Watch The Road Warrior

April 25, 2010

By Alisha Arnold

There's something to be said for action flicks, especially when they're as well crafted as The Road Warrior. This film was what really got Mel Gibson started on a global level. Mad Max saw him explode in the US, but since the film hadn't been released in the US yet, or throughout much of the rest of the world, it was The Road Warrior that made him a household name. It's definitely one of the must download movies of all time.

There really aren't many movies out there that work so perfectly on so many levels. In the pantheon of action films, it's comparable to Robocop, and not much else. It's very strong, full of drama, action and, at times, humor and even tragedy.

You know all about the movie, but it's worth a recap: The film takes place in a post apocalyptic Australian Outback where gas and water are both scarce. Mel Gibson plays Mad Max Rockatansky. He was a cop before the world fell apart, and now simply drifts from here to there, hoping to collect enough gas, food and water to stay alive from day to day.

Throughout his trials in the previous film, Max became just as much of a ruthless beast as the criminals he'd been chasing. Here, he's offered a chance at redemption, at becoming a part of society, or what is left of it, once more.

The movie is essentially one long chase scene, stopping here and there just long enough to give us a breather and some more character and story development. Of course, the majority of character and story is developed through the action, which is how it's supposed to be. Too often, action is only thrown in to get in the way of the story and put the viewer's brain on pause. Here, the action IS the story, just as it was in the days of the old westerns.

The movie really comes down to the nature of heroism and righteousness. George Miller, the film's director, went into the Joseph Campbell mythology to develop the story for the film, and it paid off. The movie feels timeless, an instant classic. It will inspire you, and there's a reason that many Australians consider it to be "their Star Wars".

It will likely go down as one of the great westerns and western influenced films. It should stand alongside Stagecoach in that regard, in that it really is just great action and physical heroism from beginning to end.

The movie is incredibly loud, fast paced, and full of wild, unpredictable characters and stunts. It is, depending on your perspective, perhaps one of the greatest films of all time. If not, then it's at least one of the greatest action films ever made. If, for some reason, you still haven't seen it, put on your movie downloads queue right away.

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