Friday 11 June 2010

(500) Films of Empire - Day 269

280 - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - 3 stars
Mel Gibson's other signature 80's role is Mad Max Rockatansky. Max is the Jason Bourne of the 80's letting his actions do the talking and using a minimal amount of dialouge.
The sequel briefly recaps the first film before setting out on a mission where he gets involved with a group of oil refiners who are under siege from a vicious gang of scavengers.
It is hilarious to think that during the Eighties, if a film was set in the near future then bad guys would be represented by having them wear S&M style leather gear. It was impossible to take Vernon Wells et all seriously when they were wearing assless chaps. Wells seemed to always be playing homoerotic villains during the Eighties. In Commando, he seemed to have a crush on Arnold and in this film he has a blond gimp on the back of his motorcycle.
It all pales in significance to the campness of the lead villain Humungous, a guy with the body of a wrestler and wearing just as little except for a Jason Voorhees style hockey mask.
It doesn't detract too much from the main attraction which are the car chases which still have the desired impact and exhilaration that you need from an action movie.

Days remaining - 96 Films remaining - 107

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