The Mad Max series began in 1979 as a low-budget Australian film that introduced the world to Mel Gibson. From there, George Miller directed two sequels, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which were all filmed relatively close together.
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The Mad Max series slowly expands with spin-offs and prequels, but the energetic post-apocalyptic movies already serve as some of the best out there.
Then there was a big gap before Mad Max: Fury Road exploded onto movie screens in 2015 which redefined the series and moviegoing experiences as a whole. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga matches that energy and then some even though it is ultimately a Max-less story. So, over fifty years, what have been the best stunt performances, and do they rank up there with the best stunts in movies? There will be spoilers for the full franchise.
10 Feral Kid’s Boomerang Stunt
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Not every great stunt in this series has to be attributed to cars. For example, in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior there is a climactic scene wherein Lord Humungous is addressing the town of oil residents.
The Feral Kid crawls underneath a fence to attack them, tossing a boomerang at one of the high commanders in the raiding group, Wez. Wez dodges it which prompts them all to laugh but the Feral Kid tries again and this time sinks his boomerang into Golden Youth’s skull which is a good practical effect. It’s a good use of a boomerang playing against expectations in a movie.
9 Toecutter Bites The Dust
Mad Max
Toecutter is the main villain of Mad Max who seemingly kickstarts Max into becoming the lone ranger of the wasteland throughout the series. Toecutter’s gang kills his best friend, Goose, along with Max’s wife and child.
In the final showdown, Max is chasing Toecutter’s bike down a highway in an intense, high-speed event. He begins ramming Toecutter from behind, throwing him off balance. Toecutter doesn’t see the semi-truck in front of him and then crashes. Even the truck gets damaged which is a nice addition to an already brutal mess.
8 Goose Gets Cooked
Mad Max
Around this era of movies, two beloved law enforcement officers named Goose meet their end all too soon. Goose from Top Gun has a training accident, sending Tom Cruise’s Maverick character into a spiral. Then there is Max who loses his partner, Goose, when Toecutter’s gang takes him out.
In his last days, Goose has a gnarly bike crash which sends him flying into the air and into some soft reefs. He’s thankfully unhurt and is even able to drive the tow truck away with his bike only to have that flip off the road too. To add insult to injury, Toecutter’s gang then lights Goose on fire while he desperately tries to escape the wreckage.
7 Get These Chains Off
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is where the series turned into serious hi-octane action. There were smaller moments that showed how well the choreography was produced though. In this scene, Max takes one of the brides hostage and tries to drink some water.
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In a single moment of lapse, Furiosa tackles him and starts a series of gags involving trying to grab tools and weapons to kill each other. Nux is still chained to Max too and they do good work involving the chain in all of this like tripping Furiosa or simply dragging Nux around while he was still unconscious.
6 Max Vs Blaster
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
That chain bit in Mad Max: Fury Road feels like a callback to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The titular scene of the movie faces Blaster against Max. They are both tethered to the Thunderdome and somehow have to reach the top to get weapons.
The fight involves the two of them bouncing around and shoving each other out of the way as if they were part of a more violent circus. Except for all of the death chants from the crowd, it genuinely looks like a fun experience for lovers of extreme sports like bungee jumping.
5 Lord Humungous And Wez Get Crushed
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
In the climactic showdown in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Lord Humungous and the rest of the raiders are attacking the convoy of wasteland settlers. Out of ammo, Max needs the Feral Child to climb onto the hood of the truck to retrieve one more shotgun shell.
Once the child is within reach, Wez pops up and tries to grapple with them. Seeing no other choice, Max picks up speed with the truck and rams into Lord Humungous’ car which explodes into a million pieces. Getting that shot just right with practical effects had to be nerve-wracking.
4 Siege At The Citadel
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Dementus is a bit too cocky for his own good. He thinks his Biker Horde can take on the might of Immortan Joe and The Citadel, but he's wrong. In the beginning siege at The Citadel, Dementus and his men are outmatched as cranes come from down high to repo their bikes away.
Seeing War Boys swoop down on these large rigs is a treat and it looks terrifying when they ride back up. Height in any action movie can lead to some truly dangerous stunts and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s use of cranes is no different.
3 Ironbar Hangs On For Dear Life
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
The end battle in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is reminiscent of Back to the Future 3 since it too uses a train in a high-speed chase. Max and the others are trying to escape Barter Town on this train-like car and Auntie’s goons are perusing them.
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One of them is Ironbar who keeps trying to harm the children or deal damage to Max. In the struggle, Ironbar bends a piece of the car so that his body is dangling over the edge. He has to do a few quick body shrugs to avoid getting whacked by rocks in the environment which is fun to see. Holding onto something while on a speeding train can’t be easy.
2 The War Boys On Stilts
Mad Max: Fury Road
Again, Mad Max: Fury Road is a series of stunts as if George Miller is showing off to Hollywood as a whole. There are too many action set pieces to name but another one that stands out is when the War Boys are closing in on the convoy with Max and the other women.
Some of the Wild Boys are on long stilts that bounce around as their cars are speeding in pursuit. They keep bending over the convoy to drop bombs and then bounce back to safety which looks terrifying to do. It’s Ironbar’s stunt in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome but a bit more unhinged and on a grander scale.
1 Praetorian Jack’s New War Rig
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga doesn’t fully outdo Mad Max: Fury Road on all levels. However, it has the best stunt in the franchise so far. In Praetorian Jack’s first run with the new War Rig, he is attacked by The Octoboss and his men. These bikers use gliders and fans to swoop around the War Rig and its accompanying convoy.
It’s some of the most experimental stunts in the entire franchise and that’s saying something. Furiosa’s stunts below the War Rig also deserve kudos during this scene. The way she has to go back and forth between problems is nerve-wracking but it makes her all the more cool. Overall, the scene is a ten out of ten. No notes.
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