Last week I went to the Flora Friday Film night where we watched the 1985 science fiction action film Mad Max. To be honest, I went into last week thinking I was about the watch the new Mad Max: Fury Road, expecting a modern Hollywood blockbuster action film. Instead, I was surprised to see a cult classic starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. Like many movies now regarded as cult classics, first time viewers may not always get the appeal that has made the movie so popular. I was one of those viewers. While Mad Max had action, comedy, and suspense, it came off as cliché and sometimes even tongue and cheek. Most of the movie was incredibly predictable, with moments only memorable because of how cheesy they were. Perhaps it was the style of the time and hasn’t aged well, but I found the movie boring.

On another note, it was interesting to see how revered Mel Gibson was at the time, and how much his status has changed. When he first appeared on screen, I heard some people around me give a mild groan. It was only 5 years ago that the tape of his rantings was released, I don’t expect his reputation to recover in such a quick time.

Some people I watched the movie with quipped that “oh this movie takes place in a future California,” referring to California’s severe drought. While that drought has thankfully ended, and their comments were in jest, the movie does show how crazy and desperate people become once natural resources are depleted. None of this will happen in the near future, or even moderate future, but like in the movie, people won’t hesitate to murder if it means they can get more water, or oil, or whatever scarce resources they need.

Overall, I wouldn’t watch Mad Max again. The film was simply too boring and predictable. It had a few redeeming qualities, but not enough to warrant a recommendation.