The Road Warrior was released in the US during the Spring of 1982.
A sequel to the hit 1979 Australian film “Mad Max“, the film launched the highly successful career of actor Mel Gibson and was his first major worldwide hit.
The film earned a modest $24 Million in North America but is still considered a cult classic around the Globe.
At the time of its release, it was the most expensive Australian movie ever made.
I saw this film for the first time as Junior in High School. I had never heard of “Mad Max” and I had never heard of Mel Gibson. I remember leaving the theater with the thought that the final chase that takes up the last 20 minutes of the film HAS to be the greatest chase ever filmed. Seeing as how there were no computer generated special effects and the chase involved actual vehicles being driven by stuntmen.
I still think this is the King of all chase films.
As far as I could tell, there were no Computer-Generated Special Effects involved with that climactic chase scene.
The first two-thirds of the movie is pretty slow, there is very little dialogue, and little action, but the last section of the film involving the climactic chase between Max and the Bad Guys is well worth the wait.
I went back and rented “Mad Max” after seeing this movie and although it had a few good parts, it was not nearly the movie that “The Road Warrior” turned out to be.
It spawned a sequel in “Mad Max beyond ThunderDome” in 1985 that was pretty good, but I still think “The Road Warrior” was by far the best film in the series.
My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos. Ruined dreams. This wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called “Max”. To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time…
Road Warrior had NO digital effects. Everything was done with what they call “practical” effects. So every car crashing is real, every explosion is real.
And I agree this is the best of the three. I like Mad Max for the cars (all Aussie models, most of them Fords – yuck!), and Beyond Thunderdome is cool for Tina Turner, but Road Warrior is the best. And the devastatingly gorgeous blond archer lady that tells Max “I was wrong about you. Sorry.” is a lady by the name of Virginia Hey, from the sci-fi series Farscape.
Besides, this movie was the best driver-training film for driving in Chicago rush hour that I’ve ever seen!
By: John Erickson on September 24, 2011
at 3:19 pm
No-Hio – How no one got killed making that chase scene is a wonder!
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on September 24, 2011
at 3:21 pm
If I recall, there were a couple of serious injuries, but amazingly, nothing fatal or permanently crippling.
For all things Mad Max, go to : http://www.madmaxonline.com/
Though “officially” inspired by a short Alan Dean Foster story, there is a board-based game called “Car wars” that draws heavily on the Mad Max universe of armed and armoured cars fighting it out.
Our first dog was an Aussie Cattle Dog, just like the one in your picture above. Just in case you hadn’t figured out I’m a MAJOR Mad Max fan…..
By: John Erickson on September 24, 2011
at 3:28 pm
“…the Ayatollah of rock-n-rolla…”
By: brainrants on September 24, 2011
at 3:35 pm
brainrants – Yep, somewhere down in Australia is a huge buff middle-aged dude who is still trying to convince his neighbors that he was the guy in the mask in the Road Warrior…..
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on September 24, 2011
at 4:15 pm
Oh, the memories – that was before he went a little nutty – or was it?
By: Team Oyeniyi on September 24, 2011
at 6:04 pm
Robyn – Yep…wellllll before he melted down…….
Back then at least, he was still cool…. 
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on September 24, 2011
at 6:18 pm
I like post apocalyptic sci fi. “Break a deal, face the wheel.” They ought to app-ly that to 535+1 in DC
By: Carl D'Agostino on September 24, 2011
at 7:33 pm
Carl – That is a GREAT IDEA!
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on September 24, 2011
at 8:12 pm
As long as you don’t have Pat Sajak host it, I say go for it! Just modify any of the “Exile” tags to mean they’re sent back to their home district stark naked, with no money. Teach ‘em a little REAL compassion! Just be sure to confiscate all their goods BEFORE the wheel spin.
Otherwise, lock ‘em all into the Congress building, toss in some weapons, and let ‘em play Thunderdome! “535 people enter, one person leaves.”
Works for me!
By: John Erickson on September 24, 2011
at 8:17 pm
How quickly the years have passed… Seems like yesterday, although I don’t remember Road Warrior at all… maybe never made it to here!
By: adeeyoyo on September 24, 2011
at 8:38 pm