I vaguely remember a point in time where people actually wanted to know if they should see the original before they saw the sequel. Nowadays, the point is moot because every other film is a sequel and casual moviegoers, as intelligent as always, barely even remember that the first one existed. The number 2 after a title has become as commonplace as the presence of the word ‘the’. Seeing as how The Road Warrior was made at a time where sequels still had at least something to do with the original, I approached it with caution. I have not yet seen Mad Max; it has never really crossed my mind to check it out, either. I simply taped its sequel off TV because it was convenient. Disturbingly enough, The Road Warrior may be the forefather of all these loosely-based-on sequels, because it works splendidly as a stand-alone film.

Mad Max (Mel Gibson) is a drifter living in the post-apocalyptic desert with his dog. In this new land of scavengers, fuel has become the most sought-after resource. Struggling bands of civilians must counter the forces of evildoers who want to appropriate all the sources of oil. This is where Mad Max steps in, a hero of the people who grudgingly agrees to help a rag-tag band to protect their sources of oil from a maniacal villain named Lord Humongous.

The plot sounds like crap, mostly because it IS crap. It’s extremely basic, run-of-the mill comic book stuff that makes absolutely no sense. The characters are rather thinly plotted; Max is a hardboiled loner who somehow shows a talent for doing everything better than everyone else even when bleeding from six different wounds. The Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence) is a “kooky” idiot who putzes around and looks silly, and the Feral Kid is the ever-present child character who’s told to stay away because he’s too small but eventually saves the day. The worst offender, however, is probably Lord Humongous. Played by a beefed-up bodybuilder guy, Humongous wears a Jason-like hockey mask, leather briefs and suspenders… and that’s about it. He looks like a ridiculous S&M catalog gone terribly wrong. Despite this, however, the film manages to work rather well since the plot and characterization takes a backseat and lets the action do the talking.

And what action it is. The automotive action scenes (there’s more than just chasing here) are amongst the best ever filmed. For one, the scenes are not ultimately based around how beautiful the cars are and how stupid the characters are for breaking them, sending men of all ages into hissy fits. If there’s anything more annoying than that, I’d like to hear about it. No, here the cars are old, bent-up lemons that crash beautifully. The film is mostly played for laughs, as a bit of an action-comedy before that became synonymous with buddy cop flicks. It’s gleeful in its violence, never taking itself too seriously or playing its violence for anything more than silly comic book antics. I loved how the film was eager to kill of its characters; there are characters who you’d believe are given at least some importance. In another movie, they would survive or their death would cause the film to run another ten minutes. Not here; the film kills them off without a moment’s thought, which is sort of refreshing in a way.

The Road Warrior plays like mainstream exploitation; it’s a dingy little direct-to-video action flick that gets all dressed up. There are bizarre touches throughout; the director seems quite fond of speeding the footage up so that everything happens faster. Despite the amateurish roots of this technique, it actually works reasonably well within the context of the film. I’ll also admit to liking many of the little touches of the movie. I’m a sucker for expansive sets that you can look at and get lost in when the movie gets tiresome; this movie has them by the barrelful. I especially liked how the door to the compound is an old school bus.

The Road Warrior is a film that gets by mostly with atmosphere, most of which is dished out liberally by a pre-stardom Mel Gibson. Max is a man of few words; his looks and fists get him what he wants. Mel Gibson is hardly one of my favorite actors, and this isn’t exactly an acting showcase, either. Gibson is adequate in the role without being particularly noteworthy; he does what he has to do, goes through his actions… but that’s about it. The supporting cast is composed mostly of unknown actors who do fairly good jobs; Bruce Spence (who’s done pretty well for himself recently, appearing in The Matrix Revolutions, The Return of the King as well as the being-made Star Wars: Episode III) as the Gyro Captain deserves points just for being so lively in a film filled with so many grim faces and snarling villains.

The Road Warrior wasn’t really disappointing; it wasn’t exactly like I expected, but it was a worthy watch. It’s not revolutionary stuff, nor is it really as good as everyone seems to think, but it’s a furious, action-packed flick that takes risks and doesn’t make you feel too stupid as you watch it. I’d go for that.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day