Mad Max

Name: Mad Max
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Released: February 15, 1980
Duration: 88 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Mel Gibson

1980

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 219 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 219 Ratings

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Mad Max

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Movie Details & Credits

American International Pictures (AIP) | Release Date: February 15, 1980 | TV-MA

Starring: Mel Gibson

Summary: Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), an Australian policeman, sets out to avenge his wife and son.

Director: George Miller

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Thriller

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 88 min

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Critic Reviews

The Guardian Luke Buckmaster

Mad Max has always radiated an otherworldly vibe, a slightly sickly sensation that something at its core is fundamentally wrong. Read full review

Jack Kroll

Junky, freaky, sadistic, masochistic, Mad Max has a perverse intelligence revving inside its pop exterior. It's a crazy collide-o-scope, a gear-stripping vision of human destiny careening toward a cosmic junkyard. [21 July 1980, p.71]

Dave Kehr

Miller's work has been compared to Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, but where the Leone films are about amorality, the Mad Max movies are purely and simply amoral—some of the most determinedly formalist filmmaking this side of Michael Snow. Read full review

Jay Scott

One does not expect to find references to Bertolucci in a action movie distributed by American International, but Mad Max is no ordinary action movie: it's a B-movie classic on the order of Truck Stop Women, and when its director, George Miller, steals from established filmmakers, he steals from the best. [15 April 1980]

Staff [Not Credited]

Though the plot is that of a simple revenge western, director George Miller infuses the film with a kinetic combination of visual style, amazing stunt work, creative costume design, and eccentric, detailed characterizations that practically jump out of the screen and grab the viewer by the throat. Read full review

Staff [Not Credited]

The film belongs to the director, cameraman and stunt artists: it’s not an actor’s piece, though the leads are all effective. Read full review

Tom Buckley

Mad Max is ugly and incoherent, and aimed, probably accurately, at the most uncritical of moviegoers. [14 June 1980, p.13]

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User Reviews

lukechristiansc

May 16, 2015

The first film "Mad Max" over all was a hell of a good ride! what makes the film bad ass and beautiful is the action sequences also the story. Writer/director mastermind George Miller demonstrates breakneck prowess at chase sequences and a shock value story. This is how a proper actionThe first film "Mad Max" over all was a hell of a good ride! what makes the film bad ass and beautiful is the action sequences also the story. Writer/director mastermind George Miller demonstrates breakneck prowess at chase sequences and a shock value story. This is how a proper action film should be made with actors who can handle this material also a good direction, the action genre today is suffering. Mel Gibson's performance is heroic and bad ass! the way his character is written is caring and his character is fascinating; the writer's: James McCausland, George Miller put flavor also fastidious into the story. In a post apocalyptic world, an officer named Max who is committed to his job is on a high speed pursuit for the gang leader whom they called "the knight rider," the gang leader is killed in a car crash (which Max is responsible for) the gang takes vengeance. With a caring/bad ass protagonist and Miller's visionary skills is stripping vision of human destiny careening toward a cosmic junkyard. Grade A+… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

alejandro970

Dec 7, 2019

Heading out to the highway with Mel Gibson is one his early performances. A sadistic, wicked hunter & prey game between bikers and patrolman. The chases makes the blood pump at maximum, with a crashing final act. Good choice for a weekend.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

krimokrimo

May 14, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is one of the best low budget films of the 80's.
It tells the story of Max Rockatansky, a cop who is really commited to the law. When the world starts falling apart around him and his wife gets killed before his eyes, Max decides to hunt down her killers and ends them.
The movie has some really well made, practical action sequences and a simple but effective plot.
The most impressive thing is, that those still keep up to today.
So...if you are into dystopian action flicks, you have to see this one and its even better sequel, The Road Warrior.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

EggManStudio

Sep 1, 2015

Mad Max has some great chase scenes, fantastic characters and a great plot, especially for a low-budget film. In fact, there's only one problem with it, and that's that it has too much buildup, making the ending feel abrupt, like it's finishing right in the middle of things. It makes theMad Max has some great chase scenes, fantastic characters and a great plot, especially for a low-budget film. In fact, there's only one problem with it, and that's that it has too much buildup, making the ending feel abrupt, like it's finishing right in the middle of things. It makes the film feel shorter than it actually is, which is a shame.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

aadityamudhar

Apr 18, 2016

Mad Max is a good movie. It has great, memorable moments but the crudeness of this film may deter viewers from watching the rest of the series. It's low budget crudeness, did however, create a world that would pave the way for the rest of the series and its hero, Max. Just be sure to goMad Max is a good movie. It has great, memorable moments but the crudeness of this film may deter viewers from watching the rest of the series. It's low budget crudeness, did however, create a world that would pave the way for the rest of the series and its hero, Max. Just be sure to go ahead and watch it's brilliant sequel.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Zaynhewsonjavad

Apr 2, 2016

The first is the worst of franchise, not the third like everyone say, there is much runaround and little action, In the third also have much runaround, but have less, and have more action and the action in the third is so much better than in this the first one.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SethEvandor

May 31, 2015

The start of the movie was really good and the characters are done and acted really well, but what the heck was the rest? After about 40 minutes, I waited 15 minutes for it to get interesting, then another 15 and I was done. My buddy was bored stiff too.

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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