The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) *spoilers*

It's amazing how far special effects have come. Hard to believe a time where producers looked at a script and said, "Excellent idea, but we have no way of doing this". Today, if there is something impossible to be made, it it's done with CGI. Anamatronics. miniatures, perspective, over exposure and a good costume are used out of aesthetic and not practicality. When movies like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad came out; they didn't have CGI. Luckily, a man by the name of Ray Harryhausen had a unique claymation style known as "dyanamation" which made him a must have for any scifi or fantasy movie. He made the impossible possible and worked on like films Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans. However, competing with movies today; does "dynamation" stand a chance against modern day effects?

This looks interesting

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is about a sailor and his crew. They happen upon and island where a man is being chased by a monster. After rescuing him, Sinbad finds out he is Sokura; a powerful magician. They bring him back with them to Baghdad to meet the Caliph. Sokura requests a crew to go back to the island and gain the treasures he lost there. Sinbad and the Caliph both agree that such a mission would be too dangerous and denied Sokura's request. As an act of retribution, the magician comes into princess Parisa's room and shrinks her down to the size of a mouse. When she is found in that state, Sinbad implores the help of Sokura, The magician explains that she can only be transformed back if they get the egg shell from a giant mythical bird known as a roc found on the island he came from. Sinbad agrees and gets a rag tag crew together for a mission back to Collossa. Unfortunately, this trip will be more difficult than Sinbad realizes. Sokura has alterior motives and with an untrustworthy crew; Sinbad has his work cut out for him.

The reason this movie is to be watched is for the claymation monsters. The plot isn't excellent but it offers great set up for the effects. There are engaging fights between people and monsters alike. There is an especially excellent scene were a dragon and cyclops battle to the death. Harryhausen was a genius and it's wonderful to see he gets so much recognition. It took him 11 months to film the movie and some scenes that take moments took up to 3 weeks to animated. It's this dedication which makes watching a movie like this worth it. The cyclops, the dragon, the snake woman, and the roc are all animated very well. There is also a great fight with Sinbad and a skeleton which was so popular, Harryhausen did it again in Jason and the Argonauts. While claymation is big in this movie, the other part to "dynamation" is superimposing the foreground into the back ground shot making the scene look seamless. There are scenes where Princess Parisa is small and the set is made gigantic to accommodate the perspective. Dedication like this is what put the movie in the National Film Registry based on the film being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" in 2008.

I'M SIGNIFICANT!!!!

This is not a movie for everyone. The effects look great and do stand up to even monder effects, but we have come too far for main stream to find this enjoyable. There is a time and a place for these effects, but with movies like Avatar and Peter Jackson's King Kong do everything that Harryhausen did, but they look much more realistic. With that said, this movie still holds it's own. Movie goers of all ages can enjoy this classic if they are willing to give it a chance. Overall, the story is simple yet engaging and keeps the audience interested.  It's movies like this that keep film history exciting and wonderful. Personally, I would watch this movie again right now if I didn't have a thousand more to watch. I give The 7th Voyage of Sinbad eight magic lamps out of ten. If you have never seen and consider yourself a movie buff, then give this one a watch immediately. I doubt you will be disappointed.

2 weeks my butt. Doing this in 2 minutes

Focus (2015) Review *spoilers*

Every movie will meet its judge who decides whether it falls into film obscurity or is able to join its place in the stars with other great films. Now, Focus is a movie that will sadly fall into obscurity, but it has its place in the here and now. Margot Robbie is hotter than the face of the sun after the success of The Wolf of Wall Street and Will Smith has stepped back into the warm glow of the lime light letting his kids ride the bench. The movie does not offer anything new to the crime or suspense genres, but it borrows good things from them and portrays them with gusto. However, is this movie truly worth the watch or should it be passed by in favor of something of else?

