--- title: "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" year: 1985 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome" fi1m_score: 65 critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-09-19T12:49:46.855583+00:00" updated: "2026-09-19T12:50:33.187149+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) Directed by George Ogilvie, George Miller · 1h 47m · MPA PG-13 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction **Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 69 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* Tina Turner runs a town on pig dung, and the film wilts the moment it leaves her > The third Mad Max is the handsomest and the softest of the series. Bartertown and its Thunderdome are as good as anything the films have done and Tina Turner is a proper villain; then the story walks out into the desert and loses its nerve. ## Synopsis Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is driving a camel-drawn wagon across the desert when a pilot, Jedediah (Bruce Spence), and his son (Adam Cockburn) swoop down in a light aircraft and make off with the lot. On foot, Max follows the tracks to Bartertown, a trading post powered by methane from pig dung. The Collector (Frank Thring) assesses his worth at the gate. Above, the town belongs to Aunty Entity (Tina Turner); below, the refinery belongs to Master (Angelo Rossitto), a tiny engineer who rides on the shoulders of his giant bodyguard, Blaster (Paul Larsson). Aunty wants Master brought to heel. She offers Max his possessions back if he will pick a quarrel with Blaster and settle it in the Thunderdome, a domed cage where two men enter and one man leaves. ## Review The third film about Max Rockatansky has two directors, George Miller and George Ogilvie, and it plays like a film with two directors. For an hour it is the fullest world the series has built: a city of scrap and rope, run on pig manure, with Tina Turner on the balcony. Then it leaves town, and what follows is gentler, slower and less interesting. The first half is worth anyone’s evening. The second is for the patient. Bartertown is the achievement. Graham “Grace” Walker builds it in a crater, tiers of shanties and gantries with a hanging cage above the crowd and, beneath it all, the Underworld, where pigs live in their own filth and their gas is piped up to light the lamps. Norma Moriceau dresses everyone as if they had raided a museum in the dark. Frank Thring’s Collector wears fur and face paint; Angry Anderson’s Ironbar has a doll’s head on a pole strapped to his back; Aunty herself is in chain mail and a blonde mane. Dean Semler shoots the desert bleached almost white and the town in amber dust and lamplight. The Thunderdome is the set piece the film is named for, and it earns the title. Edwin Hodgeman’s Dr. Dealgood works the crowd like a game-show host, spectators hang off the outside of the dome, weapons dangle from the bars, and the two fighters are strapped into harnesses that fling them up and across the cage. One is Blaster (Paul Larsson), a giant in a metal helmet. The other is Max. Richard Francis-Bruce cuts it so that we always know where both men are. We grinned through the whole thing, pleased that a series built on cars had found something this good to do without one. Tina Turner is not a subtle actor, and Aunty Entity does not need one. She stands above her town and speaks in a purr that turns to a bark, and when she asks her people who runs Bartertown and they roar the answer back, it is the film’s best moment of swagger. Gibson’s Max now talks, gets embarrassed and is funny about it; a scene of him being disarmed at the gate, handing over weapon after weapon, plays as straight comedy and works. Bruce Spence, the gyro captain of [*Mad Max 2*](https://film.one/film/mad-max-2), returns as a different man with a different aircraft and the same habit of stealing Max’s things. Then, at about the hour mark, the film walks out of Bartertown, and we will not say where it goes. We can say that the people Max meets there are younger and kinder than anyone in the first half, that they speak a chanted, half-broken English of the screenplay’s own invention, and that Helen Buday, as Savannah Nix, gives their leader a stern conviction that is the second half’s best performance. Terry Hayes and Miller have written this passage with more care than anything in Bartertown, and it stops the film dead. We felt the energy leave the film, and then something like resentment: we had been shown a world we wanted to stay in, and it had been taken away for a parable. Maurice Jarre’s score does nothing to close the gap. It is full orchestra with choir and horns, swelling at every dune, insisting on a grandeur the first two films never asked for. Turner’s song over the closing credits does more for the mood than the score manages in the rest. Against the rest of the series this is the odd one out. *Mad Max 2* (1981) was a chase with just enough story to give it a direction. This is the one where Miller tried to make a fable, and a fable needs stillness, which these films have never done well. It carries a 15 certificate and is the mildest of the three; most of the violence happens off screen or in a cage with rules. Watch the first hour closely. Watch the rest with a drink and a forgiving mind, and stay awake for the final twenty minutes, which remember what kind of film this is. It runs 107 minutes, and about seventy of them are worth your evening. *Fi1m score 65, published 19 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come down in favour, though few without a caveat. The praise gathers in the same places every time: the ruined city of Bartertown, which nearly every review treats as the film’s best idea; the Thunderdome fight, singled out as inventive and original; and Tina Turner as Aunty, who draws more comment than Gibson. The production design and practical stunts are admired throughout, and The AV Club makes a case for the film’s odd, evolving dialogue as its most memorable element. The reservations cluster on the second half, when Max falls in with the lost children and, for several critics, the story loses momentum. Others object to the softer tone and reduced violence. The spread is wide: Roger Ebert and the Los Angeles Times rank it with the best of 1985, while Slant Magazine and Den of Geek place it at the bottom of the series. Contemporary reviews are the warmest and later retrospectives cooler, though Film Stories argues time has been kind to it. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Los Angeles Times**, Michael Wilmington (90/100, inferred): Praises it as a great action movie fueled by character and a personal world, every bit as strong as its predecessors. Singles out the outrageous entertainment value, vivid acting (especially Tina Turner), and symphony of wild action sequences. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-10-ca-7815-story.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Calls it not only the best of the three Mad Max movies but one of the best films of 1985. Singles out the fully imagined post-apocalyptic world of Bartertown and the original, inventive Thunderdome fight sequence for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome-1985) - **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (75/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's strangely memorable dialogue as its strongest element in reflecting the post-apocalyptic world, noting how catchphrases and evolving language among characters create distinct societies and suggest hope for the future. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/who-run-bartertown-1798269433) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film offers cracking stunts and a more human side to Max but notes it is disjointed compared to predecessors; praises the elaborate ruined world and mythic quality. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome-review/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Richard Newby (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film charming and imaginative despite ranking it last in the franchise, praising its world-building especially Bartertown, focus on myths and legends, and Tina Turner's song while noting its more kid-friendly tone and Gibson's softened Max. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/mad-max-movies-ranked/) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (70/100, inferred): Finds it the most visually spectacular installment yet, with showier stunts, added humor, and a striking Tina Turner performance. Notes that it loses momentum in the later sections with the children and oral history elements. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/10/movies/film-gibson-in-a-mad-max-sequel.html) - **Variety** (**): Notes it opens strong with inventive elements and praises Gibson's fleshing out of Max, Tina Turner's striking performance as Aunty, and the good work from the young cast. Highlights the Thunderdome confrontation and Bartertown setting. [Read](https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome-1200426532/) - **Slant Magazine**, Robert C. Cumbow (45/100, inferred): The critic views the film as the least substantial entry, criticizing its pastiche elements, heavy borrowing, and lack of depth compared to predecessors, but praises its enthralling look and feel along with a great spirit of adventure and strong songs by Tina Turner. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-85-we-dont-need-another-hero-mad-max-beyond-thunderdome/) - **Film Stories**, Ryan Lambie (70/100, inferred): The critic argues that time has been kind to the film, which was favourably received on release but later seen as too soft and muddled; it now emerges as smarter and more subversive than its reputation suggests, thanks to Tina Turner's legendary performance and the film's strong production design and practical stunts. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome-at-40-a-sequel-ripe-for-reassessment/) - **Collider**, Dave Trumbore (C+): The critic views the film as a cautionary tale about watering down the franchise for broader appeal, criticizing its PG-13 rating, reduced violence, and focus on lost children. They single out the Thunderdome sequence and Tina Turner's performance as highlights before the story derails. [Read](https://collider.com/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome-review/) - **Digital Spy**, Ben Rawson-Jones (55/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a tonal shift toward mass appeal that largely fails to retain the anarchic energy of predecessors, with an uninvolving plot and inconsistent direction. It praises the visual splendour of the Thunderdome set piece, desert landscapes, and the poignant, uplifting self-sacrifice in the ending that reconnects Max with his humanity. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/re-viewed/a651393/re-viewed-mad-max-beyond-thunderdome-did-we-need-another-hero/) - **Den of Geek**, Joe George (45/100, inferred): The critic ranks the film lowest in the series, citing a divided tone from co-direction amid the director's grief and Hollywood trappings that make it feel watered down. It still acknowledges the enduring aesthetic, action sequences, Bartertown setting, and characters like Master Blaster as making it a worthy entry despite not matching the others. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-mad-max-and-furiosa-movies-ranked/) ## Details - **Director:** George Ogilvie, George Miller - **Director:** George Ogilvie, George Miller - **Screenplay:** George Miller, Terry Hayes - **Cinematography:** Dean Semler - **Editor:** Richard Francis-Bruce - **Music:** Maurice Jarre - **Production design:** Graham "Grace" Walker - **Costume design:** Norma Moriceau - **Producer:** George Miller - **Cast:** Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky; Tina Turner as Aunty Entity; Helen Buday as Savannah Nix; Bruce Spence as Jedediah the Pilot; Angelo Rossitto as Master; Adam Cockburn as Jedediah Jr.; Frank Thring as The Collector; Paul Larsson as Blaster - **Runtime:** 1h 47m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 8 July 1985 - **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $10 million - **Box office:** $36 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vynTmqiizog ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $4.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-19.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Mad Max 2* (1981), Fi1m 88: The chase this one keeps promising, with the same actor as a different pilot. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-2.md) - *Le Dernier Combat* (1983): Besson’s wordless French wasteland, made for nothing, with the same appetite for scrap. - *A Boy and His Dog* (1975): A meaner American desert, a talking dog and a town under the ground. - *The Blood of Heroes* (1989): Rutger Hauer plays a brutal sport in the dust; the Thunderdome as a whole film. - *Turbo Kid* (2015): A Canadian wasteland on bicycles that loves this film and shows it. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome