Going Mad for Max - Reviewing the Mad Max Trilogy

Greetings and salutations, folks! It's been a while, hasn't it? As much as I'd love to keep up with this film review blog, things have been kinda busy lately. I've been serving as the head editor for a brand spankin' new TV review/news site called ShowVote. If you haven't already, you should definitely give it a looksee; we've got some cool stuff in store for you.

But, anyway, let me get to the point. I'm MAD. That's a fact!! I found out I won't be seeing Mad Max: Fury Road until tomorrow (Saturday, May 16) and I don't want to wait any longer! In order to ease my nerves as I countdown the hours to the screening, I've decided to take a look back at the original trilogy. Here's what I thought. 

MAD MAX (1979)

I don’t know what I was expecting when I sat down to watch Mad Max for the first time. Judging from the hype surrounding the film that put both director George Miller and star Mel Gibson on the map as well as its glowing reputation, I anticipated a rollicking action flick with car chases galore. But take away the hype, the nostalgia factor, and the unquestionable visual influence it’s had on other action movies and you’ll find Mad Max is a surprisingly tame viewing experience.

Really, the most impressive thing about the film is its history. Originally a doctor, Miller had never directed a film prior to Mad Max. It was made on a shoestring budget of roughly $400,000 (in 1979 Australian dollars) and went on to become one of Australia’s highest grossing films ever, bringing in about $100 million worldwide. Considering the minimal resources at hand and the limited experience of everyone involved, Mad Max is impressive. However, it is lacking in far too many categories to earn a wholehearted recommendation. It’s actually, dare I say it, kind of dull. It contains none of the wit, excitement, or creativity found in its vastly superior sequel The Road Warrior, and barely stands on its own two feet as a satisfying viewing experience.

It’s a bit odd that the film advertises itself as a revenge flick, seeing as how Max doesn’t really engage in his personal vendetta until the final 15 minutes of the runtime. (The title ‘Mad Max,’ then, becomes a bit of a cop-out – he doesn’t even get mad until the very end!) And with the exception of those final moments and the extended car chase sequence that opens the film, the rest is a bit of a slog. The whole thing feels like a first act with an inciting incident an hour into it and a rushed 2nd and 3rd act in its final 30 minutes. Sure there are colorful characters - an unhinged performance from Hugh Keays-Byrne as the main villain Toecutter gives the film a much-needed energy boost - but for the most part, Mad Max has a tendency to drag...and I don’t mean like the races. Its screenplay is about as bare-bones as it gets, containing neither a compelling story or interesting characters, and the action - what little there is -  just isn’t satisfying enough to hold up the rest of the picture.

And what about Max himself? Well, he’s a bit of a cipher. Mel Gibson exudes star presence, but the role doesn’t offer much in the way of charisma. He spends a lot of time looking worried and running around, but he doesn’t really do much until the end. He’s more of a Sad Max than a Mad Max. (*Cue Audience Laugh Track*)

Despite its shortcomings, Mad Max should be commended for putting the Australian film industry on the map and for its visual influence. It’s also worth checking out to see the advent of not only Miller’s career, but Gibson’s as well. Outside of those things, its status as a cinematic classic doesn’t feel justified.

FINAL RATING: 3/5

THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981)

Now that’s more like it.

Where my viewing of Mad Max left me feeling underwhelmed and a little sleepy, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior left me feeling exhilarated and exuberant. It’s clear from the first frame why this one has been hailed as not only the best of the trilogy (though it won’t be a trilogy for much longer) but as one of the most beloved action films of all time. It’s a thrill ride of the finest order, wrought with excitement, cute dogs, lethal boomerangs, explosions, fast cars - everything a growing boy needs! Lots of films over the years have tried to match its level of frantic energy, but few have come close. The Road Warrior stands alone as a primal force of action cinema.

The setting is not only desolate, but an emotional vacuum. A waste bin for hope and desire. Some time in the not-too-distant future, the economy has collapsed resulting in war and chaos. The world has fallen apart and all that remains is the desert and the road. Both are ruled by scavengers and madmen, hellbent on wreaking havoc and destruction wherever they may roam. Gasoline is more precious than any other resource and if you don’t have a car with a full tank to keep you on the move, you’d better get the hell out of the way.

