Thunderdome may not be the best of the trilogy, but it’s certainly not a bad movie out right. Thunderdome is set about 15 years after the events of Mad Max 2; Max is now even more of a wanderer than before. Travelling around on a modified cart being led by Camels. But when Bruce Spence and his son rob him and steal his cart, he finds himself walking across the wasteland.

Max comes across Bartertown; a town with as much law and order as is possible in a post apocalyptic future. Where the residents settle their differences in Thunderdome, and battle to the death. Max finds his belongings and eventually has a meeting with Aunty Entity (played with much scenery chewidge by Tina Turner). After passing a “test” she makes a deal with him, if he takes out someone for her in Thunderdome, he can have his belongings back and more.

This goes wrong and Max is sent out into the wasteland with a tiny supply of water tied to a horse. This is where the film takes a turn for the worse as a bunch of Lord of The Flies-esque kids takes him in and nurse him back to health. The first 30 or so minutes of Thunderdome is some of my favourite material in the trilogy. Max looks his coolest with long tangled hair and black over-coat. And the battle in Thunderdome is brilliant. But then those fuckin kids get a hold of him and cut off his hair. Although to be fair, it is only the mid section that sags a little, because the end chase scene is top class as always with the Mad Max movies.

Bruce Spence’s character always arouses an argument with us Mad Max fan boys; “…is he the same Gyro Captain from Max 2 or not?” Well, he could be, but personally I don’t think it is. The angle of his character owning a plane just seems to be more of a reference to the previous movie to me. Another major thing missing here is the pounding score of Brian May (no, not he of Queen). His score always brought the excitement level up a few notches during the action sequences. Although the score he is actually quite good (with some funky saxophone riffidge) it doesn’t quite live up to May’s full on Classical score of the previous two movies. We also have a couple of Tina Turner songs on the soundtrack (What? You think she’s going to appear in a movie and not do a few tunes for the soundtrack?) The first of which, “One Of The Living”, makes a great “opening credits” tune I’ve always thought.

There has been talk for years of making another instalment of the series; recently Mel Gibson has said that he would like to be involved. And although it would be great to have Gibbo back as the Mad One…I dunno, I think the reason these movies are so special is because the era they were made in gives them there flavour and charm. I just couldn’t imagine a Max movie made in these times. Anyway, Thunderdome may not be the best, but it’s certainly worth a bloody look!

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