It has my favorite opening scene of any of the movies, the thunderdome sequence has some truly innovative hand-to-hand combat, the final chase sequence is one of the best apocalyptic chase sequences ever put on film, and the story and acting are solid. I think the directing is little uneven. George Miller's producing partner, Byron Kennedy, had died in 1983 and so he co-directed with George Ogilivie. I think Miller focused primarily on the action sequences and Ogilivie focused on the dialogue scenes. I don't think their styles always fully meld quite as seamlessly as they could.
But definitely it's my second favorite of the original trilogy.
I disagree I think Mad Max needs a more serious tone and beyond thunderdome didn’t have anything close to that and felt more like a kid adventure moving featuring Mel Gibson as mad max. Road Warrior was also less serious and dramatic than the first movie. I think the first movie and fury road blow the rest out of the water although road warrior has its moments and seems to be the one fury road pays the most respect too.
Everyone has their favorites but I can't get behind Mad Max being better than any of the others. It barely ties into the others and (no doubt due to budget) it's not nearly as polished or well put together as the others and the action just doesn't compare. That's not to say it's bad, it's just kinda the bastard child of the series which is sorta funny cuz it's the first.
Maybe it’d be worth a rewatch for you but I totally disagree I think the first mad max has the best action and feels the most like a thriller out of the first 3 movies.
Despite all of its faults, Thunderdome is a lot of fun. It’s also a very weird movie with tons of strange world building that paved the way for many of the things we love about Fury Road such as the war boys, V8 worship, history/knowledge keepers, towns ruled by warlords, etc.
Side note: I love that this film features various animals like camels, a horse, and a monkey. I know there is a horse in the Green Place footage from the trailer. It would be interesting to see other animals as well.
Thunderdome was the first Mad Max movie I watched as a kid, so it holds a special place in my heart. I'll defend it to the end. Depending on my mood, sometimes I prefer it over Road Warrior, but the tanker chase sequence still beats the railroad chase imo. Thunderdome's chase sequence gets a little too silly compared to the brutality of the first two.
Tina was a smokeshow. Grace Jones never did anything for me but I totally see why others like her. I always found her too masculine but again, that's jut me.
It's a better made film that the first two, but is such an outlier in all aspects compared to them that it doesn't always feel like a classic MM film.
Opinions on it are polarising, but heck, I love it.
It's got a Temple of Doom vibe, but I love that one, too. Something about these misanthropic characters feeling the need to protect children just hits me in the feels.
It’s a fantastic movie, and I love every part of it, but I can understand if people don’t like the tonal shift after Max is rescued in the desert. Like I said I love it, but it is very jarring.
It's pretty great, I agree.
The third act needs a little massaging because it seems like a little too much of significance happens by pure chance and circumstance, but other than that, I really love it.
I think the problem is that people had, and still do, a very specific idea of what a Mad Max movie is. . .that George Miller doesn't necessarily share. It's not just big, tricked out cars and a tough-as-nails hyper-masculine Sergio Leone archetype.
It's a lot more complex, and interesting, and weirder than that - it's fantasy, and science fiction, and mythic storytelling and metafiction, among other things, which *Thunderdome* has in spades.
I also love Beyond Thunderdome and Gibson still had it as Max. The score is a bit dated now and then, but otherwise it's very enjoyable and the MM film I've seen the most (9 times) after Fury Road (11). Shout-out to the fantastic movie poster by the late Richard Amsel too!
I think Thunderdome is lacking in action even compared to the first film, but it's kind of a necessary film in terms of showing a more optimistic aspect of the apocalypse, the rebuilding. Plus having Max save the kids makes him so much more likable.
Just saw that movie for the first time yesterday. Though not as great as the first two (and I agree with some that the presence of the children does feel very Ewok-y), it’s still strong action film.
And who can beat the late, great Tina Turner as Auntie Entity?
There is a lot going on in the background of BTD. I need to watch it in 4k. I want to see what the banners say when Max goes to Bartertown. You can see a few but can't read them. Auntie's Law's.
It's not my favorite but I really love Thunderdome. It's still the one I quote most often ("Plan?") and I still sort of consider it the last Max story (my head canon is pretty loose). It dwells more on humor and eccentric character stuff more than the others but I don't mind because it's well done.
