A younger, better-looking, leather clad Mel Gibson pouts his way through this revenge film with a firm emphasis on impressive vehicle stunts. The over the top machismo borders on camp at times, but is twisted with some (for the time) gruesome violence and a sadistic ending that apparently inspired the Saw films. Unfortunately, the action sequences can’t negate the lack of a decent, coherent plot, which only really serves the stunts. In a dystopian future, a gang of motorcyclists want revenge on Max for the death of ‘Night Rider’. In turn, Max seeks revenge on them for the terrorising of his wife and child. Yawn. The script and acting don’t fair much better. The opening car chase is thrilling, but the middle section with Max and his wife is plain tedious. The film is vehicle stunt porn - quite enjoyable, but I’d prefer some brains to go with the brawn.
2/5
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