Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Directors:

George Miller
George Ogilvie

Writers:

Terry Hayes (written by) &
George Miller (written by)

Release Date:

10 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Adventure

Tagline:

Max is back...and Tina's got him!

Plot:

Mad Max becomes a pawn in a decadent oasis of technological society, and when exiled, becomes the deliverer of a colony of children.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Desert | Gladiator | Australian Outback | Orphan

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	12:00 AM	AMC
Sat. Nov. 14	5:30 PM	AMC

Cast

Mel Gibson	...	'Mad' Max Rockatansky
Tina Turner	...	Aunty Entity
Bruce Spence	...	Jedediah the Pilot
Adam Cockburn	...	Jedediah Jr.
Frank Thring	...	The Collector
Angelo Rossitto	...	The Master
Paul Larsson	...	The Blaster
Angry Anderson	...	Ironbar
Robert Grubb	...	Pig Killer
George Spartels	...	Blackfinger
Edwin Hodgeman	...	Dr. Dealgood
Bob Hornery	...	Waterseller
Andrew Oh	...	Ton Ton Tattoo
Ollie Hall	...	Aunty's Guard
Lee Rice	...	Aunty's Guard

Also Known As:

Mad Max 3
Mad Max III (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1988) | Finland:K-18 (1985) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Italy:T | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M | France:U | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1985) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Coober Pedy, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Kennedy Miller Productions

Trivia:

The script called for Aunt Entity (Tina Turner) to drive a vehicle. All of the vehicles were stick-shifts, which Turner couldn't drive, so a special automatic had to be constructed.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: A boom mic dips down to catch the Collector saying, "Leave your weapons here; it's the law," casting a very visible shadow on the far left of the frame (over the sign saying "PARK YOUR WEAPONS HERE").

Quotes:

The Master: You want foot in face?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sweatshop (2009)

Soundtrack:

We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)

Underrated

When I first saw Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, I felt disappointed. It was a letdown from its amazing predecessor. I knew its reputation as an unworthy sequel, but I still realized there was something good about it, something I had never heard from other people's points of view.

It wasn't until some time later when I watched the series a second time that I noticed what it was.

Those who think MMBT is not as exciting as The Road Warrior would be right. But those that think MMBT sucks because it is not as exciting as The Road Warrior would be missing the point. What makes MMBT a worthy sequel is its way of establishing a greater scope of the setting the series takes place in. The dredges of civilization were what set the stage for the series in the original Mad Max. The barren world of desert wastelands and sparse outposts take the idea of a post-apocalyptic world one step further in The Road Warrior. A squalid setting such as Bartertown and an oasis where the tribe of children lived in MMBT once again builds on the elaborate fantasy that makes the series as popular as it is. The final, chilling realization of just what became of civilization in the closing moments of the movie are more than enough explanation as to why the the world the viewer sees in the trilogy is the way it is.

I was too young when I first saw MMBT to understand this. It wouldn't be until I saw it again some time later, with more movie-viewing experience under my belt that I realized that what makes Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome tick is not action set pieces, but a far more subtle approach of atmospheric setting.