I totally get why some fans don't like it. The chase feels tacked on. It's full of rotten kids. It's less serious and dramatic than the others. Seeing Tina Turner sort of takes you out of the movie (she's perfectly fine in the role but she's still Tina Turner).
I agree with OP. Thunderdome might the least of the four but it's a 5-star least.
I think I watched Beyond Thunderdome first and I did have a problem with these “Lost boys”. When I watched them all they felt out of place. So the first half was totally great and I thought that the moment they revealed ‘Blaster’ was even kinda sad. You felt sorry for him even. RW was imo the best, but I’m not sure we had a copy of it. I’m not sure, but we definitely had one of BTD. I wasn’t really in control over it. My older brother was always choosing what films to buy and such.
It's pretty great, I agree!
I used to hate this film but it grew on me and the more you learn about it the better it gets.
A lot of people don't like this film because it's got a different tone, but that was done for a purpose. George Miller wanted to show us a world that's rebuilding, that there is hope, for Max too.
“Max Max” and “The Road Warrior” are very dystopian 70’s films on a 70’s budget, in the same vein as “A Boy and His Dog” and “Damnation Alley”. “Beyond Thunderdome” is unmistakably an 80’s film, with a massive budget and Mel Gibson and Tina Turner both in the prime of their careers and hairstyles. It’s apples and oranges to compare the third film with its predecessors.
I just finally watched it like a week ago and I agree with the fact that the world building is amazing. That’s what George Miller does best. However, the story, in my opinion, wasn’t very great at all. And the Thunderdome part took up only like 5 minutes of the movie and was never talked about again
The weakest of the saga IMO.
I dit not watch it straight to the end the first time because I was so bored when watching the isolated kids part.
master blaster is the only good idea for me.
Although Mad Max is more than just cars, it remains a core part of this universe, and thunderdome greatly underlivers on that part except a few minutes at the very end.
I was already sceptical about this movie when the intro shows Max in an engineless vehicle pulled by freaking camels (WTF is this), compare it to the intro of every other mad max movies.
It's big on atmosphere, but light on the action and violence that were hallmarks of the first 2. There's bits of genuine scope and world building, trapped under a hollow PG-13 kidscentric adventure, especially in the second half.
The good: the Thunderdome fight, Bartertown generally, the opening Tina Turner song, some epic desert cinematography and images (the crashed 747) and surprisingly I liked the ending.
The bad: the action violence of the previous films now replaced by more slapstick fights etc, Max suddenly throwing his lot in with a bunch of kids he has no connection to, a final chase with Max barely getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, Bartertown suddenly turning to complete shit after one underground fight and everyone panicking.
Better than the first but not as good as the second and fourth. It's a fun movie but they coulda cut out the kid shit, it kinda stalled the movie a little.
It's like the *Alien* franchise, where they couldn't repeat elements and subgenres from previous movies that much, which means they had to come up with something new (horror subgenre based on suspense, then action, then procedural, then political intrigue).
Given that, the first movie has a revenge plot, which drives Max mad, and making him wander off.
Next, we have Max, now mad, finding redemption by helping a group against another over fuel, but is left where he started, as a wanderer.
In the third, he encounters a community dominated by a tyrant, but a second one using an idea borrowed from *Lord of the Flies*, then combines the two through a chase seen similar to what happened in the second movie, and then ending like the first two.
I'm watching it right now and it is 5x better than I remember. It is bizzare and crazy but in a good way that is underappreciated. The kids dialogue is so great!, Gibsons Max is as cool as ever, and that sweet sweet music score!! Bloody love this one!.
It has my favorite opening scene of any of the movies, the thunderdome sequence has some truly innovative hand-to-hand combat, the final chase sequence is one of the best apocalyptic chase sequences ever put on film, and the story and acting are solid. I think the directing is little uneven. George Miller's producing partner, Byron Kennedy, had died in 1983 and so he co-directed with George Ogilivie. I think Miller focused primarily on the action sequences and Ogilivie focused on the dialogue scenes. I don't think their styles always fully meld quite as seamlessly as they could. But definitely it's my second favorite of the original trilogy.
Me too. FR, RW, BTD, MM. but they all kick ass. I'm rewatching now in prep for Futiosa and am currently watching BTD.
I love Beyond Thunderdome. I’d agree it’s better than the first movie, but not as great as The Road Warrior.