Check out Harley and Deadshot in

The story is about a confidence man by the name of Nicky (Smith) who is amazing at what he does and cocky to boot. With that said, an up and coming con artist, Jess (Robbie), wants to learn from Nicky; he reluctantly takes her under his tutelage. Jess becomes rather skilled at the trade and eventually becomes Nicky's lover. When the job is over, Nicky abandons Jess so as not get too soft and fall in love which makes him lose focus. The tag line for the movie is "Never drop the con" and when you lose focus, that's what happens. Years later while Nicky is working on another grift, he encounters Jess who is romantically involved with his client. Is it by chance that Jess is suddenly back in Nicky's life or is there something more to it? Guess you'll have to watch and find out.

He's gonna play me like that...now I have to see the movie

There are plenty of reasons to see this movie, but the best is simply to see the chemistry between Smith and Robbie. With the filming of Suicide Squad going on it's pretty great to see Robbie and Smith have pretty great report. For Robbie, I see nothing but great things in her future. For Smith, this just shows that he still has a lot more to offer to the world of cinema.

The plot of the movie is rather borrowed with many double and triple crosses occurring which will keep you guessing and surprised. There were several points in the movie where I was generally shocked with the outcome of certain events. I actually felt silly when I was taking notes because I saw how little credit I was giving this movie. With minimal expectations, this movie is Nolan mixed with Scorsese and a sprinkle of early Shyamalan to add some zest. However, I can see why this did so poor in theaters when many people were looking for the best but found it average. This isn't a bad movie for director's Glenn Ficarra and John Requa to have in their repertoire because it does a lot right, but will leave you wanting.

The most interesting thing in the movie is how Smith's character explains how to steal correctly and the science behind why he does certain things. He explains a lot of it as tricking the brain into feeling something incorrectly or making it want something that it doesn't know it wants. Case in point is a fabulous scene that involves BD Wong where you think Smith is completely screwed, but then everything works out in his favor. The explanations are amazing, Ficarra and Requa certainly did there research. Con men and thieves are very smart at what they do and when you see it unfold you'll sit there and think "That's actually brilliant". There are also scenes where the camera will go out of focus. This will represent Smith losing his "focus" on the task at hand. Elaborate explanations and interesting cinematography an amazing movie does not make, but it really keeps you interested.

There are of course problems, mainly that the middle act tends to drag on. Everything will pick back up but it takes over a half an hour to get there. Also, even though the double crosses are very good, there are so many that you expect the shocks and it becomes a matter of quantity over quality. With that said, the beginning will rope you in and the end will reel you back in for more. This isn't a movie that you should skip. It may not stand the test of time, but for right now this movie will keep you interested. I wouldn't buy the movie, but I would rent it and use it for a movie night. Focus has something for everyone with its romance, its comedy, and its suspense. I would find anyone hard pressed to not like at least one thing about the movie. My motto for movies is: if there's one good thing about a movie, then the time was well spent. I give Focus; seven picked pockets out of ten. Please come back for more reviews.

Just wearing my review reading dress

Insidious Chapter 3

Over the past ten years, horror movies have fallen into a rutt. Instead of coming out with new and innovative ideas; old ideas are rehashed and given a new coat of paint. If these are somewhat successful then a slew of sequels are soon to follow with less story and more cheap thrills. So far, the only horror movies I've loved recently were Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2. I thought that they were scary and had a very interesting mythos. The ideas were fresh and, honestly,  I've never been so scared and exited in a long time. With all that said, I was really looking forward to Insidious: Chapter 3 but, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

She just shit a brick

For anyone who hasn't seen the two previous films (or just avoid horror movies like the plague). Insidious is about a family whose son's soul is captured by a demon and with the help of a psychic, paranormal investigators, and the boy's father; save his life. The sequel has to do with the aftermath of events in the first movie and ends with a very open and exciting ending for a sequel. Insidious: Chapter 2 ends with the psychic and her two companions going to a house and finding out the demon from the first movie is up to it's old ways and has found a new victim. I was excited for this sequel because I thought I was seeing the continuation from chapter 2, but instead got a less scary and sort of boring prequel.

