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Dec 31 2024

Top Ten Films & TV Shows Of 2024

2024, as with previous years, provided some wonderful and imaginative sci-fi, fantasy and horror films and TV shows, which were quite memorable. Here are the best films and TV shows that came out in 2024, many of which took everyone by surprise. Feel free to comment with your own choices.

Films

10. Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The third film in the Sonic film franchise fully embraces its video game lore with its colorful characters and their engaging backstories. As usual, Jim Carrey stole the film with his performance, as wells as Keanu Reeves who voiced the fan-favorite Shadow.

9. Late Night With the Devil

David Dastmalchian shined in this found footage horror film that took the guise of recordings from a broadcast of a 1970s late-night talk show. The film was genuinely creepy and disturbing as the show’s host, Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), cameto grips with the realization that the occult-themed episode of his show had unpleasant connections to his own life.

8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

George Miller directed one of his finest films ever with an intense origin story about the breakout character from Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy was simply perfect as the younger version of Furiosa, who navigates her way through a brutal post-apocalyptic world overrun by vicious gangs and extreme car chases throughout barren deserts. It’s a Mad Max world at its best.

7. Alien: Romulus

The Alien franchise rightfully returned to its horror roots with this entry that takes place in a claustrophobic space station swarming with alien xenomorphs hunting down the main characters. Even though a lot of the material was familiar and had callbacks to the other films, Alien: Romulus was fresh and inventive with its back-to-basics approach.

6. Nosferatu

The latest remake of the classic German silent horror film version of Dracula was genuinely creepy and disturbing. Director Robert Eggers has emerged as a true master of film horror with his version of Nosferatu that fully utilized disturbing sounds, eerie shadows, dark cinematography and an overall unsettling atmosphere that will keep you up at night.

5. Civil War

This is one of the most disturbing recent films to be released due to its subject matter of a near-future civil war in the United States and its ramifications. While the choice not to explain what caused the war and its apolitical stance may not satisfy everyone, this approach allowed director Alex Garland to focus on the cruelty and insanity of war and its impact on modern-day society. The film was also a powerful and cringe-inducing war film that ramped up intensely in the final act with a distressing, yet pulse-pounding battle in Washington, D.C.

4. A Quiet Place: Day One

The third film in the A Quiet Place franchise, was a prequel that chronicled the early days of the alien invasion that devastated the Earth and brought it to a silent standstill. The film had the smarts to introduce new characters and a new setting which was a terrifying location for the invasion: a noisy New York City that could not help but attract the deadly alien creatures that murder anyone making sounds. Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn were outstanding as two misfit survivors trying to reach the home of Nyong’o’s character while avoiding the aliens. Their personal stories were the heart of the film and set the template for future installments.

3. Deadpool & Wolverine

The fourth-wall-breaking Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) teamed up with everyone’s favorite X-Man (Hugh Jackman) in a violent and humorous road/buddy trip throughout the multiverse. As the sole film release from Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the year, Deadpool & Wolverine had a lot riding on it given the fact that recent MCU films have struggled. Fortunately, the film delivered a funny and entertaining romp that both serviced the grand MCU plotline about the multiverse and was a love letter to the now-defunct Marvel films from 20th Century Fox.

2. The Wild Robot

Arguably DreamWorks Animation’s greatest film, The Wild Robot is a heartwarming and beautifully animated adaptation of Peter Brown’s novel about a service robot in the future that was stranded on an island populated by animals that distrusted her. Over time, she gained their trust as she adopted and raised a young goose and befriended many of the animals. At the same time, the robot began to develop sentience and emotional attachments to her companions, especially her adopted child, who she must raise and protect.

The Wild Robot was surprisingly engaging with its themes of parenthood, friendship, environmentalism, and empathy. It is too bad that this will be DreamWorks Animation final in-house film since the company has proven it can deliver genuine animated classics as it did with The Wild Robot.

1. Dune, Part Two

Director Denis Villeneuve concluded his grand adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi epic novel about political and religious machinations and war in the distant future. Dune, Part Two actually adapted the second half of the novel and it was a wise decision to split the novel into two films since it allowed Villeneuve the time to fully explore the intricacies of the distinct human cultures across the universe.

While the film was wide-sweeping and bursting with glorious production values and effects, at its core, Dune, Part Two, focused on the burden of its main protagonist, Paul Atreides, who unwillingly became the messianic leader who leads the inhabitants of the desert world called Dune in a holy war. Any viewer could empathize with Paul’s struggle as he faced his destiny despite his doubts about his actions as he sought vengeance for his father’s death and freedom for his adopted people.

Dune, Part Two is a true cinematic epic that demonstrates once and for all, the validity of a solid sci-fi story being successfully adapted into a cinematic masterpiece. The film also establishes that Villeneuve is a true master of sci-fi films who has the bold vision needed to undertake such an adaptation.

