Mad Max - Jenseits der Donnerkuppel

Das Schlimmste kommt zum Schluss, aber zum Glück ist es nicht ganz so schlimm. Bei der Ankunft in Bartertown und dem großen Kampf in der Donnerkuppel ist noch alles in Ordnung. Aber wenn die Kinder kommen, verwandelt sich der Film in eine Art Abenteuershow für die ganze Familie, was sehr schlecht ist. Nun, der Geschmack des US-amerikanischen Publikums. Wenigstens kann man am Ende die Actionszene mit der "Lok“ (auch wenn sie durch die Kinder wieder ein wenig verdorben wird) und den toll aussehenden Fahrzeugen (vor allem Auntys Turbinenfahrzeug und das, welches mit Kuhfell überzogen ist) genießen. Auch die Musik von Maurice Jarre ist mehr als gut. Also dreieinhalb verrückte Sterne. (29.05.2015)

A big shift towards the mainstream compared to the previous parts, also thanks to the participation of Tina Turner. Still, a properly wacky affair, during which I had quite a good time. Some scenes, like the fight in the arena with the chainsaws, were good, others less so (there was too much shit for my taste), overall a very decent sequel. (11.05.2003)

A big budget made a big film this time. The post-apocalyptic world is amazing. Not only the magnificent set design, but the overall feeling of the film is at the best possible level. Although Tina Turner is as good an actress as she is a singer (take that as you will) and the terribly politically correct themes such as the rescue of young children dampen the benevolence of viewers who loved the previous two films, there's nothing to do other than to enjoy every last grain of sand from the Nothing, a gripping spectacle that for once doesn't rely on cars (only to impress you with the breathtaking chase at the end) and also deals a little with the world around it. Mel Gibson successfully rivals a diamond in terms of overall toughness and I believe everything that he does. I can also safely say that underneath the Thunderdome clearly resides the best film in the franchise! (27.08.2006)

The tremendous worldwide success of the second Mad Max unleashed a flood of mostly second-rate copies that ruled video rental shops in the 1980s. Director and screenwriter George Miller responded with an unexpected move. Instead of appealing directly to viewers craving a repeat of the previous film, he conceived the third instalment in the series as an absolutely different variation on the post-apocalyptic myth. The still largely unappreciated but all the more fascinating Beyond Thunderdome stands out in the context of the whole saga due to its distinctive and inspiring eccentricity, which combines a post-apocalyptic setting with both extinct (western, noir) and popular genres of the time (children’s adventure stories in the style of Amblin). As in the second film, this time Max is a legendary figure in the myths of post-apocalyptic society. As such, he rather becomes a guide to this bizarre new world, where two women stand against each other, carrying on their shoulders the seeds of two new but fundamentally different civilisations. (Annotation for the series marathon at Kino Aero, 2019) (14.03.2021)

This is certainly the weakest episode in the Mad Max series. It lacks the amazing car chases and the story is rather fragmentary. But still, the beginning when Max arrives in Bartertown is pretty well done and the final action sequence with the train is also quite impressive. And at the end, we get to take a look at Sydney. Slightly above mediocre. (03.07.2006)