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Parents' Guide to

Mad Max

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Outlandish post-apocalyptic action is too brutal for kids.

Movie R 1979 93 minutes
Mad Max Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
July 21, 2022
age 17+

Mad Max is a lot of violence and crashes

Mad Max is a film that relishes in its explosions and in both austerity/minimalism and in being over the top. The film is able to grasp all of these concepts at once. The film implies a lot of horrendous violence although does not necessarily show a lot of the violence. But the implications make a strong impression. There is also a lot of tension as we move through and identify with Gibson's character. The speed, the crashing, the chaos, and the empty shell that Gibson's character becomes stays with the viewer.
AllAges
AllAges Parent of 8-year-old
June 10, 2021
age 18+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A lunatic called "Night Rider" breaks loose in a stolen cop car and leads several futuristic law enforcement agents on a high-speed wild goose chase. His eventual death brings a much larger gang of sadistic followers to town, where they wreak havoc and pose a threat to Max (Mel Gibson) and his colleague Goose (Steve Bisley). After the bad guys burn Goose alive, Max decides to take his wife (Joanne Samuel) and young son away, but the family soon finds itself face-to-face with the villainous gang. One hideous act later, and Max hits the road in a souped-up car, seeking his violent revenge.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (26 ):

Mad Max is a memorable, groundbreaking low-budget exploitation hit that established a certain set of rules for action movies and inspired many sequels and knock-offs. Today, it's perhaps more interesting historically than it is aesthetically. Certain sequences still dazzle, and Miller's close-to-the-street cinematography captures the thrill of speed in highly effective way, but the film doesn't really establish the rules of its post-apocalyptic future, and it's too uneven in tone; the scenes of cartoonish violence are a lot more interesting than the idyllic home life images of Max and his family.

It's the least of the trilogy; the sequel, The Road Warrior, is darker and more streamlined, with a more sustained atmosphere, and the third film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, is more imaginative and fantasy-based.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the general lawlessness and violence of this post-apocalyptic future. Does it look like fun? Or is it a little scary? If you were Max, would you have tried to go away with your family as well?

  • This movie is known for its over-the-top violence, before the heydey of such films. What other movies can you think of like this today?

  • Are there any acts of kindness in the film? How are they received?

Movie Details

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