Mel Gibson, the actor who played “Mad Max” Rockatansky in the first entries ofthe franchise created by George Miller,has revealed which of the films in the dystopian universe is his favorite. Although Gibson has recently shown his power to divide, it’s fair to say that this time we agree with him.
Per the report by Screen Rant, Gibson recently appeared at MegaCon Orlando, where he spoke about his run in theMad Maxfranchise from 1979 to 1985. Gibson made a total of threeMad Maxfilms: 1979’sMad Max, 1981’sThe Road Warrior(its official title wasMad Max 2, but it was retitled for American audiences), and 1985’sMad Max Beyond Thunderdome. During a panel, the actor/director behind classics likeBraveheartand theLethal Weaponfranchiserevealed that his favoriteMad Maxmovie was the second entry,The Road Warrior:
I think the second installment was the best. It was just pure. It was just a chase. From an audience point of view, I thought it was the cleanest. It had some excellent thrills. No special effects, they were just throwing stuff out of a truck.
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The director behind films likeApocalypto,The Passion of the Christ, andHacksaw Ridgedidn’t always stay behind the camera. When he was 21 years old, he debuted in the obscure Australian dramaSummer City. Then, in 1979, he played Max Rockatansky in Miller’sMad Max, the dystopian action film about a policeman-turned-vigilante who tries to capture a gang of crazy motorcycle riders. The movie was so successful and cheap, that, at some point, it was one of the most profitable movies to ever be released. It was the beginning of a franchise that’s still alive to this day.
Miller took a break from the franchise afterMad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Gibson decided to leave it altogether. While the third film’s reception was good,it wasn’t hugely successful at the box office. It would take 30 years for Miller to revisit the concept withMad Max: Fury Road, a franchise revival that recast Max and earned worldwide acclaim with its bold and risky style of action.Fury Roadwas nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and took home six Oscars that night. 2024 saw the release of the prequelFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, a very expensive flop that put Miller’s plans for future sequels to rest.
In 1981, Gibson starred inThe Road Warrioras well asGallipoli, the film that put him out there as a serious performer with acting chops. However,The Road Warriorhad more attention from critics and audiences.It was a balls-to-the-wall action feature with a few lines of dialogue that proved Miller could successfully tweak the rules of the genre and accomplish an unforgiving and relentless experience.
Famed critic Roger Ebert said it better in his review of the film: “The Road Warrioris a film of pure action, of kinetic energy organized around the barest possible bones of a plot. It has a vision of a violent future world, but it doesn’t develop that vision with characters and dialogue.It would rather plunge headlong into one of the most relentlessly aggressive movies ever made.I walked out ofMad Max 2a little dizzy and with my ears still ringing from the roar of the soundtrack; I can’t say I “enjoyed” the film, but I’ll hardly forget it… The experience is frightening, sometimes disgusting, and (if the truth be told) exhilarating. This is very skillful filmmaking, andMad Max 2is a movie like no other.”