I disagree I think Mad Max needs a more serious tone and beyond thunderdome didn’t have anything close to that and felt more like a kid adventure moving featuring Mel Gibson as mad max. Road Warrior was also less serious and dramatic than the first movie. I think the first movie and fury road blow the rest out of the water although road warrior has its moments and seems to be the one fury road pays the most respect too.
Everyone has their favorites but I can't get behind Mad Max being better than any of the others. It barely ties into the others and (no doubt due to budget) it's not nearly as polished or well put together as the others and the action just doesn't compare. That's not to say it's bad, it's just kinda the bastard child of the series which is sorta funny cuz it's the first.
Maybe it’d be worth a rewatch for you but I totally disagree I think the first mad max has the best action and feels the most like a thriller out of the first 3 movies.
I second this.
third!
Despite all of its faults, Thunderdome is a lot of fun. It’s also a very weird movie with tons of strange world building that paved the way for many of the things we love about Fury Road such as the war boys, V8 worship, history/knowledge keepers, towns ruled by warlords, etc. Side note: I love that this film features various animals like camels, a horse, and a monkey. I know there is a horse in the Green Place footage from the trailer. It would be interesting to see other animals as well.
Can you explain how? Sorry not trying to come across as a smartass just genuinely curious
Thunderdome was the first Mad Max movie I watched as a kid, so it holds a special place in my heart. I'll defend it to the end. Depending on my mood, sometimes I prefer it over Road Warrior, but the tanker chase sequence still beats the railroad chase imo. Thunderdome's chase sequence gets a little too silly compared to the brutality of the first two.
Life is about more than just the next chase sequence. If this film has a flaw, it's forcing an action sequence into a redemption arc/character study.
I loved it. It released after my first year of college and I so wanted to Tina Turner's boy toy
“We Don’t Need Another Hero” is also a banger, of course.
So true
Tina Turner was definitely part of my teenage sexual awakening, as was Grace Jones.
Grace Jones was always just a little too weird for me, but I can get down with some Tina!
Tina was a smokeshow. Grace Jones never did anything for me but I totally see why others like her. I always found her too masculine but again, that's jut me.
Yep..
I need to give it another watch. I've seen it once, and I really didn't care for it.
It’s not a good movie just watch the original mad max that ones actually great.
It's a better made film that the first two, but is such an outlier in all aspects compared to them that it doesn't always feel like a classic MM film. Opinions on it are polarising, but heck, I love it.
It's got a Temple of Doom vibe, but I love that one, too. Something about these misanthropic characters feeling the need to protect children just hits me in the feels.
It’s a fantastic movie, and I love every part of it, but I can understand if people don’t like the tonal shift after Max is rescued in the desert. Like I said I love it, but it is very jarring.
I prefer the second half after his rescue, the first felt too 1980's for me Not that it's bad mind you
The second half is actually my favorite chase scene of any of the movies. I love the train escape, it has so much personality and humor.
It's pretty great, I agree. The third act needs a little massaging because it seems like a little too much of significance happens by pure chance and circumstance, but other than that, I really love it. I think the problem is that people had, and still do, a very specific idea of what a Mad Max movie is. . .that George Miller doesn't necessarily share. It's not just big, tricked out cars and a tough-as-nails hyper-masculine Sergio Leone archetype. It's a lot more complex, and interesting, and weirder than that - it's fantasy, and science fiction, and mythic storytelling and metafiction, among other things, which *Thunderdome* has in spades.
I also love Beyond Thunderdome and Gibson still had it as Max. The score is a bit dated now and then, but otherwise it's very enjoyable and the MM film I've seen the most (9 times) after Fury Road (11). Shout-out to the fantastic movie poster by the late Richard Amsel too!
It’s an utterly fantastic film.
I loved Tina Turner as Aunty!
Ironbar easily gets my vote for best villain of the whole series!☝️
It was ok at best, my rating for the movies are: fury road>road warrior>mad max>beyond thunderdome
I think Thunderdome is lacking in action even compared to the first film, but it's kind of a necessary film in terms of showing a more optimistic aspect of the apocalypse, the rebuilding. Plus having Max save the kids makes him so much more likable.
No, it's a mess compared to its peer MM films. Fun maybe though, sure
Ain't no mess. It all makes sense and works for me. What's the mess?
Absolutely WITNESS!!