Who do you reckon is at the center of it all? Mad Max, bitches. Much to my delight, Max starts out mad and stays that way through pretty much the entire film. (And this time he’s got a doggy with him! I award this movie 5,000 points!) With the aid of the Gyro Captain, a creepy looking fella with a gnarly flying contraption and even gnarlier teeth, he stumbles upon an oil-refinery which doubles as a small settlement for a band of survivors. The community is under constant attack by the fearsome mohawk-sporting Wez and the hockey-masked maniac Humungus. Yes, this is the kind of movie that has characters named Humungus. Max casts his lot in with the settlers to help them escape with their gasoline, as long as he gets to keep a large portion for himself. This results in a 15 minute chase scene near the film’s end that goes down as one of the best ever committed to celluloid.

Where Mad Max 1 felt unfocused and lacking in the way of action or compelling story content, The Road Warrior contains enough action for the both of them and it pays little mind to plot or nuance, opting instead to run on pure adrenaline. That might sound like a knock of sorts, but the truth is that it works wonders. The simple plot keeps the film from getting bogged down by extraneous detail and clears the way for breathtaking action and car chase sequences. In some ways, Mad Max 1 feels like an extended appetizer with The Road Warrior serving as the main course.

Not only does The Road Warrior feel more focused than its predecessor, it also has a stronger sense of identity. Tonally and aesthetically, each Mad Max film feels like it could be its own standalone film, but this one stands head and shoulders above the others as being the most distinct. The vast wasteland, unforgettable characters, and incredible art direction are captured with striking clarity by George Miller who is aided this time around by cinematographer Dean Semler. Miller’s direction seems more refined here, but still maintains the manic, untrained energy of his work in the original Mad Max.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to call The Road Warrior the greatest action film ever made, it certainly belongs on any list of great action films. Of the first three Mad Max films, it is the only one I would recommend checking out without hesitation. Which I guess brings us to the third and, for a long time, final Mad Max film...

FINAL RATING: 4/5

MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985)

What the hell was that?

After watching Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome for the first time, I contacted my friend Matt to express my disappointment about there being barely any Thunderdome in the movie.

His sardonic response: “Well, technically you got exactly what the movie title was advertising. It’s BEYOND Thunderdome. So you get to see Thunderdome briefly and then you never get to see it again!”

What a shame, because the Thunderdome sequence is the movie’s only good one. The rest is a godawful mess. I guess after swinging the quality pendulum so far in the ‘good’ direction with The Road Warrior, things were bound to swing even further in the opposite direction.

Mad Max #3 feels as if George Miller wanted to make a movie about one thing...and then decided to throw in a couple totally different ideas for good measure. Then co-director George Ogilvie strolls in and decides he wants to throw in a few more of his own ideas as well and they just combined it all into a total wreck of a story, added a car chase at the end, and slapped the ‘Mad Max’ title on it to earn some easy bucks. It’s undoubtedly the weakest entry in the Mad Max series and is flat out awful. Not even Tina Turner’s ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’ can save this one.

Fifteen years after the events of The Road Warrior, Max (who only looks one or two years older, even with his unruly Braveheart haircut) comes across Bartertown, a remote city run by Aunty Entity a.k.a. Tina Turner. His transport is stolen and in order to get it back, he strikes a deal with Aunty to kill Master Blaster. (Miller’s talent for naming characters remains unparalleled.) Master Blaster is actually two men, one (Master) is a midget on the back of a much larger, armored man (Blaster).  The dude’s a bit of a pain in the ass for Aunty. She may run Bartertown, but he’s the only one who knows how to operate the town's power. He taunts her by switching it off and forcing Auntie to announce that he is the ruler of Bartertown before he’ll switch it back on.

At Auntie’s bidding, Max challenges Master Blaster to a throw-down in the Thunderdome, an arena/cage where ‘two men enter, one man leaves.’ The two are strapped into bungee-like contraptions that allow them to hop around like a drunken Spider-Man. An assortment of weapons are strapped to the walls of the cage to be used at their leisure. It's kind of great.

