The Road Warrior

The title says it all here folks. I've been a long time fan of this series (and by series, I mean 'Mad Max' and 'The Road Warrior', not that abortion of a movie 'Max Max beyond Thunderdome'). Anyway, this is the Australian release titled 'Mad Max 2', not 'The Road Warrior', so it has a slightly different intro, and they do refer to Mel's character as Max, not as the 'man with no name' like they did in the U.S. version.

Not a lot in the way of extras here. The picture is very grainy when viewed in hi-def. Not anything you can do about it; it was a limitation of the time since it wasn't filmed in hi-def. Still, the film looks good despite it's age and the sound is good. If you don't have it on DVD, you can certainly pick it up in that format cheaper than this was ($13).

BTW, if you haven't seen Mad Max, I'd recommend it as it schools you as to why he's mad (angry, not crazy).

This is the best that Mad Max 2 has ever looked!!! This is a great Blu Ray title!!! Great soundtrack too!!! Extras are a bit skimpy but that's fine because it's in anamorphic widescreen and is a visual treat, with truly awesome stunts,no CGI effects here,just raw stuntwork at it's best!!! A true classic!!! A+

The Road Warrior is one of those rare beasts. A sequel that surpasses the original. There are many things that make this movie great. It's a post apocalyptic western. The hero barely speaks throughout the film. The excellent chase scene in the last half hour. The brilliant stunts. The dialogue. The tension of not knowing what will happen next. And a great set of bad guys. The list goes on and on. And thankfully it transfers on to blu-ray exceptionally well. I spotted all kinds of things I'd never noticed before and I've seen this film plenty.
Really worth buying on blu-ray.

The movie itself really doesn't need much said about it, but I forgot high this title set the bar. I actually own the HD-DVD version, but this Blu-Ray version is basically identical. Considering the age of the movie, the transfer looks great. Far better production quality versus the DVD releases. There were details in the video that I had completely overlooked. Don't expect the big Lucasarts style soundtrack, but the audio quality is good enough to get the job done. A great movie with a powerful and relevant political message to share with today's generation - if for no better reason to admire what was achieved in this movie without CGI effects.

Road gangs rule the wastelands in the post-apocalyptic aftermath of civilization's finale. The most valued commodities: oil, gasoline, cars and guns. Mel Gibson stars as the now iconic Mad Max--the quiet wandering scavenger, humankind's mysterious last hero. The plot is simple: The Road Warrior must decide between escape or to stay and defend the peaceful gasoline making tribe from the tyranny of a wasteland gang.

As each action scene is skillfully 'wiped' to the next the tension builds and the dramatic quality of the theme is rooted. The question is: Can these people escape the wasteland and journey toward the rumored last haven of civilized humankind? Or will they be hunted down, raped and murdered like animals by the whim of gang rule.

Despite the gruesome action and sometimes campy dialogue, the theme of the film is complex: the right to one's own life. This is portrayed in the conflict between the producer tribe and the thieving gang; the creators vs. the destroyers; and Max walks the the middle line as an individual standing against tyranny, the defender of that right to life (his own), and of that dream of a better place. Max can't escape his past as a policeman, as a arbiter of justice, but can he escape the gang's brutality and live to scavenge another day?

Through Max we identify with the fight against tyranny in defense of a future for humanity, and as we do, a new hero mystique is born: that of the brooding and cunning last remnant of humankind's ideals. Also, a warning rises to the surface of this film; a warning about gang rule and human corruption and where that may lead us.