45 minutes of brilliance then....

I think Max should have shot the kids when he had the chance...apart from the tall, dark haired bird (Savannah?). She may have come in handy on those cold, dark desert nights.

But otherwise, nope. It didn't ruin it for me.

When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.

The kids were a definite let-down, and the biggest drawback of the film. Like you, I saw it in the theater (I was 17) and loved the first part of the film. The car chases at the end are magnificent, too - almost as brilliant as the ones in Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior.

The problem with the children in Beyond Thunderdome is that they added a "cutesy" element that really undermined the film. They hurt it the same way the Ewoks undermined Return of the Jedi. I'm sure that's why Beyond Thunderdome rated as low as it did on IMDb. All other elements of the film were quite strong.



"You can dish it out, but you got so you can't take it no more." - Caesar Enrico Bandello

I'm definitely of the belief that once Max goes "Beyond Thunderdome" the movie never really recovers. The first half hour was already very PG compared to the last two flicks but it was still well executed with a lot of cool characters and concepts. Once we move "Beyond Thunderdome" the movies tone gets even lighter and then it turns into some family fun movie. As a kid in the 80's I didn't mind this but growing up the center of the movie really kills everything and even the finale is rather ridiculous. Still, it could have been much much worse.

I was thinking the same thing! the first 45 minutes are great! And then there's this ridiculously stupid peter pan storyline that totally ruined the second half of the film. what the hell were they thinking when they came up with that?

Yeah, it was a letdown after they introduced the kids. There is barely any character development with them, and they were unmemorable, unlike the characters in Bartertown, who were much more interesting. Would've liked the movie more if they concentrate on Mad Max himself.

"Goats and monkeys!"-Othello, Act IV,Scene 1

This movie really shocked me, and not in a good way... Both Mad Max and The Road Warrior were very dark and brooding in their execution and story, quite violent and clearly meant for mature audiences only. It was obvious by the film's PG-13 rating that the filmmakers were trying to tone down the series more brutal elements in order to bolster ticket sales by drawing in the younger crowd who had so enjoyed Road Warrior on home video. The results were mixed until Max leaves Bartertown- those who enjoyed the feelings of despair and crushing isolation in the previous films were going to be let down, and anyone who expected the film to maintain - or perhaps even build upon - the dark tone of it's predessesors would be forced to reevaluate their hopes quickly or be sorely dissapointed. However, the film was entertaining in it's own right, with the introduction of some colorful characters and a particularly well done battle in the titular thunderdome.

Then, the film turns into a Disney movie. A flat out rip off of PeterPan (Tommorow-Morrowland, Never-Neverland, see any simmilarities?) in which Peter (MAX) must lead the Lost Boys (and girls) into a bloodless battle against the forces of Captain Aunty Hook and her bumbling sidekick Smee (Ironbar). The final chase was nothing but a poorly staged re-filming of the Road Warrior's marvelous finale, some how managing to make it FAR less interesting and exiting despite the bigger cast and budget. As to which film had the more frightening and intimidating villain, one need only consider what The Humungus would have done if HE had found himself alone with an injured Max at the end of the film. The soundtrack alone tells all you need to know about the wildly divergent path Beyond Thunderdome took the series in. Take the intense, suspenseful chase music during the Road Warriors finale or the ominous silence in Max's final meeting with Johnny in the original. Now compare it to the bright, whimsical, magical adventure music in BT and tell me someone, somewhere didn't entirely miss the point on what made the first two movies tick.

I'm sure some people out there love Beyond Thunderdome, and I don't mean to be a troll and crap on them. However, having come late to the series and having watched all 3 movies in a row, I just felt the need to vent my frustration at just how dissapointed I was with this movie. After falling in love with MAX and Warrior, I was nearly bouncing with anticipation for the trilogy`s finale. Turns out I should have quit while ahead and walked away after Road Warrior.

I'm sellin my soul to the Devil in you

I think the second half goes far in making the film as excellent as it is rather, because we're seeing multiple parallel redevelopments of society in the wake of the "apocalypse". That is pithier than just seeing one track. Surely there would be more than just two, but two that are so different is enough to suggest a plethora of different subsocieties redeveloping.


http://www.rateyourmusic.com/~JrnlofEddieDeezenStudies

It's almost a perfect film until the kids arrive. Then it all goes a bit Return Of The Jedi with young 'uns instead of Ewoks. It's just about saved in the closing scenes with the fantastic chase sequence.

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Duty Now For The Future