“Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985) presents that classic conundrum: It’s a good movie, but is it a good “Mad Max” movie? The first two entries are dominated by road action, and this third one is not. But the Man with No Name – known to us as Max (Mel Gibson) – continues to be a reluctant savior to the downtrodden, and the film significantly expands its post-apocalyptic world by introducing two vibrantly designed new communities.
Inasmuch as I don’t want every movie to be the same, I think it’s a worthy “Mad Max” movie. But I can’t deny “Star Wars” was on my mind, particularly 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” and I wonder if it was on the minds of co-directors George Miller and George Ogilvie, too.
Eighties adventure
The events begin at Bartertown, which runs on pig feces and features Thunderdome, where all disputes are settled because, as ruler Auntie (Tina Turner) explains: “Two men enter, one man leaves.” The fighting cage, with spectators hanging on the sides, is an iconic image, repurposed for – to cite one example – AC/DC’s “Hard as a Rock” music video.
“Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985)
Directors: George Miller, George Ogilvie
Writers: Terry Hayes, George Miller
Stars: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Helen Buday
Over five days, RFMC looks at the five films of the “Mad Max” saga.
Thunderdome also reminds me of Luke fighting the Rancor in its lair; certainly, the hero’s journey is similar, as Max must get through this test before the story can continue. His desert trek includes a sand pit, and then he comes upon a village of children and teenagers, survivors of a plane crash at the time of the barely explained “pox-eclipse” (apocalypse).
The tonal shift is similar to “Jedi’s,” as it couldn’t get much bleaker than Bartertown, but then it’s like Max is surrounded by Ewoks in the wonderful Endor-like Oasis – a safe, lush canyon — and the vast majority don’t want to roast him on a spit for dinner. Hey, it’s a welcome shift in mood, at least.
By this time, I was thinking “There is going to be a road chase in your ‘Mad Max’ movie, right?” Maybe “Indiana Jones” was also on the filmmakers’ minds, as “Thunderdome” is more in the adventure genre, less in the hardcore action mold. The underground of Bartertown has “Temple of Doom” elements, especially when there’s suddenly a functioning train to escape on.
And then, ahhhhh, we get the grand vehicle chase. I wonder if the first two acts were fronted by Ogilvie and the last one by Miller, who gives us new spices on a familiar dish, since a train and a plane figure prominently this time.
Not playing to his strengths
“Thunderdome” is often rated as the weakest of the “Mad Max” films, and it’s not entirely because it’s shorter on road action. The plot is more complex, but that exposes Miller’s and Terry Hayes’ screenwriting deficiencies. This movie isn’t as tight as the first two.
To cite one example, Max knows he can defeat his Thunderdome opponent, a beast of a man named Blaster, by blowing a whistle. But he drops the whistle, thus resulting in a fight – which to be fair, is not the kind you see in any ole movie, featuring the opponents on harnesses, swinging from one wall to another.
It’s a good fight, and it must be said that “Thunderdome” is by no means done on the cheap. The production design is epic. Another example is the kids’ community, Oasis. Water is plentiful there (unlike elsewhere in post-apocalyptic Australia), and another shaky plot device is required to get Max – now accompanied by tribal kids such as Savannah (Helen Buday) – to depart so the final showdown can commence.
At the time, Miller felt he was done with the “Mad Max” saga (indeed, this was considered the “Mad Max” trilogy for a long time; now we can call it the Gibson trilogy). So the series’ creator closes on a couple of hopeful notes: Savannah and friends settle in the ruins of a city (Sydney, the web says), and Auntie, for all her rivalry with Max, good-naturedly sets about the task of building Bartertown up again.
For all its faults, “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” is certainly the most exciting and heartwarming film ever made about a town that runs on pig shit.
“Mad Max” reviews:
Saturday, Jan. 4: “Mad Max” (1979)
Sunday, Jan. 5: “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” (1981)
Monday, Jan. 6: “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985)
Tuesday, Jan. 7: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (2024)
Wednesday, Jan. 8: “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)