The acting is all amateurish on the part of the biker gang, and real bikers were actually used as extras. The plot is nothing new, and the futuristic setting only serves to make a little difference from the old revenge theme, used so much in Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, and films with about a hundred other action stars. It's not bad but not gripping either I guess Miller was still learning the ropes. For instance, Gibson actually only becomes 'mad' right at the end of the film, for fifteen minutes, and half an hour is taken up with unnecessary dialogue and scene building with unimportant characters.
It starts off well but things slow down a little in the middle, with not much happening at all. However I was surprised at the pacing of the film. The large cult following is mainly down to the various high-powered vehicles on show, especially the special nitro-fuelled super car that Gibson uses at the end of the film to track down the enemies. There are lots of chase sequences and crashes, both motorbikes and cars. Director George Miller uses every penny of the admittedly low budget to really deliver us the goods when it comes to action.
This was the film which helped to kick start the entire post-apocalyptic wave of films which swept the world in the early '80s along with the sequel.
Reviewed by Leofwine_draca 7 / 10 Revenge done right, on a low budget
