The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2/HD-DVD)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: B-
After the
first Mad Max put Mel Gibson on the
international filmmaking map, he soon reteamed with
co-writer/co-producer/director George Miller for the very successful sequel, The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2/1981) in which Max is out to
avenge the annihilation of his family and take on more camps of predatory
criminals & pirates. And to think he
was already ticked in the first film.
The search for that scarce resource gasoline is on, with more people
than ever are willing to kill for it.
It may be
a post-apocalyptic Science Fiction film, but like other great Sci-Fi films of
the time like Peter Hyams’ Outland
(the same year and studio) and James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), the Western genre looms strongly in the script
structure, especially in this film more than the others. Helping the film overcome some predictability
and derivativeness is that it is from Australia. The film continues to have a huge following,
with some feeling it is the best in the trilogy, though just being the most
action-oriented may not be the only reason for this.
Between
Gibson’s controversy off-camera and the recent Middle East headlines, the film
seems more relevant than ever and has certainly aged in interesting ways. It is also a film that has been more often
imitated and very badly, we might add.
The thing that has aged best is that this is one of the last all-out
action films with no digital video, non-stop stunts and non-stop vehicle
wreckage. All that gives it a weight,
along with its amazing energy and editing that holds up nicely, it is a minor
classic of the Action genre and has actually appreciated in value. That is even if some of the action is
predictable and obvious, but as you watch, you realize how much you miss great
stunt work by real human beings.
The 1080p
2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot by Dean Semler in real big
screen anamorphic Panavision and despite some limits, the print looks good and
the transfer is done with enough care and great shots to pull it above many
lesser transfers of films from the time we have seen in both HD formats so
far. Even a tad better than the HD-DVD
for John Carpenter’s The Thing
(1982, also reviewed on this site) from a time when Hollywood still knew how to
make good action films all the time, the video performance is the biggest
surprise on this disc and even has a few demo moments.
The Dolby
Digital Plus 5.1 mix is likely derived from the original 70mm Dolby Magnetic 4.0
blow-up soundtrack that 35mm prints of the time (which had to settle for lesser
Dolby A-type analog sound) and though more of the mix is towards the front than
one might like, I do not think the lesser 35mm theatrical Dolby A was used much
for this mix, though this is not the remaster I was expecting. Music by Brian May is also a victim of too
much front speaker sound placement, but if this is the way the 70mm mix
sounded, than perhaps it did. However,
if Warner and Miller got their hands on May’s score and the sound stems form
this film, a Dolby TrueHD/DTS-MA version of the film could be made that would
top this. That is something to consider
down the line for a bigger special edition, though this will do for now. Extras include an introduction by Leonard
Maltin, the original theatrical trailer and a brand new audio commentary
debuting on this HD release by Miller and Semler that will make fans happy,
making for a good listen.
For
years, many hoped for a fourth Gibson/Max film, but despite the critical
acclaim of the third never happened. As
Gibson becomes more of a director and a more controversial figure off-screen, that
seems less likely than ever. It may be
for the best because doing another film so many years later has more risks than
might be worth it. However, the trilogy
has had its influence, continues to do so and for many, this is the
favorite. It is also one of Gibson’s
best action films.
- Nicholas Sheffo
