View Feedback | Send this Article | Published 4/04/03

Graphic By: Andrew Kinback

The Mad Max trilogy takes place in a post-nuclear war Australia and in each film the conditions worsen. In "Mad Max," the first installment, what was left of civilization was hanging by a thread and being terrorized by biker gangs. By the time of "Road Warrior," civilization had completely collapsed and the aftermath was a world of scavenging. In the midst of this decay is Max Rockatansky, Mad Max himself.

This film finds Max morally bankrupt because of the events of "Mad Max" and living in the wasteland--a barren place where survival is the law of the land and gasoline is the most valuable asset.

One day Max encounters the Gyro Captain, an eccentric character with an affinity for helicopters, who Max bests in a duel. For his life, the Gyro Captain tells Max he knows a place where he can get as much gas as he wants. Max takes him prisoner and lets the Gyro Captain lead him to a refinery out in the middle of nowhere.

They run into problems getting the gas, as there are people inside the refinery who want it for themselves. And to complicate matters, there's a gang outside that constantly attacks the refinery because they want the gasoline. Max eventually gets caught up in the conflict and certainly gets more than he bargained for.

What makes "The Road Warrior" effective as an action movie is that it's propelled by a solid story. This is something that is missing in most action movies today; most try to dazzle their audiences with special effects, which leaves little room for a quality story. The latest James Bond movie had stunts and special effects galore, but the story was shallow when compared to "Road Warrior."

That doesn't mean that it isn't without its share of great action scenes; the movie has plenty and they're often listed as some the greatest ever filmed. What makes these scenes so great is their realism; it really looks like someone is being run over on the road or being shot by an arrow, etc. Also, these scenes are made even more impressive by the fact that they were shot long before the wide-spread use of computer generated effects common today.

Any action movie buff owes it to himself or herself to at least rent "The Road Warrior." Most people who love this genre of filmmaking will love this film.

Berkley Pritchett is a quiet man, but he loves to rock.