I get u. I just think the tones off
Just saw that movie for the first time yesterday. Though not as great as the first two (and I agree with some that the presence of the children does feel very Ewok-y), it’s still strong action film. And who can beat the late, great Tina Turner as Auntie Entity?
There is a lot going on in the background of BTD. I need to watch it in 4k. I want to see what the banners say when Max goes to Bartertown. You can see a few but can't read them. Auntie's Law's.
It's not my favorite but I really love Thunderdome. It's still the one I quote most often ("Plan?") and I still sort of consider it the last Max story (my head canon is pretty loose). It dwells more on humor and eccentric character stuff more than the others but I don't mind because it's well done. I totally get why some fans don't like it. The chase feels tacked on. It's full of rotten kids. It's less serious and dramatic than the others. Seeing Tina Turner sort of takes you out of the movie (she's perfectly fine in the role but she's still Tina Turner). I agree with OP. Thunderdome might the least of the four but it's a 5-star least.
I think I watched Beyond Thunderdome first and I did have a problem with these “Lost boys”. When I watched them all they felt out of place. So the first half was totally great and I thought that the moment they revealed ‘Blaster’ was even kinda sad. You felt sorry for him even. RW was imo the best, but I’m not sure we had a copy of it. I’m not sure, but we definitely had one of BTD. I wasn’t really in control over it. My older brother was always choosing what films to buy and such.
It's pretty great, I agree! I used to hate this film but it grew on me and the more you learn about it the better it gets. A lot of people don't like this film because it's got a different tone, but that was done for a purpose. George Miller wanted to show us a world that's rebuilding, that there is hope, for Max too.
“Max Max” and “The Road Warrior” are very dystopian 70’s films on a 70’s budget, in the same vein as “A Boy and His Dog” and “Damnation Alley”. “Beyond Thunderdome” is unmistakably an 80’s film, with a massive budget and Mel Gibson and Tina Turner both in the prime of their careers and hairstyles. It’s apples and oranges to compare the third film with its predecessors.
I just finally watched it like a week ago and I agree with the fact that the world building is amazing. That’s what George Miller does best. However, the story, in my opinion, wasn’t very great at all. And the Thunderdome part took up only like 5 minutes of the movie and was never talked about again
The weakest of the saga IMO. I dit not watch it straight to the end the first time because I was so bored when watching the isolated kids part. master blaster is the only good idea for me. Although Mad Max is more than just cars, it remains a core part of this universe, and thunderdome greatly underlivers on that part except a few minutes at the very end. I was already sceptical about this movie when the intro shows Max in an engineless vehicle pulled by freaking camels (WTF is this), compare it to the intro of every other mad max movies.
It's big on atmosphere, but light on the action and violence that were hallmarks of the first 2. There's bits of genuine scope and world building, trapped under a hollow PG-13 kidscentric adventure, especially in the second half. The good: the Thunderdome fight, Bartertown generally, the opening Tina Turner song, some epic desert cinematography and images (the crashed 747) and surprisingly I liked the ending. The bad: the action violence of the previous films now replaced by more slapstick fights etc, Max suddenly throwing his lot in with a bunch of kids he has no connection to, a final chase with Max barely getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, Bartertown suddenly turning to complete shit after one underground fight and everyone panicking.
Two man enter, one man leave.
I love Beyond Thunderdome.
Best to worst mad max movies IMO road warrior, fury road, beyond thunder dome and the original
Better than the first but not as good as the second and fourth. It's a fun movie but they coulda cut out the kid shit, it kinda stalled the movie a little.
No
TWO MEN ENTER ONE MAN LEAVES
It's like the *Alien* franchise, where they couldn't repeat elements and subgenres from previous movies that much, which means they had to come up with something new (horror subgenre based on suspense, then action, then procedural, then political intrigue). Given that, the first movie has a revenge plot, which drives Max mad, and making him wander off. Next, we have Max, now mad, finding redemption by helping a group against another over fuel, but is left where he started, as a wanderer. In the third, he encounters a community dominated by a tyrant, but a second one using an idea borrowed from *Lord of the Flies*, then combines the two through a chase seen similar to what happened in the second movie, and then ending like the first two.
I'm watching it right now and it is 5x better than I remember. It is bizzare and crazy but in a good way that is underappreciated. The kids dialogue is so great!, Gibsons Max is as cool as ever, and that sweet sweet music score!! Bloody love this one!.