So, everything I’ve described above makes up about the first thirty or so minutes of Beyond Thunderdome, and they are the film’s best by far. The second act switches gears entirely with Max getting banished to the desert for not killing his foe in the Thunderdome. He stumbles on a settlement run by a bunch of kids pulled straight from every awful kid-pandering 80s movie ever made and, for some reason, he spends the remainder of the movie trying to help them.

I think all this kid stuff is at the core of what makes Beyond Thunderdome’s so lame. First of all, the film is rated PG-13 where the first two were rated R, so the level of unflinching violence and mayhem is toned down. Second, the kids’ storyline feels so unrelated to everything that’s been set up in the film’s first act that it’s essentially its own movie. Max contributes very little to this second act. The third act deals with Max trying to get all the kids to a safe place. He steals Master from Bartertown for some reason and (FINALLY) a car chase ensues, one that isn’t nearly as exciting as the ones in The Road Warrior or even Mad Max 1. The overall picture is so thematically jumbled and all over the place, it’s hard to get a solid footing. The lackluster action helps nothing.

With a title like ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,’ I would hope for something even more madcap than even The Road Warrior, but instead, Beyond Thunderdome feels lifeless and thematically castrated. It’s a shame the trilogy had to go out with such a resounding whimper of a sigh. But, perhaps hope is not lost...for another road looms on the horizon...a Fury Road, one might call it.

FINAL RATING: 2/5

There you have it. How'd I do? Am I on-point with my critiques or totally off my rocker? Or both?

Whiplash makes me not wanna work, I just wanna bang on the drum all day

Think a movie about music couldn’t possibly keep you on the edge of your seat, gasping for breath by its final frame? Hoo boy. You have no idea what you're in for. Whiplash is an absolute powerhouse of a film. It’ll keep you riveted from beginning to end. By its masterful conclusion, you’ll feel like you might drop from exhaustion in the best way possible.

Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller) has a major passion for drumming and jazz. He attends Shaffer Conservatory in New York, the finest music school in the entire country, and spends every waking moment dreaming of being 'one of the greats,' like his hero Buddy Rich. His dreams are put to the test when he meets one of the institution's most infamous conductors Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), who recruits Andrew as an alternate drummer for his Studio Band. Fletcher is determined to bring out the best in his students, by any means necessary. And I mean by any means necessary. No matter what kind of physical and mental turmoil he inflicts, Fletcher’s convinced he’s working towards achieving a greater good. Andrew is caught directly in his spotlight and the two engage in a psychological battle of the ages that will leave Andrew bruised and battered both physically and emotionally. You’ll feel exactly the same way by the time the end credits roll.

Whiplash’s plot is simple and it hits a lot of familiar beats (did you see what I did there? Beats. Like it’s a…never mind), but presents them in such a fresh and compelling way that you’ll never know exactly what’s going to happen. It's a drama in the guise of a thriller and its levels of intensity rival those of even the most suspenseful films. Writer/Director Damien Chazelle, still in his twenties, already exhibits a mastery of his craft that most seasoned directors can’t even lay claim to. Every frame bursts with energy, some of which boils beneath the surface before unleashing its full fury.

As great as Chazelle’s work is, what carries this film off into the stratosphere is the talent in front of the camera. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons give two of the most enthralling performances of their careers. Teller is one of this generation’s finest young actors and he continues to show his diversity as a performer. I’m amazed he’s been so ignored this awards season; this is one of 2014’s best performances, hands down. Of course, as we’re all well aware, J.K. Simmons is the guy to beat for the Best Supporting Actor category and now that I’ve finally seen Whiplash there’s no question as to why that's the case. Simmons is one of the decade's best on-screen villains thus far. I was so on edge every time he was on screen and I loved every moment of it. It’s a stunning performance and I’m so thrilled Simmons is finally getting his due. (Hey, there's a reason Sony's reluctant to include J. Jonah Jameson in their abysmal Amazing Spider-Man franchise - they know they'll never top Mr. Simmons, and rightfully so)

Whiplash is mesmerizing, hypnotizing, thrilling, funny, painful, and totally exhilarating. Really, I can't come up with enough adjectives to describe how great it is. It deserves every bit of the praise and attention it’s getting this awards season and even more so. It's easily earned its place amongst my favorite films of 2014, which is just about the highest honor any movie can receive, and I can’t wait to see what Chazelle does next. Whiplash is back in select theaters to get a quick Box Office boost from its recent Oscar nominations. Get out there and see it as soon as you can!

