X
- 1980
- R
- American International Pictures (AIP)
- 1 h 28 m
- 1980
- R
- American International Pictures (AIP)
- 1 h 28 m
Summary Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), an Australian policeman, sets out to avenge his wife and son.
Directed By: George Miller
Written By: James McCausland, George Miller, Byron Kennedy
- 1980
- R
- American International Pictures (AIP)
- 1 h 28 m
- 1980
- R
- American International Pictures (AIP)
- 1 h 28 m
Mad Max
73
6.9
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Summary Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), an Australian policeman, sets out to avenge his wife and son.
Directed By: George Miller
Written By: James McCausland, George Miller, Byron Kennedy
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 14 Critic Reviews
73
86% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
14% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 14 Critic Reviews
73
86% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
14% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
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.
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]
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 325 User Ratings
6.9
65% Positive
211 Ratings
211 Ratings
30% Mixed
96 Ratings
96 Ratings
6% Negative
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 325 User Ratings
6.9
65% Positive
211 Ratings
211 Ratings
30% Mixed
96 Ratings
96 Ratings
6% Negative
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
Apr 9, 2024
It's a great revenge story full of hearts and personality, Mad Max was incredibly exciting, incredibly depth surprisingly, and very well executed, i think not only Mel Gibson but truly all the cast and the characters including the villain, Toecutter and his members, just what a menacing and terrifying villain antagonist they were, the love story between Max and Jesse was really meaningful somehow, the intensity and the danger tension was there, and basically everything in this movie works really well, George Miller was a genius to make this film with this very low budget and minimal set and all the simple film property, showed you that the budget doesn't matter as long as you have this incredibly written story in your script, i love Mad Max, overall it's definitely one of the best revenge film i've seen, it's short, straight to the point, and everything works.
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With his instinct and craft, Miller has provided more autosuggestive violence on a $1 million budget than The Blues Brothers did with half the Chicago police force and $30 million.
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.
By Staff [Not Credited] FULL REVIEW
The film belongs to the director, cameraman and stunt artists: it’s not an actor’s piece, though the leads are all effective.
By Staff [Not Credited] FULL REVIEW
Hackneyed at exposition, Miller demonstrates breakneck prowess at chase sequences and terrifying shock effects. [29 April 1980, p. B1]
By Gary Arnold
Mad Max is ugly and incoherent, and aimed, probably accurately, at the most uncritical of moviegoers. [14 June 1980, p.13]
By Tom Buckley
May 16, 2015
The first film "Mad Max" over all was a hell **** 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+
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Oct 29, 2024
A low-budget dystopian action film set in Australia. It was the most profitable film ever made at the time and held that title for two decades. Despite the use of an old camera and a lack of proper editing facilities, the chase scenes and stunts are still astonishing. The Australian accent and terminology can be difficult to understand but add a unique vibe for viewers. The motorcycle gang is truly terrifying, with each member having a distinct personality. The stunts are the highlight of the film, and you can feel their originality except for the eye-popping scenes. This was only Mel Gibson's second film, but you can already see glimpses of his talent. The characters of Goose, Toecutter, and Johnny the Boy are memorable and well-acted. As the title suggests, Max isn’t "mad" in this movie, and even when he’s angry, he mostly keeps it under control. Overall, it's a true independent movie with a rebellious spirit.
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Jun 25, 2024
Well, I watched it again. I think my experience was better this time. However, Mad Max just didn’t age well. The OST is marginally present but doesn’t seem to add much. It feels a bit bureaucratic, if you understand what I mean. To be honest, I was expecting a more pronounced post-apocalyptic world, like the new Mad Max does. But here, the reality is subtle. Perhaps Mad Max 2 will explore it further. The final act is cool, though. It made me excited for the next movie.
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Sep 24, 2015
So I wasn't alive in 1979 or whatever, but watching this in 2015, all I've got to say to say is this movie is basically terrible. Bad acting, basically a nonexistent script, horrible overrated by fanboys apparently of other related movies. Mad Max: Fury Road is a actually a really good, entertaining movie. This movie takes 45 minutes too long to kill off the wife and baby and then never delivers. I feel sorry for people in 1979 and the early 1980s, and even now, who think this passes as hardcore action or has "good chase scenes."
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May 22, 2015
Skip this movie and go straight to Mad Max 2. The concept is interesting and the cars and costumes are cool, but, as my son said, "It's just a bunch of stupid action and everybody dies." There's just no sense of a storyline. It's one chase scene after another. Not enough is done to develop the near-future setting. The relationship between Max and his wife, which should be crucial to the plot, also isn't given time to develop. All there are are chases. "Max used to be a cop. Max used to have a wife and son who were killed by bad guys." This is about all you need to know to have some context for Mad Max 2.
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Awards
Australian Film Institute
• 4 Wins & 8 Nominations
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Nominations
