunity to include interesting characters of various backgrounds, such as the homey housewife and Max's love, Jessie Rockatansky, as well as the dutiful officer with the sense of justice, Jim Goose. Moreover, I found The Toecutter's eccentricities much more interesting than The Humungus; the latter's bluff as a faux pacifist didn't impress me. And of course, there was the dog, who served up the usual comedic moments you'd find in movies with protective dogs... he was kinda forgettable too, to be honest.
It's not all blend with the characters in Mad Max 2, however, as I'll admit that the Gyro Captain was somewhat interesting as a sidekick comic relief. He certainly didn't seem that original but managed to nonetheless serve a few nice laughs here and there.
One thing I should note is that the lighting was really dark during the night scene where Max snuck away from the encampment with the four cans of gas on his shoulders. I almost couldn't tell where he was going. I was told that it's because they didn't use any lens to film the night scenes, which makes for a natural night, but it's not practical for filmmaking, IMO.
Aside from the few moments of understandable awkward acting, some of the scenes were sped up to make the cars look like they go faster on film. I didn't notice this at all during my viewing, so it's clearly not a major problem. The raw and gritty filming style of this movie is largely acceptable by me. It fits with the world Mad Max is set in, and it didn't interfere too much with the storytelling.
Overall, I enjoyed Mad Max 2. I probably seemed annoyed at its flaws, which cannot be further from the truth. George Miller's classic reminds us what real filmmaking is like - no CGI with raw acting. The fact that Max remains one of the most badass action heroes unmatched by modern mediocre action heroes such as Jason Statham says a lot. The whole 'Road Warrior' bit might seem campy at face value, but I feel that it really works here as the vengeful anti-hero goes on a soul-searching journey on a lost road.
Unfortunately, Thunderdome doesn't seem that all promising... neither does Fury Road.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot Wez was there. That's how memorable he was. lol
29 March
So a few hours ago, I suddenly got a craving to watch Whiplash, but my local blu-ray rental shop has closed. While waiting, I decided to watch another movie instead in hopes that I could maybe get back to my movie-viewing streak once more. Tonight, we have...
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Mad Max 2 is certainly not the highly-praised sequel I have expected. Its plot was pretty average compared to the rich world and the multiple themes we were introduced to in the first movie. I kinda wish they had dived deeper into the deterioration of society as narrated in the opening prologue, but I was told that the third movie would continue such exploration of the Mad Max universe.
That being said, I could definitely see why people consider it one of the most entertaining movies of the '80s. For a product of its time, it was a non-stop action film pumped with adrenaline. Throw in a character as badass as Max and you're guaranteed an explosive good time. The car stunts in particular were as great as the first movie.
The characters who were not Max didn't impress me as much as those from the first movie. This goes back to the incorporation of multiple themes in the first Max. With those many themes, the movie had an opportunity to include interesting characters of various backgrounds, such as the homey housewife and Max's love, Jessie Rockatansky, as well as the dutiful officer with the sense of justice, Jim Goose. Moreover, I found The Toecutter's eccentricities much more interesting than The Humungus; the latter's bluff as a faux pacifist didn't impress me. And of course, there was the dog, who served up the usual comedic moments you'd find in movies with protective dogs... he was kinda forgettable too, to be honest.
It's not all blend with the characters in Mad Max 2, however, as I'll admit that the Gyro Captain was somewhat interesting as a sidekick comic relief. He certainly didn't seem that original but managed to nonetheless serve a few nice laughs here and there.
One thing I should note is that the lighting was really dark during the night scene where Max snuck away from the encampment with the four cans of gas on his shoulders. I almost couldn't tell where he was going. I was told that it's because they didn't use any lens to film the night scenes, which makes for a natural night, but it's not practical for filmmaking, IMO.
Aside from the few moments of understandable awkward acting, some of the scenes were sped up to make the cars look like they go faster on film. I didn't notice this at all during my viewing, so it's clearly not a major problem. The raw and gritty filming style of this movie is largely acceptable by me. It fits with the world Mad Max is set in, and it didn't interfere too much with the storytelling.
Overall, I enjoyed Mad Max 2. I probably seemed annoyed at its flaws, which cannot be further from the truth. George Miller's classic reminds us what real filmmaking is like - no CGI with raw acting. The fact that Max remains one of the most badass action heroes unmatched by modern mediocre action heroes such as Jason Statham says a lot. The whole 'Road Warrior' bit might seem campy at face value, but I feel that it really works here as the vengeful anti-hero goes on a soul-searching journey on a lost road.
Unfortunately, Thunderdome doesn't seem that all promising... neither does Fury Road.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot Wez was there. That's how memorable he was. lol