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Ranking Mad Max Films

The Mad Max films directed by George Miller have always been among the better action flicks out there. Though I am a science fiction fan more than an action one, I do appreciate the kinetic thrills of most of these movies and a very interesting post-apocalyptic world that Miller created. So far, we’ve gotten five movies in total – two being more recent. Here is my ranking of all five films based on memorable set pieces, storytelling and artistry.

5. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Beyond Thunderdome is the third entry in the series and  undoubtedly the weakest one. It looks great, it’s authentic in its many sets and it’s positively offbeat in the first half, but it’s also too campy in that section and way too tiresome in the second half. It’s too watered down and restrained for this particular series.

4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The most recent entry in the series, Furiosa got superb reviews, but I personally found it rather forgettable and disappointing. It has some strong action set pieces and it also has a great score. The acting is pretty good too. However, the characters are underdeveloped, the artistry of its predecessor was absent here and Anya Taylor-Joy was difficult to buy in the main role.

3. Mad Max 2

This is the film that established the tone and feel of the franchise that would forever remain the same after it. That was done for better and for worse. The plot here is simple and quite lacking, but the action is excellent and a couple of scenes are truly thrilling. The movie benefitted from an obviously much bigger budget, leading to great world building and excellent sets and costumes.

2. Mad Max

The first Mad Max movie is certainly very small in scale and ambition. It lacks in terms of science fiction and dystopian elements and it has its slower stretches. But it is pretty good in its action scenes, the ending is excellent, the villains are terrific and Mel Gibson is badass here in such an iconic early role for him. Most people would rank it lower than the sequel, but I disagree as I find this film’s more grungy, realistic and emotional vibe more interesting.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

Fury Road gets the obvious first spot on this list. Yes, it has all of the pitfalls of all these movies – weak plot and underdeveloped characters. However, it was elevated with Charlize Theron’s iconic turn in the role of Furiosa and impressive technical aspects all-around. The costumes are excellent, the sets are truly incredible, the score is phenomenal and the cinematography astonishingly good. This is how you shoot an action movie. It’s such a kinetic, fun flick that even someone who isn’t an action genre fan such as myself enjoyed watching it throughout.