MovieChat Forums > Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) Discussion > Mel's opinion of the movie

Mel's opinion of the movie

posted 9 years ago by speccy1
12 replies | jump to latest

I remember reading somewhere, can't remember, that Mel Gibson didn't want to do this movie and actually said that to a visiting Journalist on the set, the heat was getting to him, etc, things like that. I think at this point in his career he was getting burnt out and needed a break after doing The Bounty, Mrs Soffel and The River all back to back.
So was it just for the money and he didn't know what he was going to do or get offered after this? (obviously we all know he did the mega smash hit Lethal Weapon after this 2 years later).

Interesting as Gibson never talks about this particular Mad Max instalment as much.

[–] zozogogo 9 years ago

He was having major alcohol issues during filming and had to have something of an intervention in the middle of shooting. That and the conditions of the shoot probably left him with a less than fond memory of his time making the movie.

[–] buddyboy28 9 years ago

Yeah he didn't rate it. There's an interview where he and George Miller are promoting it and he says it's the best one (of course he would). But just a few years ago when asked about Fury Road, they were talking about the original movies and he said Road Warrior was his favourite because it just got straight down to business but he didn't get Thunderdome.

Hardly surprising how he feels. It's a script that shoehorned Max in, combined elements of Road Warrior with Peter Pan, and was trying to be more of mainstream family movie rather than the raw, gritty nature of the first two.

I reckon you got a bargain don't you?

[–] Mississippi20 9 years ago

Hardly surprising how he feels. It's a script that shoehorned Max in, combined elements of Road Warrior with Peter Pan, and was trying to be more of mainstream family movie rather than the raw, gritty nature of the first two.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Recently got done watching this film for the first time.........just because this movie has kids in it, doesn't mean it is a kids movie. This notion that they went soft and fluffy and tried making a family film is completely ludicrous and is just a misguided way in criticizing the film. It's not like 'The Road Warrior' is 100% gritty all the time. Bruce Spence is a pretty goofy character.

I'm not saying the film is better than 'The Road Warrior' and Mel has a point about that movie just getting down to business. What 'Beyond Thunderdome' has going for it is obviously a bigger budget and a more fleshed out post-apocalyptic world. In that sense, it is more visually interesting. The thunderdome sequence is awesome. While the pace may slow when Max is exiled and is saved by the children, it picks back up again for the climactic finale which features all the vehicle chasing/action we come to expect from Mad Max.

'Fury Road' is on a completely different level. So freaking awesome.

[–] buddyboy28 9 years ago

This notion that they went soft and fluffy and tried making a family film is completely ludicrous and is just a misguided way of criticizing the film

How is it? The Disney type music, the lack of violence, the tame villains. Max doesn't even kill anyone, except for the guy who's already "died" twice. You can't deny it's more of a family movie. There's nothing wrong with family movies, it's just a tone that doesn't fit Mad Max for many.

It's not like 'The Road Warrior' is 100% gritty all the time. Bruce Spence is a pretty goofy character

True, there's lots of quirky/offbeat humour in RW, like the scene where Max is eating dog food, the conversation between the mechanics, and the guy setting his hands on fire. But there's also a lot of black humour, and more importantly you always feel a sense of threat throughout, and that the characters are in danger from the menacing villains. You don't really get that here except for the scene with the kids at the sinking sand, and the tame villains don't help.

It's not hard to see the criticism it gets.

Whoa, this is heavy

[–] Mississippi20 9 years ago

How is it? The Disney type music, the lack of violence, the tame villains. Max doesn't even kill anyone, except for the guy who's already "died" twice. You can't deny it's more of a family movie. There's nothing wrong with family movies, it's just a tone that doesn't fit Mad Max for many.

Didn't sound like Disney music to me - it was composed by Maurice Jarre, who is probably one of Hollywood's most successful composers in Hollywood history. It's a much more cinematic score than the previous two films and, again, I can only assume because of the budget.

I think they succeeded in making Bartertown a pretty seedy place. I'm not making the argument that it's better than 'The Road Warrior', only that it's at least a decent sequel.

It's not hard to see the criticism it gets.

Only from the people who love 'The Road Warrior' maybe, but 'Thunderdome' still has 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and was one of Roger Ebert's top-10 films in 1985. I don't think it's universally hated by any means.

[–] buddyboy28 9 years ago

Didn't sound like Disney music to me

After Max is found by Savannah and the kids come in to it, especially the little kid running up to her, and then when they slide down the chute in underworld, parts like those sound Disney like to me.

It's a much more cinematic score than the previous films

Agreed, and I even love Tina Turner's songs in it but I think Brian May's haunting score suits the world much better. But then again, this was clearly a more uplifting and hopeful movie.

I think they succeeded in making Bartertown a pretty seedy place

Agreed. I don't think there's anything wrong with the look of the movie at all, just the tone, especially after Max is banished.

'Thunderdome' still has 81% on Rotten Tomatoes

But only from 47 critics. The audience score is 50%. I didn't and wouldn't say universally hated, it just gets a lot of criticism.

Whoa, this is heavy

[–] fxdiamond 9 years ago

well being 28 at the time in 1984/ 85 and being paid 1 million in australian dollars at that time would have made him a little happy i am sure still. of course lethal weapon was not far in the horizon as well.

[–] br-36199 9 years ago

After Max is found by Savannah and the kids come in to it, especially the little kid running up to her, and then when they slide down the chute in underworld, parts like those sound Disney like to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcoMi5AUjug

[–] tkell31 9 years ago

Interesting. I felt it was a corny, toned down entry into the series. Played more like an Indiana Jones movie with cartoonish action sequences than a Mad Max movie.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] gowland85 8 years ago

No, it's not a bad film, but it's a bit of a letdown after the first two.

I think they were essentially westerns with cars. This is neither a western nor - crucially - does it have any car action until the final fifteen minutes. What then comes is well done but too little too late.

Miller seemed to realise this with Fury Road as he went back to the original formula.

[–] Kruleworld 8 years ago

This notion that they went soft and fluffy and tried making a family film is completely ludicrous

then why are the first two rated R, while this is PG13? to make it so teenagers could go see it.

"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"