In 1985, the third and final Mad Max movie before Fury Road came out called Beyond Thunderdome. Co-directed by series co-creator George Miller and George Ogilvie, this has often been regarded by fans as the weakest of the original Mad Max trilogy due to a slightly more light hearted tone compared to the first two features in the franchise. That being said, the insane ambitions the filmmakers went for the feature are easy to appreciate and it's no wonder the critics and audiences took a liking to it enough to grant it a big success at the time of its release. So is it really that bad?
The film follows Max Rockatansky as he ends up in the trading post Bartertown and gets exiled after defying the town's ruler Aunty Entity. After discovering a lost group of children, Max teams up with them to rebel against Bartertown. With this premise in mind, perhaps Beyond Thunderdome might be a little far fetched in its concepts of introducing a child cargo cult into a narrative of Max going against a ruthless trading post, especially when the first two features focused on seeing what happens when adults lose their minds over economic turmoil. It doesn't help that this plot point is introduced in the second hand almost out of left field, and as a result feeling like a sudden shift from survival of the thickest to survival of the lost boys. Fortunately, the actors who play the kids are fun to watch as their longing to reach a new world beyond the stranded land they occupy allows us to empathize with their sudden jump into Max's story. The kids might feel out of place in some capacity, but they keep the themes of going against arrogant tyranny and hope in times of darkness strong enough on their own.
However, outside of the kids coming into play, the rest of the movie is pretty good in its own right. In addition to Bartertown's methods of operation being just as if not more unhinged than the first two Mad Max films, the actual Thunderdome base is a frightening battle cage with just the right amount of fierce fighting choreography and bone crunching editing to make it come to life in action. As for those running the joint, Tina Turner is just delightfully menacing as Aunty Entity, who is as campy in her glorious costume as she is threatening in the deals she manipulates people with. On top of that, the Master behind Bartertown makes for a solid macguffin in different points during the first and third acts, and the henchmen can make one shudder from their mere costumes alone. The only casting choice that I think could've been different was having Bruce Spence return as a completely different character, since it's almost impossible to imagine him as anyone but the Gyro Captain. Even if this cast aren't as sadistic as the last bunch, they're still fun for their roles alone.
Now as this film was the highest budgeted Mad Max movie at the time, the set design and locations are much more grandiose than before. As this is more of an epic journey compared to the first two features, the post apocalyptic Aussie desserts feel much more dangerous and harrowing just from all the different areas Max encounters, and not just the kids' hideout. Returning from The Road Warrior, cinematographer Dean Semler captures the multiple locations with harsh color palettes and grainy atmosphere that is as dissipating to watch as it is engaging. The music by Maurice Jarre accompanies the stakes quite well and is enough to put one on the edge of anyone's seat, even with slightly less car chases and road rage than before. At times, the score might take up too much of the runtime when it doesn't need to, but the ending sequence is probably where it shows to be at its most effective. Sometimes, a truly heart wrenching journey is just as effective as the people we're witnessing in it, and films like these are no exception with all the collaboration on board.
So while Beyond Thunderdome might not be as narratively concise or spine tingling as the first two Mad Max movies, it still offers a harrowingly rebellious side of Max and the people he meets and defends, alongside strong choreography and car chase stunts that people know and love from the series. While it is easy to put aside this feature in favor of arguably better installments in the franchise, I would still recommend this to anyone interested in seeing all the Mad Max films from start to finish. As a followup that strays away from the series' formula without losing its overall appeal, this film does the job quite well.
The film follows Max Rockatansky as he ends up in the trading post Bartertown and gets exiled after defying the town's ruler Aunty Entity. After discovering a lost group of children, Max teams up with them to rebel against Bartertown. With this premise in mind, perhaps Beyond Thunderdome might be a little far fetched in its concepts of introducing a child cargo cult into a narrative of Max going against a ruthless trading post, especially when the first two features focused on seeing what happens when adults lose their minds over economic turmoil. It doesn't help that this plot point is introduced in the second hand almost out of left field, and as a result feeling like a sudden shift from survival of the thickest to survival of the lost boys. Fortunately, the actors who play the kids are fun to watch as their longing to reach a new world beyond the stranded land they occupy allows us to empathize with their sudden jump into Max's story. The kids might feel out of place in some capacity, but they keep the themes of going against arrogant tyranny and hope in times of darkness strong enough on their own.
However, outside of the kids coming into play, the rest of the movie is pretty good in its own right. In addition to Bartertown's methods of operation being just as if not more unhinged than the first two Mad Max films, the actual Thunderdome base is a frightening battle cage with just the right amount of fierce fighting choreography and bone crunching editing to make it come to life in action. As for those running the joint, Tina Turner is just delightfully menacing as Aunty Entity, who is as campy in her glorious costume as she is threatening in the deals she manipulates people with. On top of that, the Master behind Bartertown makes for a solid macguffin in different points during the first and third acts, and the henchmen can make one shudder from their mere costumes alone. The only casting choice that I think could've been different was having Bruce Spence return as a completely different character, since it's almost impossible to imagine him as anyone but the Gyro Captain. Even if this cast aren't as sadistic as the last bunch, they're still fun for their roles alone.
Now as this film was the highest budgeted Mad Max movie at the time, the set design and locations are much more grandiose than before. As this is more of an epic journey compared to the first two features, the post apocalyptic Aussie desserts feel much more dangerous and harrowing just from all the different areas Max encounters, and not just the kids' hideout. Returning from The Road Warrior, cinematographer Dean Semler captures the multiple locations with harsh color palettes and grainy atmosphere that is as dissipating to watch as it is engaging. The music by Maurice Jarre accompanies the stakes quite well and is enough to put one on the edge of anyone's seat, even with slightly less car chases and road rage than before. At times, the score might take up too much of the runtime when it doesn't need to, but the ending sequence is probably where it shows to be at its most effective. Sometimes, a truly heart wrenching journey is just as effective as the people we're witnessing in it, and films like these are no exception with all the collaboration on board.
So while Beyond Thunderdome might not be as narratively concise or spine tingling as the first two Mad Max movies, it still offers a harrowingly rebellious side of Max and the people he meets and defends, alongside strong choreography and car chase stunts that people know and love from the series. While it is easy to put aside this feature in favor of arguably better installments in the franchise, I would still recommend this to anyone interested in seeing all the Mad Max films from start to finish. As a followup that strays away from the series' formula without losing its overall appeal, this film does the job quite well.