I've heard the criticism regarding Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome as far back as 1985 and in a way I agree that this is basically two different films mashed into one and they don't mesh well. The first half of the movie, when it's all about Bartertown, is straight up original. It was dangerous, exciting, new....epic. There is so much going on here that it requires repeat viewings with the amount of characters populating this fringe town on the outer edge of the Wasteland. Once Max (Mel Gibson) is banished from Bartertown, he somehow ends up in the land of kids. Lord Of The Flies meets Peter Pan.

The whole middle section of the movie is where the tone shifts and does a complete 180, effectively making this a different movie all together. Years later, I'm still unsure of what and why with these little peeps and why they "needed" Master (the little guy) to come with them at the end. The only saving grace is that the plot ends up back in Bartertown to at least give us a 3rd Act that is very reminiscent of The Road Warrior when the chase begins.

I've often wondered why George Miller decided to have a bunch of kids in the 3rd Installment and I really do think it has to do with the Feral Kid in The Road Warrior. He probably was shocked at how popular the character was and rationalized that if one kid was great, then 50 were be better. I still like Thunderdome, I just wish that Miller had at least tied the kids tribe to something in Bartertown. Like the kids were banished or they still had parents there instead of just being survivors of a plane crash. It's just two completely different stories that have nothing to do with the other. Also, how is it that it's only kids that survive the crash? Not one adult stayed to take care of the kids or act as a protector to them while the rest went off looking for help?

Anyway, this is definitely worth a Rent. It's not as bad as people make it out to be, but then again, the whole 'Peter Pan' angle does weaken it a bit.

I found Thunderdome a huge departure from the first two. I was pretty much slack jawed, going WTF.

Thunder dome has a polished feel. It's got a major icon of Tina Turner that completely shifts attention. The set pieces.

Dunno, it just felt unrelated and became this Hollywood product.