Whoa, wait a minute. This scene...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2gVXd7FzhQ

...is meant to be taken seriously? A five year old puts a boomerang through someone's head and then back flips into a ditch when he could've easily just taken one step backwards. I was under the impression that these movies were always meant to be taken as hilariously over the top and unrealistic, but it knows it's camp so it's okay to laugh at it.

Was this ever really considered gritty? I don't think it's just the 80s. I'd consider Jaws and Alien to be grittier than this, and that's just based on those movies not being ridiculous and excessive. Honestly, this one seems to be right in line with the series as far as being tongue-in-cheek camp. I laughed at it because it wanted me to. It asked me to turn my brain off, and then gave me some things to think about anyway.

The first film was gritty.

"Upon its release, the film polarised critics. In a 1979 review, the Australian social commentator and film producer Phillip Adams condemned Mad Max, saying that it had "all the emotional uplift of Mein Kampf" and would be "a special favourite of rapists, sadists, child murderers and incipient [Charles] Mansons"

That was really what made it so legendary, imo.

The rest are a bit silly. Mad Max 2 was fun though, in a way that Fury Road failed to be. Beyond the Thunderdome was not much cop, either imo.

Alien... was a great film, way better than Mad Max, IMO. I saw that as a kid too and it gave me some shocks, man, seeing that alien burst through the chest. Epic. Never got along with the rubber Jaws shark though. Even as a kid that would crack me up and I've never sat and watched the full film. Never watched the follow-up films either aside from the gory clips I've caught over the years. I honestly never got why my mates liked that film (Jaws) so much. I think a lot of it was run on hype.

Plus, maybe, it's because I've never liked the sea. I have never swam in the sea. To be honest, I'm scared of it. I've touched the water with my fingers, but I would never get in for a swim. I'm not scared of water, I swim at the baths, but the sea has things living in it, things I can't see.

Some people are genuinely shocked when I tell them I've never swum in the sea... but at least there's no chance of a rubber shark getting me. So, that's probably why I've never been bothered about sharks and the like. They live in the sea... I'm nice and safe on land. And, if I did happen to be at a beach where a shark attack was occurring, I'd definitely be safe, watching it from my deck chair.

Just watched this tonight. On the plus side it looks amazing. Absolutely. Most of the stunts were done for real. Some are breathtaking. The cinematography and action are amazing. Not sure about Tom Hardy as Max yet. Leave it with me. I heard essence of Bane now and again. This is a good thing by the way.

It's just overall it seemed far more a Charlize Theron movie than a Mad Max one.

As for the plot - it was arse head bonkers. This is not a good thing. Most of the time I found myself thinking "The fuck?". Oh, we'll drive here then find something out, stop then go back. There was a bit more to it than that, but not quite enough more.

Overall I wasn't impressed. It wasn't too far off in some parts. Other parts were plain batshit nuts.

They sure as hell put the effort in, visually at least. The stunts are well.. stunningly stunting. I'm sure if I was younger and less jaded I might have even enjoyed it at the cinema. On the way home however, I'd have that Phantom Menace feeling. Every now and again I'd go "Hang on, that bit was a load of bollocks!"

Then later I'd be going "Hang on, that bit was bollocks too!"

A shame really. Oh well, ho hum.

R

I was very underwhelmed by this, and actually found it so over the top throughout, that it actually made it rather dull, as it was pretty much the same thing, over and over and over and over and...

Nothing here rang remotely realistic, so I couldn't really care or fear for anyone.  The vehicles, the characters, the stunts, the violence....nothing.

Story-wise, there's absolutely nothing here at all.

I'm sure it's "cool" to some peeps, but for this old Kid, it was quite weak.

Grade - C-