Mad Max 1 doesn't suck, but I wouldn't classify it as particularly great or fantastic either.......it suffers from an EXTREMELY low budget which is very apparent to the viewer. And this was George Miller's very first movie so I'm sure there was quite a bit of inexperience behind the camera too. The story seems like an inferior cliche from all these different movies like Dirty Harry or A Clockwork Orange - to me, anyway. A couple of scenes feel cheesy.
Remember that Mad Max 1 was not a hit in the United States, which is why 'The Road Warrior' was released as 'The Road Warrior' and not 'Mad Max 2'. But I assume what made Mad Max 1 popular internationally was the car chase scenes. In a world before CGI and crazy huge action summer blockbusters, I'm sure it was probably a lot more exciting and maybe the scenes don't quite have the same impact on a modern audience.......yet knowing that there is absolutely no digital effects still makes it worth getting excited about today. Hugh Keays-Byrne and Mel Gibson are both great.
In retrospect, it is enjoyable as a backstory of sorts before the world became a Wasteland, but no doubt I think all of the sequels are better films and it's great to see George Miller's world and imagination expand with each film.
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