Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Directed by George Miller & George Ogilvie. Starring Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Angelo Rossitto, Helen Buday, Frank Thring, Robert Grubb, Bruce Spence, Adam Cockburn, Tom Jennings, Angry Anderson, Paul Larsson. [PG-13]

Many years after the blistering fury of Mad Max 2, Gibson’s resourceful drifter ends up in a settlement called Bartertown, run by the imperious Aunty Entity (Turner) and her feuding rival, Master Blaster—a brainy dwarf (Rossitto) riding the shoulders of a hulking strongman (Larsson). Gibson makes a deal with Turner to fight Master Blaster in a caged death match known as Thunderdome, but as hinted at by the title, that’s just the beginning. A slicker, more extravagant production than its two predecessors, with a generally looser, more tongue-in-cheek tone; not as aggressively electric as the previous films in the series, but supporting character definition and juicy dialogue are on the upswing. Cleanly divided into three acts; the first (set in Bartertown and detailing the inner workings, the struggle for power, and the Thunderdome battle) and the last (a series of spectacular fights and chases) are enthralling, top-tier material, but the middle sags during an extended visit with a Lost Boys-esque tribe of youths—it’s an initially welcome and unexpected break from the rugged, rip-roaring madness these pictures are known for, but sacrificing momentum for the sake of added depth feels like a mistake. Turner sidesteps accusations of stunt casting with a legitimately diverting performance; she also sings a couple songs on the soundtrack, including “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome).” Dedicated to Miller’s producing partner, Byron Kennedy, who died in a helicopter crash in the interim between Mad Max 2 and this outing.

86/100