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Mad Max Special Edition
- IMDB Link: Mad Max Special Edition
- DVD Release Date: 0000-00-00
- DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- DVD Extras: Commentaries, interviews, film documentary, trivia and more
| Mad Max Special Edition review by Jackass Jon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Story Summary
Mad Max is an excellent movie set in the near future, sometime. Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is just a police officer doing his job patrolling the desolate highways of a post apocalyptic land. He's young, tough, good looking and trying to make a better life for his family. Then one day everything Max is fighting to achieve changes when a crazed biker escapes police custody and steals a pursuit interceptor taking the MFP (Main Force Patrol) on a wild high speed chase. Several officers are hurt, the public is terrified, property is destroyed and Max ends up being the last obstacle between the Nightrider (Vincent Gil) and his freedom. Nothing too crazy right? Wrong. Everything changes once the Nightrider is killed in the ensuing accident. Shortly there after, the Nightrider's bike gang rides into town to claim what's left of his remains and decides to unleash hell on anyone or anything in their way. Of course the police being there to protect the community try to stop the gang but things only escalate to the point of a drawn out war between good and evil. Soon Max feels like he's in over his head and is starting to think he wants out. But then Jim Goose (Steve Bisley), his best friend is attacked and horrifically burned by the biker gang forcing Max all the more into the fight. And then again soon afterwards, tragedy strikes Max. This time his wife and baby are brutally killed by the Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and the remaining gang members pushing Max beyond the point of no return. This is when the life of Max Rockatansky ends and Mad Max is born. Now there is nothing on earth that will stop Max from utter revenge. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep. He just follows the gang into the wastelands hunting them down one by one until he kills them all... DVD features The new Special Edition DVD is loaded with lots of cool stuff but the single most important thing on the disc aside from the movie is the original soundtrack. No matter how many times you've seen this flick, it's just not the same with the original voices and sounds. The dubbed version we've seen on TV and in the US theatre release for the last 22 years was a disaster. Analysis This movie was made in Australia over 22 years ago on a shoe string budget with no name actors and sets stolen from road side stores. Who would have thought it would hold up this well over this amount of time? Yep, this movie was the launching point for careers such as Mel Gibson, put Australia on the map in the world of movie making and did some things on the screen that nobody dared to do anywhere else. The car and motorcycle chase scenes were all done at high speeds (just look at the speedo on Goose's bike when he's flying down the highway after he gets laid). The amount of violence was amazing and they even put a little kid out in the middle of a road and had cars narrowly missing him at over 100 miles per hour! And lets not forget the scene where Max's wife Jessie (Joanne Samuel) and their baby are run over by motorcycles and killed. Yep, this was a pretty graphic movie in it's time and still is. How many times have you seen it over the years and still find yourself fixated when it's on? I know, you've seen it dozens of times right? Ya right. But now we have a version available on DVD that's never been seen here in the states before. What's so special about this new version you ask? The soundtrack, yes, it's the original soundtrack with all the voices and sounds that we've always expected and dreamed of. That familiar face of Mel Gibson is now matched to the voice we are so accustomed to hearing and the sharp cracks of the exhaust on the police interceptors and bikes are just breath taking. Now hold on, don't get all fussy about my excitement over the soundtrack. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. I mean it's only a movie right? True enough but if you are really a movie fan and appreciate this movie like I do, then you also feel the injustice that I've felt for 20 plus years of terrible audio. Now the movie is complete and can be viewed like it was intended. I swear this is a new movie now... It's a must see again with the sound system cranked up. And if you have friends that have never seen it before (shame on them), be a real friend and invite them over to experience Mad Max the way it was intended to be. Just make sure they bring some beer and munchies for you... Final Thoughts Final thoughts on this movie? Do I need to give you any? We all know this movie is timeless so go out and find a fresh copy of the Special Edition disc and buy it! I promise you will not be sorry. There are also some interviews to watch on the disc that are pretty neat. |
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Jackass Jon Rating: 10 
Similar reviews: Hamlet by Matt Fuerst - 5 out of 10. (Same actor) Signs by The Grim Ringler - 9 out of 10. (Same actor) Hamlet by Matt Fuerst - 5 out of 10. (Same actor) Ransom by Mike Long - 6 out of 10. (Same actor) Highwaymen by Matt Fuerst - 9 out of 10. (Same theme)
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