FINAL RATING: 5/5

American Sniper Isn't Quite the Sharpshooter We Hoped For

Throughout his four tours in the Iraq War, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle accumulated 160 confirmed kills out of 255 probable kills, making him the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. He received numerous medals and commendations for his bravery and services and in 2013 was murdered by one of the many war veterans he had devoted his post-war career to helping. Many of his accomplishments are referenced in Clint Eastwood’s biopic, which is based on Kyle’s memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. Sadly, a feeling of disingenuousness hangs over the proceedings due to a mediocre screenplay and uninspired direction. Despite an excellent performance from Bradley Cooper, American Sniper is a major disappointment.

The plot unfolds in predictable fashion. We’re treated to a brief glimpse of Kyle’s childhood in Texas where, of course, a parental figure imparts some divine wisdom on him which will inspire his character for the remainder of the movie. We see Kyle’s fledgling career as a bronco rodeo rider and his decision to join the Navy SEALS. He meets his wife at a bar shortly thereafter in an awkwardly portrayed ‘meet-cute’ scenario that feels pulled from the pages of countless other sequences of the same make and model. Before too long, Kyle is swept off to war and it’s here that the movie finds its wobbly stride.

Eastwood’s direction is most impressive during the action sequences, in which we witness the intensity and violence of Kyle’s four tours and his impeccable skill on the battlefield. But for all the bloodshed displayed on screen, American Sniper feels unusually bloodless. It’s a by-the-numbers biopic, jumping from one moment to the next, never bothering to color in any of the details along the way. There are so many scenes where some random character reminds Kyle about all the amazing things he’s done over the course of his career as a SEAL, but we never get to experience any of these moments with him. The cinematic mantra ‘Show, don’t tell,’ is broken far too often and as a result we’re treated to far too many instances of ‘Remember when…’ that would have carried far greater impact if we’d actually seen them.

Maybe the ‘telling’ wouldn’t be so bad if Jason Hall’s screenplay wasn’t filled with such awful dialogue. Hall has plunged into the deepest depths of army biopic clichés and emerged with the motherload. He hits every major biopic bullet point, including a love interest who nags and grates and cries throughout the movie, without ever coming into her own as a fully formed character. It’s hard to get invested in these characters when everything they say carries the gravitas of a play written by a high schooler. Of course, Sienna Miller playing the part of Kyle’s wife is the biggest victim here. Forced into a role as the film’s melodramatic center, she does what little she can to keep things afloat, despite a stunning lack of material to work with. Other supporting characters are just blurred lines in the background with nary a personality to differentiate them from one another.

It may be a decent effort, but American Sniper can’t shake an overall vibe of artificiality. Bradley Cooper tries to pull the rest of the film up to his level – his performance is the only thing that feels genuine in the entire movie - but try as he might, he can’t hide Hall’s second-rate script and Eastwood’s stagnant direction. It’s not that the movie’s horrible; it really isn’t. It just feels so passionless. It never delves beyond a surface level and spends more time telling us how great Kyle was rather than actually showing us why. Clint Eastwood is a living legend and a great filmmaker, but this is definitely one of his weaker efforts.

FINAL RATING: 3/5

Inherent Vice is more of an Incoherent Mess

Inherent Vice is pretty much incomprehensible and I have little doubt that’s exactly what Paul Thomas Anderson intended when he set out to adapt Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name. Sadly, this doesn’t make it any less of an endurance test to watch, which is unfortunate considering the talent both in front of and behind the camera. Sporadically funny and occasionally intriguing, but not consistent enough in either category to merit a high recommendation, Inherent Vice is a major disappointment from one of the finest American filmmakers of this day and age.

Joaquin Phoenix is the guiding force through this nonsense as Larry ‘Doc’ Sportello. Doc is a private detective for hire in the early seventies. His world is turned upside down when his ex-girlfriend Shasta (the beautiful Katherine Waterston) stops by to ask for a favor. Something about her new lover’s wife trying to commit the guy to an insane asylum. Doc agrees and is plunged into a whirlwind labyrinth of a plot, chock-full-o’ countless characters and situations that never gel into a coherent whole.

