The Road Warrior (1981)

R   |    |  Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi


The Road Warrior (1981) Poster

In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.


7.6/10
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  • George Miller and Doug Mitchell at an event for The Road Warrior (1981)
  • Mel Gibson in The Road Warrior (1981)
  • Mel Gibson in The Road Warrior (1981)
  • The Road Warrior (1981)
  • Mel Gibson in The Road Warrior (1981)
  • Kjell Nilsson in The Road Warrior (1981)

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20 June 2005 | KnightLander
8
| MAD MAX - back and better than ever
After the enormous success of "Mad Max" in 1979, it was predictable that a sequel would follow. In fact, two sequels followed, and the first of these is "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior".

Released in the U.S. simply as "The Road Warrior", "Mad Max 2" begins with a narration re-introducing us to wandering ex-cop Max (Gibson) ... and then we're off. In post-apocalyptic Australia, Max wanders the nuclear waste lands in search of Earth's most precious resource: gasoline. When he discovers a band of people guarding a large deposit of fuel, he lends his services as a driver to help them escape from a vicious group of bandits intent on taking the gas for themselves.

"Mad Max 2" is one of the best sequels ever. It's everything the original was and more. Mel Gibson is great, and the cast performs very well. Brian May's skills as a composer have improved, and he gives a very fast-paced score. George Miller's directing skills have also improved, and he deals us out some intense car sequences that have yet to be rivaled.

This film is special because, although it was very popular when released and is even more popular now, it is unique in that it is not afraid to be just that. If that confused you, let me put it this way: George Miller has created a film that, while trying to improve the flaws from past films, is not afraid to be original and un-Hollywood. And I must say, Mr. Miller pulls it off excellently.

I love "The Road Warrior" as well as the rest of the "Mad Max" series. I would say that "Mad Max 2" is quite possibly the greatest film to come out of Australia. It is one of Mel Gibson's best and one of the best sci-fi films ever. "Mad Max 2" is essential.

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The dog used in the film, named simply "Dog", was obtained from a local dog pound and trained to perform in the film. Because the sound of the engines upset him (and in one incident, caused him to relieve himself in the car), he was fitted with special earplugs. After filming was complete, he was adopted by one of the camera operators.


Quotes

Narrator: My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos... ruined dreams... this wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called "Max." To understand who he was, you have to go back to ...


Goofs

When the Gyro Captain is reaching for the can of dog food that the dog is eating out of, it shows him reaching with his right hand, yet when we see the shot with the dog and the can, a left hand is seen reaching out for it. He is also holding a wooden spoon with that right hand which then is missing in the shot with the can.


Alternate Versions

In 1984, the film made its US network television debut on NBC in a version that has been referred to by fans as the 'Lost Version'. It contained a great deal of alternate and deleted material that has never been in any other officially released version of the film. This footage is spread out over the entirety of the film and amounts mostly to small scene extensions and the use of alternate takes in order to tone down the film's violence. The most striking difference however, is a totally different narrator (one with an American accent) being heard in the film's opening and closing scenes.

Storyline

Plot Summary


Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)


Genres

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,527,864 23 May 1982

Gross USA:

$23,667,907

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,668,369

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