Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981): ***

In George Miller’s sequel Mad Max 2, we continue our journey with Max (Mel Gibson) who is haunted by the death of his family, with only his greying dog for company. Max is being pursued by mohawked biker Wez (Vernon Wells) and his lackeys, members of Lord Humongus’s (Kjell Nilsson) gang on the hunt for motors and gasoline. After giving them the slip, Max encounters a Gyro pilot (Bruce Spence) who informs Max of the whereabouts of a large oil refinery compound, the residents of it currently under-siege by the Humongus gang. Originally intending to get hold of some gas, Max soon finds himself caught in the conflict. 

Mad Max 2 is an improvement on the first Mad Max, particularly in its production design and action. The Humongus gang are decked out all in black, with broad shoulder-pads, leather clothing, bondage-wear and feathers. The only colour in this gang comes from the Wez’s red Mohawk and a gang member’s light pink car, only appearing for a few seconds before it’s destroyed by a flame-thrower. Australia is starting to feel more decayed in this sequel, there’s no visible greenery and landscape is mainly brown and ochre, when cars crash a cloud of red dust envelopes them. With a larger budget on hand, George Miller’s action and the stunt work is bigger and better. The last chase scene is a marvel, as cars weave in and out of the space, motorcycle and fighters alike are crushed under wheels, grappling hooks and crossbow bolts fly through the air. The climax involves Max’s rig plowing into a car, exploding into a nebulous of shrapnel around the rig. Plenty of fist pumping ensued during the third act at the sight of such awe-aspiring action. All this occurs as the frame rate is cranked up and screaming faces intercut on the action, in Dean Semler’s intriguing cinematography. In an earlier scene, the Humongous gang dances wildly as they torture their captives in the rain. Men erupt from the sand. The landscape rolls past disconcertingly underneath Max’s head as he is flown to safety by the Gyro Captain. It truly feels like the world has gone mad. 

Mad Max 2 cements George Miller’s legacy as a great action director, the pacing and plot is better than Mad Max, although the story itself is still fairly basic and at times predictable. But I’m still not compelled by our titular character. Characters such as the Warrior Woman (Virginia Hey) or the Gyro Captain are more engaging than our protagonist. Perhaps against such bizarre characters, Max is overshadowed until he steps forward in the action scenes. Mel Gibson’s performance is fine as Max but never great, although the noticeable lack of dialogue is one explanation for this. Bruce Spence as the Gyro Captain is a scene stealer, a sly man who nevertheless feels an affinity towards Max. Vernon Wells gives a frenzied performance as Wez, who is thirsty for blood and gasoline. Kjell Nilsson is a threatening presence as Lord Humongous, a megalomaniac and cruel leader. 

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior has great action and production design, but it still lacks the narrative heart for us to truly care.