The Mad Max franchise is an unusual one, even by today’s action standards. Having begun life as a low-budget masterpiece and moving on to far bigger successes that have helped redefine what an action sequence is capable of doing and being. Created by George Miller, and yet to see a project that he hasn’t personally shepherded, the Mad Max series is an incredible one.

Related

Mad Max: Best Villains In The Franchise, Ranked

The Mad Max franchise is home to a plethora of engaging villains, but some are slightly better than others. Here are the best of the bunch.

With Furiosa close to a debut, the Mad Max franchise is at an exciting point, having already delved into gaming territory recently. The next film in the main series is already being planned as this first spin-off comes to fruition, and with more major Hollywood stars pouring their talents into the series, the future looks bright for the bleak world of Mad Max.

4 Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome

IMDb Score: 6.2

• Starring: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner & Bruce Spence
• Directed By: George Miller & George Ogilvie

The third and final entry in the original Mad Max trilogy of films is the least impressive of the franchise to date, but this franchise has never had a bad entry. Returning Mel Gibson to the role of Max, and surprisingly adding Tina Turner to the cast, Beyond Thunderdome featured the titular hero being pit against Turner’s Aunty Entiry, the evil leader of a post-apocalyptic town in the wasteland. After being forced to become a gladiator and being dumped out in the desert, Max has to gain the help of a number of outcast children in an attempt to return them to Bartertown and take down Aunty Entity.

While Beyond Thunderdome is generally considered a bit of a low point in Tina Turner’s career, and while the budget was higher than that of previous installments, it was still reasonably low. The themes and plot lines managed to tie up the trilogy fairly well, even though there was a great deal of time in-universe between the three entries. The themes of tribalism and community were radiant throughout the film, represented in the best way they could be by showcasing the innocence of children trapped in a post-apocalyptic world and abandoned by their community. Though Beyond Thunderdome isn’t considered among the top Mad Max movies, it is a fascinating watch in its own right.

3 Mad Max

IMDb Score: 6.8

• Starring: Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne & Joanne Samuel
• Directed By: George Miller

The original Mad Max is responsible for many things. It is considered one of the best truly low-budget movies in history, made for only $350,000, which equates to less than $2,000,000 today, a paltry amount for an action movie, and less than 1% of what it cost to make Mad Max: Fury Road. It is also responsible for the fame of Mel Gibson, who broke out into Hollywood after taking on the leading role of Max, a hero who manages to be a good person despite being generally unpleasant. Most of all, Mad Max is credited with beginning the Australian New Wave Cinema movement of the 1980s.

Related

Mad Max: Every Game That Was Released Or Cancelled, Explained

The Mad Max movies are some of the best action seen on the big screen, but how did its video games fare? Here's a breakdown of each title.

Set in a near-future dystopian Australia in which society is beginning to break down, Mad Max features a police officer with one of the last remaining law enforcement agencies who is attempting to fight back against roving gangs. But after tiring of the work, which he believes is futile, Max quits the force and goes on a trip with his family, which ends in tragedy and leads him on a path of vengeance. Mad Max was a masterpiece of low-budget cinema which set a Guinness World Record for most profitable film, and the franchise would only manage grander heights from this humble beginning.

2 Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

IMDb Score: 7.6

• Starring: Mel Gibson, Emil Minty & Bruce Spence
• Directed By: George Miller

The second and generally most favorably looked upon of the original Mad Max trilogy, Mad Max 2, was released in America as The Road Warrior. Upon release, it was quickly named one of the greatest action movies ever, a legendary name in sequel-making, and an instant classic of cinema. The sequel features Max, now a much more hardened loner and reluctant hero, who runs across a savage group of bikers attempting to hold up a local community for their vast oil supply.

Max, despite his reluctance, is drawn into helping the community, and what follows are some of the best car chase sequences in cinematic history, as well as some incredible storytelling and world-building that created the Wasteland of Mad Max as it is known today. The complete breakdown of law and order by this time had given it a much more complete look and feel, and the villainous roving bikers that served as the primary antagonists gave the punk look and feel to many characters that would be found populating the Wasteland.

1 Mad Max: Fury Road

IMDb Score: 8.1

• Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron & Nicholas Hoult
• Directed By: George Miller

The epitome of the Mad Max franchise thus far remains the magnum opus that was released in 2015, managing to reinvigorate a long-dormant franchise into one of the hottest properties in world cinema, with inspiration being visible in some major current properties. The recasting of Max in the form of Tom Hardy, as well as the wealth of other great characters, including spin-off protagonist Furiosa, has given the series the sort of rebirth that few franchises can ever hope to achieve.

With a simplistic plot but incredible chase and action sequences that many other directors have already taken inspiration from, Mad Max: Fury Road has become one of the very best action films of the 21st Century. Not only did this huge film manage to win the hearts of the entire world and receive Oscar nominations, it also reinvigorated the franchise, with an open ending that will allow the series to expand beyond the initial trilogy so that it has a bright future indeed.

More

10 Best Action Movies You Can Only Stream On HBO Max

HBO Max is the streaming service for fans of action movies, with a huge selection of high-octane thrill rides that will make movie night a wild ride!