Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

A perfect action sci-fi just how I like them. The prolog is amazing (it beats most that you might see these days), a summary of all the important events in part one along with some glimpses of wars that caused the final ruin of civilization as we know it. Straight afterwards, we are treated to a great car chase with breathtaking stunts. We get to meet Max, who is looking for gas (like everybody else). He’s lucky. There’s a colony nearby with its own oil well. But nothing is for free... (23/06/2006)

Two years after the success of his breakthrough debut, director George Miller returned to the Mad Max character with a sequel that completely redefined the concept of the post-apocalyptic world in popular culture and, furthermore, set the bar very high for action spectacle. The Road Warrior became a phenomenon whose style and success dozens of other productions around the world tried to emulate. But no one has been able to bring such an abundance of raw energy to the screen, nor has anyone succeeded in inventing such a fascinating microcosm of relationships. The post-nuclear future meets the myths of the past as Miller brings elements of the western to life with the aid of roaring engines and rampaging savages clad in leather and rags in a world where a drop of gasoline is worth more than a human life. (Annotation for the series marathon at Kino Aero, 2019) (14/03/2021)

A breathtaking post-apocalyptic action flick during which you feel the ubiquitous dust in your own mouth. Perfectly chosen locations, a dynamic plot with a powerful atmosphere, unique action scenes with cars. The Road Warrior is even better than the very good first Mad Max. What I wouldn’t give to see it on the big screen! (15/06/2004)

I skipped the first episode as a precaution and went straight to the second one, expecting brisk and raw action, and suffocating post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Well, I guess I overestimated it. The beginning was very promising, with a quick explanation of the events that led to the collapse of civilization, and then it was full speed ahead. But right after the first chase there was a big lull that lasted unnaturally long. For a while it was interrupted by the ugly bad guys, but then things calm down again, the initially working atmosphere completely fizzles out and I was really getting bored. Moreover, Mel Gibson, as great an actor as I think he is, only uses two expressions in the whole film, and by the latter I mean his final smirk. The final car chase was spectacular and entertaining, but it ended somehow suddenly, without much of a climax. And that's what the whole film is: it does its job, but I can’t say it adds something more than the bare average, nah! But I can't deny that it’s a source of a lot of inspiration to this day. 65% (14/04/2022)

The revenge movie model was swapped for a story set in a post-apocalyptic world where gasoline is the most crucial commodity because without it, traveling through the barren landscape becomes exceedingly difficult. The roads here are blocked by various scoundrels, but also by people who simply want to survive. One of them is Max, who sought revenge but did not give up on life. This time, however, he must confront more scoundrels and help people defend their gasoline source. At times, it's absolutely iconic - the boy with the boomerang is perfect. At other times, it's quite ordinary, but you have to consider that the film is 33 years old and still aging. The environment will constantly feel incredibly desolate to you at every moment, and that is definitely a welcome effect. (05/03/2014)