At the very least the cast is great. As I mentioned previously, Phoenix is a revelation, per usual. Whatever charm and enjoyment can be derived from this dull film is mostly thanks to his hilarious performance. Josh Brolin is another standout as a Detective who tries to get Doc to function as an informant for the LAPD.

Doc’s state of mind is a perpetual haze, exacerbated by his non-stop pot smoking, and it’s clear P.T. Anderson wants the audience to feel the same way. I get it. We’re supposed to be in a constant state of confusion. That doesn’t excuse how boring the movie is. The whole thing feels like Anderson’s answer to the Coen Brothers’ masterful The Big Lebowski, but without the consistent laughs or the strong screenplay and characters. At 150 minutes, Inherent Vice gets real old real fast and it throws so many plots and extraneous characters at the audience that you’re almost guaranteed to never ever care about anything that’s happening.

FINAL RATING: 2.5/5

I Watched Dumb & Dumber To So You Wouldn't Have Too.

Before we get started, allow me a moment to address the elephant in the room: Yes, I’m aware I have not posted reviews for the biggest releases of the past month: Interstellar or Big Hero 6. Why haven’t I posted them? As of the composition of this particular review I have still not seen them. Which leads us to the next question: “You willingly chose to see Dumb and Dumber To over Interstellar or Big Hero 6? Or even Foxcatcher?? Or even Whiplash?!?!”

I understand how this might look and I realize it may reduce whatever credibility I have as a film critic or blogger or whatever you want to call me, but please let me try to explain.

When it comes to the anals, *AHEM* excuse me, annals of low-brow comedies, Dumb & Dumber rests on the highest tier. It’s a comedy classic. Yes, it’s incredibly stupid, but there’s intelligence behind the humor, which is elevated to all kinds of heights by the spectacular performances of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne respectively. It’s also got quite a bit of heart. I happened upon this comedic goldmine when I was 14, which is pretty much the perfect age to see it. To this day I consider it to be one of the funniest movies ever made.

Let’s flash forward, shall we?

I’m twice the age I was when I first saw Dumb & Dumber and the Farrelly Brothers have seen fit to unleash a long overdue sequel. I was excited to see Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels donning their signature hairdos and wardrobes in photos posted all over various social media outlets. My head screamed, “DANGER,” but my heart was filled with joy. I hoped beyond hope that the Farrellys would somehow regain the spark of comedic genius that gave us the original film. Through every underwhelming trailer and TV spot release, I held fast to my slowly dying belief that Dumb & Dumber To would, at the very least, contain a smidgen of the appeal that made the first one such a magical experience.

Sadly, this long overdue sequel contains exactly none of the charm of its predecessor. It’s cynical, mean-spirited and, most disappointing of all, not particularly funny. Truth be told, it’s not even much of an improvement over 2003’s Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. And when you can’t even top a cheap knockoff of your own film, it might be time to rethink your career. Watching Carrey and Daniels reprise these roles isn’t without its moments of delight, but it’s mostly just sad. They both seem to playing caricatures of their younger selves and, though they must be commended for throwing themselves back into these roles with great gusto, the whole enterprise feels incredibly depressing and desperate. I’ll admit I had a few chuckles, but the jokes very rarely hit their mark. They tend to go for the most obvious punchline, the most awkwardly offensive, or, even more frequently, the laziest. 'Lazy' is probably the best word to describe Dumb & Dumber To. The whole plot is recycled from the first film and so many of the jokes are taken practically verbatim.

There’s no way a 20-years-later Dumb & Dumber sequel could ever have lived up to its predecessor, but it’s like the Farrellys didn’t even bother trying. The whole thing reeks of cash cow stank at its most vile and it’s really sad considering that with a bit more care this could have been something really fun. Or, I don't know, maybe asking for the filmmakers to actually care about what they're doing is a bit too much.

If you really love the first film, do yourself a favor and re-watch it for free on Netflix instant streaming instead of going out to support this garbage. You’ll thank me later. I promise.

FINAL RATING: 1.5/5

**EDIT** As my diligent friend Arik pointed out, you're not technically watching Dumb & Dumber for free on Netflix since you have to pay for it. However, if you don't have Netflix, come on over to my place and we'll watch it for free together! It'll be a glorious occasion!