Customer Reviews

Mad Max [VHS]

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

MGM jumped on the DVD bandwagon rather late in the game, and the studio has been struggling to keep up ever since. Traditionally, MGM has released bare-bones, movie-only DVDs with bad transfers and horrid sound - but, thankfully, tradition seems to be losing out to what consumers want. Mad Max: Special Edition is the latest offering from MGM's film vaults to make its way onto DVD in a restored, high-performance disc, and it's about time, too.

Mad Max will probably go down in history as the film that made Mel Gibson a star, but that would gloss over the film's many other virtues. A post-apocalyptic tale of good vs. evil, Mad Max features the title character, Max Rockatansky, in his job as an "Interceptor," a kind of cop struggling to maintain order in a world where the government has all but collapsed and ruthless biker thugs and warlords have made normal life impossible. When Max kills a member of the gang, their leader, the Toecutter, turns around and butcher's Max's family. As a result, Max gets very mad and goes straight to kick-ass mode. The story is slick and well-told, with enough fast cars, gun battles, and extreme chases to keep you tied to your chair. It's basically a Western set in a decaying Australia, and it's a welcome change of pace for action fans, too.

MGM presented us with a two-sided, dual-layer DVD that has two versions of the film: a gorgeous 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer, and a full-screen copy on the same side for those who don't like to see the whole movie. For the first time, American audiences get to watch the film with the original Australian dialogue (it was dubbed with American actors for the US and never released with the original accents before now), either in the old-school mono mix or a completely redone, deep and dynamic DD 5.1 remix. On the other side you get two mini-documentaries, one about the Mad Max series and how the crews made the films (informative), and one about Mel Gibson's rise to stardom (blah). Round that out with a pop-up video style "trivia track" (really just a subtitle option), and you've got a great disc.

The pop-up video track is one of the best and most innovative new features in a long time; I hope other DVD companies take note, because it's fun, informative, and you can watch it again and again, unlike most commentary tracks and other "extras." Overall, Mad Max is an excellent disc, and at its current price, it's worth adding to your shelves. If you're an action fan or a post-apocalyptic-film fan, then this disc is a must.

Before I wrote a review for this film I had to get my hands on a version with the original Aussie dialogue to see if it truly mattered. Well the answer is, yes it does. Other reviewers are correct when saying the dubbed version (in American English) makes the actors come off campy and it hurts the film a great deal. And yes, dialogue is even changed slightly, some more than others, like when the one kid and his girlfriend leave town in his hotrod with the biker gang hot on their trail. In the American version he says "Don't worry" to his girlfriend, but in the Aussie version he says "No worries". I don't really think a dubbed English version was necessary. I could understand what they were saying even with the Australian accents. I mean imagine network TV dubbing Crocodile Hunter every week with an American accent...BAD IDEA! Now that the DVD is out of print (because ORION Pictures is out of business) let's hope Warner Brothers obtains the rights to this masterpiece, digitally remasters it (Dolby Digital 5.1 or better) and gives us the Aussie Soundtrack. Japan released this film on DVD with both Audio tracks (But in Region Code 2 only), so it's about time we got the same thing. In fact, Warner should re-release all three films in a nice box set and make them all special editions. The latest VHS version of The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) included a retrospective documentary that was never included on the DVD. To me, this is a great film that deserves the S.E. treatment. It's hard to believe it was only Mel Gibson's 3rd film (After Summer City & Tim). This movie is set during the decline of civilization and Mad Max 2 is set shortly after that when civilization is all but destroyed and scattered. Mad Max sets the standard for the sequals and truly gives us a man gone mad by the loss of loved ones at the hands of not just the bikers, but the decay of life as we know it. I love the trilogy...rare that each one is uniquely special in it's own right, yet still propells the character forward. Mad Max is a Classic, so Warner Brothers needs to get a move on with that remastered version (you know they won the rights to it) so people can see the original Mad Max in all its glory!....G'day!

For fans of George Miller's first "Mad Max" movie, this is the version for which we've been waiting more than 20 years for . . . the original Australian dialogue version. While the American voice actors tried to do their best to capture the characters and the synchronization was generally good, the dubbing, on the whole, lacks the subtleties that the original actors, speaking in their natural dialect, brought to the screen. Further, in the U.S. dubbed version, there was no appreciable attempt to change the Australian slang used thoughout the film, making the dubbing even more pointless than it already was.

Beyond the new audio track, there is much more on this DVD to merit inclusion in your collection. The DVD presents the film in both anamorphic widescreen and full-frame formats. Now why anyone would want to watch "Mad Max" in full-frame is beyond me, but you can effectively recreate the VHS viewing experience of the last 15 plus years by selecting the full-frame video and U.S. dub audio options. There are also two newly produced, informative documentaries included, one on the making of the film and the other on the early Australian (pre-1980) film career of Mel Gibson. There's also a terrific audio commentary with several of the behind-the-scenes film crew members, including the Director of Photography, David Eggby. In one telling sequence, Eggby mentions that he had no idea how fast and dangerous the filming actually was while seated on the back seat of a motorcycle for a POV shot. It was only after he saw the daily rushes one day, that he noticed that the speedometer of the bike appeared in the shot and that it registered 180 kilometers per hour (approximately 110 mph)!