Join the Dark Side

Now, I don't hate what they did with this movie because I like getting back ground on characters I like that. Elise, the psychic from the first two movies, is back and we learn more about her.  Specs and Tucker's relationship with Elise also gets further explained which is nice to know. Luckily, the returning characters are all played by the original actors which is wonderful. The main problem was with this one was the story.

The movie is about a girl named Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) who goes to see Elise (Lin Shaye) saying that her mother has died and she needs to contact her. Elise explains that she can't use her gift because something (someone) is preventing her from using her abilities. Elise explains that trying to contact her mother isn't a safe thing and she shouldn't try. Heartbroken, Quinn goes home and does exactly what she isn't supposed to an calls out to her mom. Unfortunately, something answers. Events happen in the movie, and Quinn is left with two broken legs and is confined to her bed. This of course make her an easy target for this being who wants her, body and soul. Her father (Dermot Mulroney) gets in contact with Elise to enlist her helping saving his daughter from this peril.

This movie felt like the Halloween 3 of the Insidious franchise, even if it wasn't a huge departure from the previous films. The scares in the movie are genuinely terrifying, but they felt to few and far between. The creature that is haunting her is not as scary as one would hope once it is finally shown. The demon from the first movie I felt was a more impressive (even though many say he looked like Darth Maul). The acting and story felt very out of place and the newer cast felt like they were out of there own skin. The only thing that makes this movie worth watching is the lore. Many things that left you puzzled from the previous movies are explained here. This is nice, but why make a whole movie based on minor things that could be explained in flash backs? Easy; to make more money. Regardless, this is not a movie without it's moments but the fear and excitement I experienced from the previous films is long gone. I'll probably purchase this movie to add to my collection solely for the name Insidious. This isn't to say that I won't be anticipating  the inevitable chapter 4 where hopefully I will see my Darth Maul demon again. I give Insidious Chapter 3 four jump scares out of ten. Remember kids, never use a ouji board because contacting spirits isn't for children though Milton Bradly would have you think so.

Ouji boards are fun kids. Look at the results

Tomorrowland Review

My favorite Disney park happens to be Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom. There was always something inviting about the atmosphere. The park was like I was on another where impossible science happened. It doesn't hurt that Space Mountain also happens to be my favorite ride. So when I saw the trailer for Tomorrowland; an overwhelming joy came over me. I wanted to be immersed in a world where the impossible was reality. I wanted jet pack Rocketeer-esque battles. I wanted incredible aircrafts swooping through the air. I wanted Jetson treadmill walk ways. I wanted all these things, but some how, some way... I was left wanting. Brad Bird has directed awesome movie geared towards younger audiences such as The Incredibles and The Iron Giant. With a movie like, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Bird has shown he can appeal to adult audiences as well. George Clooney is also a big star for this movie and usually he isn't the bad part of any movie he is in. So what happened? Why did this movie fall short?

not that Neverneverland place

The movie is about a girl named Casey (Britt Robertson) who is in love with science. Her father is a physicist for NASA, but is going to lose his job because space launch research is coming to an end. In an effort to prolong his career, Casey tries sabotaging the demolition. This works for a while, until she is arrested and put in prison. Upon her bail out, Casey finds a pin with a "T" on it. When she touches it, she sees a world that is beyond any one's comprehension. Only she can see it when she touches the pin and over a short period; is thrown back into reality with no way of going back. Eager to find out what this place was and how to get back to it, she goes out to find some answers. Along the way she meets an older man named Frank (George Clooney) who knows all the answers to her questions and just maybe can help her.

I told you not to touch anything!

There is much more to the movie, but I don't wish to spoil everything. I will say though that the sprawling and bright metropolis of the future she sees will not be in the movie often. Everything futuristic and awesome the trailer shows is barely in the movie. In fact, the first hour of the movie seems to drag until she meets Frank at his house. Once the slow beginning is over, then the true fun begins with futuristic fire fights and aircraft flight. Being that it is a Disney movie, it's obviously directed towards a younger audience. For kids, this movie will keep them very entertained. The movie has a lot of kid friendly scenes and some very funny moments which are always welcome. George Clooney is where the movie truly has the best moments and Britt Robertson usually adds to the comic relief. Clooney plays a bitter character at the beginning, but over time he becomes much more likable. He is snarky and cynical and probably the best part of the movie. Hugh Laurie is in the movie as well, but he you won't see a lot of him. Laurie will have very dry British wit in most of his scenes and is welcome in this movie's plot.

Not even they could save this movie

The movie has a big message; we, as responsible humans, can not resign ourselves to inevitable doom. As you watch the movie, you'll understand why this is so prevalent. Disney wants the younger viewers to known that, yes science and logic are important in any world but dreamers are what makes life worth living. This is an awesome theme because it makes everyone watching feel like they can do impossible things. No person has to be resigned to their predestined fate, a person can change his or her stars. Disney usually likes to put those Walt Disney-isms in most of their movies and I wish more companies had movies with similar themes.

The story isn't terrible but at times it will be confusing. I felt as though the writers didn't know what movie they were trying to make. One minute, it can be light-hearted and the next is doomsday. For younger viewers, passing does not matter if action is prevalent. Luckily, there is a fair amount of lasers and gadgets to keep anyone entertained. The special effects are actually very well done. This is one of those movies I would not have minded seeing in IMAX. I just wish there was much more futuristic technology. Maybe a whole other movie about Tomorrowland and Earthlings coming to it would have been the better movie. All I know is, I found this movie to be okay and nothing is wrong with "just okay". I maybe would have preferred to wait to see this as a rental (especially because there were people loudly talking for half the movie behind us). George Clooney and Hugh Laurie bring a lot to this movie and because of them it was enjoyable. This movie is not a waste of time, I just don't think it is worth movie theater price. I give Tomorrowland six space cadets out of ten. If you are very interested then please see the movie, but if you are on the fence then I recommend watching something else.

maybe?

Mad Max Fury Road Review

The missus and I finally got a chance to see Mad Max Fury Road this weekend. I have to say, when the movie first started, I was not in love with it. George Miller really changed a lot with this reboot and I had to tell myself this wasn't the same Max I knew. With that said, once the action began and the story really took off I loved the film. One of the major changes with Fury Road was that the apocalypse occurred because of nuclear war as opposed to a large war that consumed the Earth's resources. Mind you, most of the movie focuses on a small area which has a place called "Gas Town", so in this area fuel is in no short supply. However, the biggest resource that lets people control the wasteland seems to be water. Gas is important still, water seems to be gold in this universe. Even with the changes, the movie is worth your time because of the excellent story telling and action.

Sweet

The story begins with a very feral Max being taken by a group of fanatics that worship Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Burn also played Toecutter in the very first Mad Max, so my girlfriend and I were very happy to see him return to the series even if he had both eyebrows). Joe controls a large population in the desert, not by shear fear, but because he controls the water and therefore controls people. While Max is captured, a caravan is meant to go out for a resupply of fuel from "Gas Town" and bullets from "Bullet Town". This resupply will be headed by a woman known as Imperator Furiosa. When Furiosa makes an abrupt detour into the wasteland, Joe sends his fanatics out to recapture the fuel tanker and bring Furiosa back. Max, who is being used as a blood supply for one of the fanatics, gets strapped to a vehicle and taken along on this mission. Eventually, Max and Furiosa meet after a long chase sequence and the viewers find out why Furiosa was running and who else was with her. I don't want to give anything away because I'd rather you see it than me try to poorly explain what happens.

The mythos of Max has changed but only slightly. Max was still an MFP officer who drove the V8 Interceptor until the world went to ruin. Max also seemed to lose his family but his child was a lot older than the one in the first movie. For a good portion of the movie, Max is "Mad" as in crazy. He hears voice and sees visions which is something Mel Gibson never had (or at least we never saw it) in previous movies. I loved Tom Hardy as Max but I didn't think he delivered dialogue very well. Most of his lines were a series of grunts and short sentences which I guess is okay for someone who is learning to be social again, but it was not aesthetically pleasing to me. I don't even know if that was Hardy's choice or if Miller felt it fit best for the movie. Also, for a movie about Max; a lot of screen time went to Charlize Theron as Furiosa. Max was the vital piece that helps her on her mission, but I felt that she was the hero and not the guy the movie is named after. Regardless, Max is still a big part of the movie and I have no problem with Furiosa sharing the lime light.

You may be tough, she's tougher

I thought the cast of characters was excellent. There were a lot of female characters that really kicked ass in the movie. Surprisingly, feminists are loving this movie because of the amount of powerful woman in it. I think it is great when woman can really be heroic in movies instead of helpless damsels. I don't think Joss Whedon could've done any better writing for the movie in regards to female characters. Nicholas Hoult's character is pretty amazing too which is surprising because the trailer makes him look like he won't be in the movie as a big part. Of course, Immortan Joe was a fantastic villain and was exceptionally terrifying.

A person I wouldn't mess with

Everything in the movie was great. The visuals were breath taking and very realistic (mostly because very few things were cgi). The story was very well written and a great addition to the chronicles of Mad Max. The acting was shockingly decent from everyone, especially since some of the smaller parts of the movie were played by people I personally would not consider great actors. Bravo, Geroge Miller, Bravo!

one of them is a Victoria's Secret model

If you've never seen a Mad Max movie in your life, do yourself a favor and see just this one. I think all of the Mad Max's have something for everyone but this one has what most don't; a solid presentation and great story worth watching. The movie ends perfectly, especially in regards to Max and a sequel is on its way. Go out, if you haven't already, and catch a showing of Mad Max Fury Road. I give this movie, nine gallons of gasoline out of ten. Go ahead and enter the wasteland with Max as your guide.

Mad Max Retrospective Bonus (Mad Max Renegade 2011)

My Mad Max retrospectives have covered all the movies in the trilogy, but there is one last bit of Mad Max that I don't think can be looked over. A lesser known director named Paul Miller created a short film known as Mad Max Renegade in 2011. This movie is supposed to take place between Mad Max and The Road Warrior. I don't know if it is canon with the mythos George Miller created but I think it is worth mentioning because it's very entertaining.

This nine minute short starts off with a newly wed couple driving along the highway with a box filled with blankets which the wife refers to having a baby in. Over the radio, there is an announcement of unrest on the highways and sure enough, a car chases after the couple. Max, in his V8 super charger, hears the call for assistance and goes off to check it out. Max finds the husband dead and the wife dying. With her last breath, she begs Max to save her baby. Max chases after the marauders and catches up to them, shooting the driver in the face with his trusty sawed off shotgun. The car crashes and Max pulls over to check the wreckage. Max opens the car to find a puppy with a name tag that says "Baby". Max looks at the dog and takes the collar off and says, "Let's go Dog". The radio then asks for reinforcements to come to the justice building because there is some civil unrest.

