Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome — A Review

22nd December, 2018.

You know, going as far away as possible from the intro … 

I have to admit, a patch of unemployment can either be good or bad for the soul, it really can.

If you can keep yourself occupied, it can be good.

Occupied … and financially afloat, that is.

I’m surviving: with a lot of help, it has to be said.

If you’d like to donate to the cause?

The PayPal button’s on the sidebar: on the non-mobile version of the sidebar.

Which is something I normally wouldn’t even mention: except times are a little … um … iffy … right now.

So, apologies, if that seemed a little rude, there: I’m sure you can appreciate the situation.

~≈§≈~

At any rate, I was saying about keeping myself occupied … ?

I’m thank that, over the years, I’m managed to build up a movie collection: mostly as digital files, mostly on an external hard-drive.

And mostly sharing that hard drive with a lot of TV box sets.

Although, if I get the money?

Getting DVD or blurry versions of  current favourites are always welcome.

Over the past couple of days?

Over the past couple of days, I’ve had to confess, I’ve hit the collection to see what I have: only to find I’ve a well known Australian film trilogy sitting there being forgotten.

Given one of my regular commenters had mentioned Road Warrior, recently?

It seemed rude to not watch the first three in the Mad Max trilogy.

The original Mad Max on Thursday, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, yesterday.

Tonight … ?



Tonight I had room for Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome.

Well … 

It would have been rude not to … 

~≈§≈~

Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome opens with Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) travelling across the wastes of post-apocalypse Australia, in a camel-drawn truck … only to be attacked by a pilot called Jedediah.

Max?

Is forced to chase on foot: eventually following the trail to Bartertown, the one place in the desert with anything resembling an electricity supply.

The power?

Is supplied by Master (Angelo Rossitto), and his body guard, Blaster (Paul Larsson).

Who are the political rivals of Aunty Entity (Tina Turner): Bartertown’s unscrupulous ruler.

When Max get’s to Bartertown, he finds two things.



His camels have been sold to the highest bidder.



His truck?

Is going the same way.

And Aunty?

Wants him to fight in the Thunderdome, itself.



Two men go in.

Only one is supposed to come out … 

You can tell there’s going to be chainsaws, can’t you … ?

~≈§≈~

Now …


Good … ?

Yes … 

Possibly a qualified yes, but nonetheless, yes.

I can remember, back in the day, the talk when Mad Max 3 hit the cinemas: talk that — effectively — said the Lord of The Flies style plot line — involving the group of children led by Savannah Nix (Helen Buday) — slowed the film down, somewhat.

I can certainly go with that: there’s a good ten minutes of wondering around Australia’s desert interior that could have been trimmed, there.

On the other hand?

Whilst maybe not as trend setting as Mad Max Two: The Road Warrior — my personal belief is that Mad Max Two: The Road Warrior set the template for the rest of the franchise — nor as visually focused as

Mad Max: Fury Road*, it is still a very good, watchable film.

I’d say watch Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome†.

It is a treat, after all.

Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome.

★★★☆

*      Fury Road is possibly the best film in the series.

†        One thing I did notice?   When Aunty Entity‡ sends Max into the desert to die, he’s sat on a horse, backwards.   And masked: with a papier-mâché head.   I’m wondering if George Miller, the series long term creator, had seen a Dr Who story called Terror of the Autons.   That head looked familiar.

‡        One last thing?   Aunty Entity’s “Ain’t we a pair” line, before she and her troops walk off, seemed to hint at so many things.   Personally?   I can’t help but wonder if the producers had her sketched in for another appearance: as a friendly rival to Max.   I guess we’ll never know.