The DVD also includes the usual trailer and TV spots, a photo gallery of international posters and lobby cards, and even a hidden, but not too difficult to find "Easter Egg." All in all, MGM has done a superlative job on this "Special Edition" DVD, easily exceeding, by a far margin, the two sequel DVDs released by Warner's ("The Road Warrior" and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome").

Prospective purchasers should note that this dvd is the dubbed version where American actors replace the Australian actors on the soundtrack. I understand that the decision to overdub the part was done when the movie was first released in the US (an Australian friend recalled his shock at the dubbing when he saw it in a US cinema at the time) but I would have thought that the studio could have dug up the original Australian version and released that instead. Because of this irritating and pointless feature of an otherwise fine movie (the best of the Mad Max series), I can only rate the dvd 2 stars.

This film has to be one of the greates road movies, save possibly Mad Max II or Death race 2000. the car chase sequences are, in my opinion, better than those featured in Bullit. Despite the lack of dialogue from Mel Gibson or any of the other cast, this still makes entertaining viewing. the right mix has been made with violence and gore and with a little storyline. The 'Cundilini wants his hand back' is a particularly humorous and those with a dvd player or decent video should freeze frame this part. Watch ou also for the fantastic stunts, especially at the start of the film as a V8 pursuit vehicle flies through a stationary caravan. If you liked this stunt, consider getting hold of the banned from T.V version of the vidoe of 'The Cardigans' 'My favourite game'. In this video, you will see many great automotive stunts, especially as a car flies through a parked camper van, Mad Max style. Unfortunately, many videos I have seen, namely the Warner Brother's edition in the three-box set, have been cut in a very crude and thoughtless manner, detracting from this film. I would agree with R KOEGEL and KENNETH MARBURY that a director's cut version, or any uncut version should be launched NOW. SO PLEEEEEASE make an uncut version of this film.

Don't buy this Video. With DVD technology it would have been a no-brainer to provide both sound tracks, the original Aussie version and the rotten American dubbed version. These dopes chose to give us the one that nobody wants. Perhaps if nobody buys it they'll get a clue.

This review refers to the new Special Edition DVD that has just been released.

Both widescreen and full screen versions are included, but more importantly, the original Australian dialogue has finally been restored. The difference between that and the clunky, awkward American-dubbed audio most of us are familiar with is like night and day (and if you want to find out for yourself, both are included on the disc, so feel free to compare).

Rounding out the package is a making-of featurette, several trailers, and a "pop-up video" style subtitles-option which presents various minutea about the film and its locations while you watch.

Finally! The original version of "Mad Max"! I had been waiting for this since I first saw "The Road Warrior" in the theatres so long ago.
While the film is still the same, the atmosphere is far different because since the voice aren't as over the top as the dubbed version. The nomad bikers are far more menacing, "the Goose" is more charasmatic and Mel himself more believable. Unfortunately nothing can save that painful "brown shoes" scene, but, hey, that's what the "fast forward" is for.
If I had any problem with this version at all it would be that, since they moved it to 5:1 sound, sometimes the voices get lost in the background over music swells. It's one thing when dialog is drowned out by a roaring motor (that happens in real life), but when the actors are lost to an orchestral punch, it can be annoying.
If you are going to get "Mad Max", this is the version to get. While the US dub is the one we're most familiar with, it also loses something that has finally been re-installed for the States.

I'm a great fan of the Mad Max series of films and since I'm living in Australia, I have seen the original Aussie version on video locally. It seems stupid that we can only get Mad Max 2 and 3 on DVD in Australia and not Mad Max 1 (which is only available on Video). So, because of this I bought Mad Max 1 (The U.S Version DVD) through Amazon which has the American voices dubbed over the original sound track (which I didn't know at the time). Me being Australian and having watched the original, I found the U.S version very disappointing. Also the picture quality on this US version DVD of Mad Max 1 should have been better (It's more like VCD quality). The Australian version of Mad Max 1, I would give 5 stars.

Mad Max is certainly not a movie for everybody especially not your Saturday night date but it has proved to be an excellent guy movie and it sucks that the good ol' USA had it dubbed,edited or how 'bout butchered. The dubbed American version has however grown on many of us and is certainly an excellent action/horror/western/biker movie. This version will probably always be available but if you ever have a chance to see the original or even own it, you are in for a true delight. The Aussie dialogue is not as difficult as "A Clockwork Orange" but can be hard to understand at times but you get what they are saying. Also, there are several key sequences that were edited that adds to the tension (hence forth the horror genre). Although, some would disagree, a director's cut is certainly deserved to this cult classic, one that restores the the original sounds and lost(?) edited scenes. MAD MAX is definitely a high energy movie that every guy should own. There is real movie magic at work here while still displaying an artistic approach(an angle rarely explored in action movies of years since its premier.)