This short is nice because we get a little bit more of Max who is played by Liam Fountain and not Mel Gibson. Liam Fountain tried out for the part of Max in Mad Max Fury Road but obviously lost out to Tom Hardy. Liam was a good Max, but Tom Hardy has a lot more experience and fame behind him. I also like how this movie gives a little origin to where Dog, from The Road Warrior, came from which is nice. Other than that, we have short chase sequence and that's it for the movie. I think it was really entertaining and it was cool to use some recordings from Mad Max. Apparently, the last radio recording was cut from the first movie. There was supposed to be a part where Toecutter's gang takes revenge on the MFP and kill the other officers in the justice building. The only thing that is off about Mad Max Renegade is that Max is walking without a problem. Max gets shot in the knee, which takes quite a long time to heal, but he walks around with little problem. Now if that's the only complaint I can have, that certainly doesn't make the movie bad. If you haven't checked it out, here is the link so you can watch it yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phFDAJep1jo. I give Mad Max Renegade seven minutes of run time out of ten. Hope you enjoyed this little bonus article and help this short get a bit more well known.

Mad Max Retrospective Part 2 (The Road Warrior 1981) *spoilers*

For part two of the Mad Max retrospective, my girlfriend and I watched The Road Warrior. This is a very direct sequel to Mad Max and takes place after humanity has had World War III. During the chaos, the world has exhausted all of its fossil fuels putting everything at a stand still. With gasoline so rare, people go out in search of a it so they can survive in this harsh wasteland. Max rides through the outback in his trusty super charger V8 with his canine sidekick, Dog.

 

This movie is about Max finding a crazy gyro copter pilot who says there is a community that is refining gasoline and has a near limitless supply of it. Eager to get more gas, Max and the gyro pilot head to the community. However, a man named Lord Humungus and his band of leather clad bikers are harassing the community in order to get the limitless gas. Max gains passage into the community and gains their trust by going out to the wasteland and picking up a tractor trailer to haul their gas supply. The gas supply is meant to move the community far enough away from the wasteland and Humungus and reach a paradise where they can live peacefully. Max gets them the rig and gets his gas reward, but upon being asked another favor he declines. The people wanted Max to drive the rig for them, but he just wants the gas. Max drives off into the distance with his stash of gasoline and the community is left heartbroken. The biker gang chases Max and cause him to crash his car. The car explodes and they think Max is dead. Luckily, Max had escaped and was saved by his friend, the gyro pilot. Max comes back to the community and he agrees to help them and drive tanker. There is a very long chase scene at the end and Max does what he is asked to do and saves the community. The last we see of Max is him in the distance as the community drives away to paradise.

Jason Voorhees never skips leg day

This movie is fantastic; I love it. I think Max looks awesome especially with the costume design. It even incorporates him wearing a leg brace and his sleeveless right arm (he got shot in the leg and his arm ran over in the first movie). I think they made his character look not only brave and quick, but intelligent too. The villains in this movie have the same skills Max has, but they aren't smart like him. Max always has a trick up his sleeve. Whether it rigging his gas tank to blow under tampering or having a shot gun pointed at someone even though it has no bullets. I think the villains are really terrifying, especially Humungus and his red mohawked lackey. They work as a unit and use scare tactics to make people feel cornered when they have the upper hand. Humungus is the biggest and strongest of the group which is why he is leader. Actually, Jim Goose (Max's original partner) was supposed  to be Humungus but it never panned out. If you look at Humungus' head, it is very burned looking like Goose was in the first movie. The biker group also has a lot of police cars and men dressed in police garb further showing the intent of having Goose be Humungus. The introduction of Dog was also neat because it shows Max isn't as bad as he wants people to think he is. Plus, Dog is such a cute character but he can be viscous when he needs to be. The people in the community also aren't helpless, they are pretty strong characters, especially the wild kid with the metal boomerang, but they just need some extra guidance from someone that was very different from them. The movie is great, but there are scenes of extreme violence that really would make people draw back. While it's predecessor was no stranger to violence, The Road Warrior is extremely brutal in some scenes. I think my girlfriend found this movie okay, but I think Mad Max was a bit more to her liking. Never the less, she is still excited to see Mad Max Fury Road.

So yeah, something like that

The Road Warrior really set the stage for post-apocalyptic genre. Any movie like this really owes a lot to Max. This movie is great on its own and an excellent addition to the series. Mel Gibson has few lines, but the ones he delivers are well spoken and just plain cool. I even love the gyro pilot and how he brings some levity to the scenes involving him and Max. I give The Road Warrior nine large barrels of gas out of ten. If you're a fan of action and chase scenes, then this is your movie. Be sure to check back for when I post part 3 of my retrospective for Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome.

Okay, I'll watch The Road Warrior

Mad Max Retrospective Part 1 (Mad Max 1979) *spoilers*

With the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, many fans are excited to see an old friend return to the screen. I grew up watching Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome not having any idea what it was about. I was young and I idolized Mel Gibson (before he went crazy). When I got older I got a chance to watch Mad Max and The Road Warrior, and I fell in love with the mythos and character. Max was "the man with no name" of a post apocalyptic world.  My girlfriend had never heard of Mad Max and seeing the trailer left her with questions like "What is that movie about?", "Who is Mad Max?", "Why are you drooling?". So for my girlfriend's benefit (and mine) we have decided to watch the Mad Max trilogy in anticipation for the upcoming reboot. Obviously we started with George Miller's breakout hit; Mad Max.

You ain't cool unless you wear leather

Mad Max takes place in a future where civilization still exsists but many small towns between larger cities are being terrorized by nomadic biker gangs. Max is part of the MFP (Main Force Patrol) who are charged with keeping order between these desolate hamlets. Max is the best on the force making him a hero in a time where there is no such things. The movie  begins with Max chasing down a hooligan by the name of "The Night Rider" who had just killed an MFP officer. During the pursuit, Night Rider is killed by accident with Max to blame. He will be avenged by his friend "The Toecutter" and his bad of miscreants. On a rampage mourning their lost comrade, one of Toecutter's men, Johnny the Boy, is left behind and captured by Max and his partner Jim Goose. Later, Jim becomes enraged when the MFP have to let Johnny go because no one would show up to testify. Jim, beats on Johnny and makes himself an enemy of the Toecutter's gang. Goose will later be burned alive by the gang and Max loses his will to stay on the force. Max wants to live his life with his wife and child and not be the hero people see him as. Leaving the force, Max and his family run into the Toecutter and his gang. They are terrorized and eventually Max's wife and child are killed. Max, having lost everything he held dear, goes on a one man mission of revenge. Max kills all the members of the gang with little remorse in his supercharged V8. The movie ends with him driving away after he left Johnny the Boy handcuffed to a wrecked car that was rigged to explode. He gave Johnny a hacksaw saying it would take him ten minutes to cut through the cuffs but only five to cut through his leg. Max wanted a normal life, but instead he became a reluctant hero in a world that sorely needed one.

he's the hero we need but don't deserve

Mad Max at the time was a highly profitable movie opening a new genre, a new film market, and Mel Gibson's career. Having seen The Road Warrior and Thunderdome before with movie I was a little dissappinted at the content. Seeing it now, it is a movie based on showcasing it's main character and his story before he became the lone wolf hero of the future. For the first movie in a highly profitable series, it's great but feels out of place. This movie does something that the sequels do not, which is tell the story in the here and now. Later movies, will have someone at the beginning and end talking about how they met Max, how he saved them, and how he was never seen again. This is the Evil Dead of the series; the sequel explains just as much as the first and true fans only go back to watch it. The movie is excellent but I could see where people would find the sequels superior. I happen to really enjoy the movie, even if I think The Road Warrior is the most superior movie of the trilogy.

We're way to sassy for this

This movie it isn't overly violent, it has a refined story, and itallows an opening for later movies. From my girlfriend's stand point this was a nice way for her to wade into the pool, until she watches Roadwarrior and gets dunked head first into something Fury Road will be more like. Mad Max gets seven nomadic bikers out of ten. A must see for anyone trying to get into Mad Max mythos. Check back next time to see part two of the Mad Max retrospective, The Road Warrior.

One down, two to go