TheMad Maxseries began in 1979 as a low-budget Australian film that introduced the world to Mel Gibson. From there, George Miller directed two sequels,Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorandMad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which were all filmed relatively close together.
Then there was a big gap beforeMad Max: Fury Roadexploded onto movie screens in 2015 which redefined the series and moviegoing experiences as a whole.Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagamatches that energy and then some even though it is ultimately a Max-less story. So, over fifty years, what have been the best stunt performances, and do they rank up there with thebest stunts in movies? There will be spoilers for the full franchise.
10Feral Kid’s Boomerang Stunt
Not every great stunt in this series has to beattributed to cars. For example, inMad Max 2: The Road Warriorthere is a climactic scene wherein Lord Humungous is addressing the town of oil residents.
The Feral Kid crawls underneath a fence to attack them, tossing a boomerang at one of the high commanders in the raiding group, Wez. Wez dodges it which prompts them all to laugh but the Feral Kid tries again and this time sinks his boomerang into Golden Youth’s skull which is a good practical effect. It’s a good use of a boomerang playing against expectations in a movie.
9Toecutter Bites The Dust
Toecutter is the main villain ofMad Maxwho seemingly kickstarts Max into becoming the lone ranger of the wasteland throughout the series. Toecutter’s gang kills his best friend, Goose, along with Max’s wife and child.
In the final showdown, Max is chasing Toecutter’s bike down a highway in an intense, high-speed event. He begins ramming Toecutter from behind, throwing him off balance. Toecutter doesn’t see the semi-truck in front of him and then crashes. Even the truck gets damaged which is a nice addition to an already brutal mess.
8Goose Gets Cooked
Around this era of movies, two belovedlaw enforcement officersnamed Goose meet their end all too soon. Goose fromTop Gunhas a training accident, sending Tom Cruise’s Maverick character into a spiral. Then there is Max who loses his partner, Goose, when Toecutter’s gang takes him out.
In his last days, Goose has a gnarly bike crash which sends him flying into the air and into some soft reefs. He’s thankfully unhurt and is even able to drive the tow truck away with his bike only to have that flip off the road too. To add insult to injury, Toecutter’s gang then lights Goose on fire while he desperately tries to escape the wreckage.
7Get These Chains Off
Mad Max: Fury Roadis where the series turned intoserious hi-octane action. There were smaller moments that showed how well the choreography was produced though. In this scene, Max takes one of the brides hostage and tries to drink some water.
In a single moment of lapse, Furiosa tackles him and starts a series of gags involving trying to grab tools and weapons to kill each other. Nux is still chained to Max too and they do good work involving the chain in all of this like tripping Furiosa or simply dragging Nux around while he was still unconscious.
6Max Vs Blaster
That chain bit inMad Max: Fury Roadfeels like a callback toMad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The titular scene of the movie faces Blaster against Max. They are both tethered to the Thunderdome and somehow have to reach the top to get weapons.
The fight involves the two of them bouncing around and shoving each other out of the way as if they were part of a more violent circus. Except for all of the death chants from the crowd, it genuinely looks like a fun experience forlovers of extreme sportslike bungee jumping.
5Lord Humungous And Wez Get Crushed
In the climactic showdown inMad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Lord Humungous and the rest of the raiders are attacking the convoy of wasteland settlers. Out of ammo, Max needs the Feral Child to climb onto the hood of the truck to retrieve one more shotgun shell.
Once the child is within reach, Wez pops up and tries to grapple with them. Seeing no other choice, Max picks up speed with the truck and rams into Lord Humungous’ car which explodes into a million pieces. Getting that shot just right with practical effects had to be nerve-wracking.
4Siege At The Citadel
Dementus is a bit too cocky for his own good. He thinks his Biker Horde can take on the might of Immortan Joe and The Citadel, but he’s wrong. In the beginning siege at The Citadel, Dementus and his men are outmatched as cranes come from down high to repo their bikes away.
Seeing War Boys swoop down on these large rigs is a treat and it looks terrifying when they ride back up. Height in any action movie can lead to some truly dangerous stunts andFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga’suse of cranes is no different.
3Ironbar Hangs On For Dear Life
The end battle inMad Max Beyond Thunderdomeis reminiscent ofBack to the Future 3since it too usesa train in a high-speed chase. Max and the others are trying to escape Barter Town on this train-like car and Auntie’s goons are perusing them.
One of them is Ironbar who keeps trying to harm the children or deal damage to Max. In the struggle, Ironbar bends a piece of the car so that his body is dangling over the edge. He has to do a few quick body shrugs to avoid getting whacked by rocks in the environment which is fun to see. Holding onto something while on a speeding train can’t be easy.
2The War Boys On Stilts
Again,Mad Max: Fury Roadis a series of stunts as if George Miller is showing off toHollywood as a whole. There are too many action set pieces to name but another one that stands out is when the War Boys are closing in on the convoy with Max and the other women.
Some of the Wild Boys are on long stilts that bounce around as their cars are speeding in pursuit. They keep bending over the convoy to drop bombs and then bounce back to safety which looks terrifying to do. It’s Ironbar’s stunt inMad Max Beyond Thunderdomebut a bit more unhinged and on a grander scale.
1Praetorian Jack’s New War Rig
Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagadoesn’t fully outdoMad Max: Fury Roadon all levels. However, it has the best stunt in the franchise so far. In Praetorian Jack’s first run with the new War Rig, he is attacked by The Octoboss and his men. These bikers use gliders and fans to swoop around the War Rig and its accompanying convoy.
It’s some of the most experimental stunts in the entire franchise and that’s saying something. Furiosa’s stunts below the War Rig also deserve kudos during this scene. The way she has to go back and forth between problems is nerve-wracking but it makes her all the more cool. Overall, the scene is a ten out of ten. No notes.