Noteworthy Mentions:

Abigail; Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; Elevation; Flow; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire; IF; Inside Out 2; Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; The Substance; Transformers One; Venom: The Last Dance

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Nov 30 2024

Top Ten Unresolved MCU Plot Threads

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues and evolves, there are many plot threads introduced in various MCU projects that remain unresolved to this day. Some of them, such as the fact that a giant Celestial statue is sticking out of the Indian Ocean, will be resolved with next year’s Captain America: Brave New World, but there aren’t any indications that many others will be addressed. The following is a ranking of the most nagging or interesting MCU plot threads that remain unresolved, at least for now.

10. Mitchell Carson & the Stolen Pym Particles

A major plot thread in Ant-Man was that Hank Pym did not want his shrinking technology to fall into the wrong hands. This was about to happen in the final act of the film where Darren Cross was attempting to sell the Pym Particles to the highest bidder. During a melee to stop the sale, one of the buyers, the Hydra operative Mitchell Carson, ran off with a vial of the particles, and this was never addressed again.

Speculation: Given the demise of the Ant-Man film franchise, these questions will likely remain unresolved or turn up in an unrelated film or TV show.

9. When Will the Young Avengers Debut?

We have been teased with the Young Avengers ever since members like Ms. Marvel, Stature and Wiccan have shown up in the MCU. The superhero team was highly teased in the end of The Marvels when Ms. Marvel recruited Kate Bishop to form a team with plans to get in touch with Stature (who already debuted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). This is an exciting development for the MCU given the popularity of these characters but to date there have not been any announcements of this team actually showing up in the MCU.

Speculation: There are many rumors that the Young Avengers will headline a TV show at some point and do not be surprised if they turn up in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. But given the fact that the actors are aging in real life, what could happen is that the team will be renamed the Champions if they ever debut.

8. Magic Ned

During a pivotal moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker’s best friend Ned displayed an innate talent for magic as he was able to use Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to summon alternate versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. While this is an interesting development for Ned, who could become a sorcerer’s apprentice, it is unlikely this will ever be explored given that well, the Spider-Man film rights are held by Sony Pictures which is hell bent on pumping out films starring Spider-Man’s enemies.

Speculation: Nothing, zilch, nada. We are not even sure if Ned will appear in the next Spider-Man film.

7. Too Many Sorcerers

In a post-credits scene in Doctor Strange, the sorcerer’s former ally, Mordo, begins a quest to kill off all the sorcerers on Earth with the clear implication that Strange was a target. This plot line was ignored in the next Doctor Strange film and since the third film will likely be geared towards incursions and multiverse shenanigans, Mordo’s mission is at this point forgotten. It’s too bad since Mordo is an interesting character and a major foe for Doctor Strange in the comic books. He deserves a chance to confront Strange.

Speculation: Originally, this plot would have been resolved at the start of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where the Scarlet Witch would have killed Mordo, but this scene was scrapped. There have been no reports that the Mordo plot will be a part of the next Doctor Strange film or if Mordo will even appear.

6. The Black Knight and the Ebony Blade

In one of the post-credits scenes of Eternals, Dane Whitman was about to touch the cursed Ebony Blade which would have turned him into the Black Knight. The would-be superhero was stopped by an offscreen voice, who was Blade the Vampire Hunter. To date, no announcements have been made as to when the Black Knight will appear. Not even Kit Harrington, who portrayed Whitman, knows if his character will ever appear again in the MCU.

Speculation: Supposedly, the Black Knight was to show up in the long-delayed Blade film but since that film seems more or more unlikely to be produced it’s anyone’s guess if the Black Knight will ever appear anywhere.  

5. Will Hercules Ever Has His Revenge?

After being humiliated by Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, Zeus promised to get his revenge on the God of Thunder. He then tasked his son, Hercules, to carry out the vendetta. Hercules’ brief cameo was impressive given the comic-accurate look of the god. Unfortunately, his appearance was one of the symptoms that befell the MCU lately where multiple plot threads were introduced without any logical means to address them.

Speculation: Supposedly, Hercules will appear in the next Thor film, but it’s not known if he will be a major character or if the film will be made at all given that Marvel Studios has been cutting back on the number of films and TV shows in order to maintain the quality of their projects.

4. When Was Rhodey Replaced?

As flawed as Secret Invasion was, one interesting plot twist, well not really since it was so obvious, was that Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes was replaced by an alien Skrull. At the end of the mini-series, the real Rhodey was rescued, but we never learned when he was replaced or how many pivotal MCU events he missed. Was he abducted after his BFF Tony Stark died? We do know it had to have happened after Captain America: Civil War since he ended up paralyzed in that film and he was shown as such in Secret Invasion.

Speculation: The director of Secret Invasion revealed that Rhodey was replaced immediately following Captain America: Civil War, although this has not been confirmed by Marvel Studios. Some fans have speculated the replacement happened much later. Sadly, this dilemma will not be resolved anytime soon, since everyone wants to forget about Secret Invasion.

3. The Origin of the Ten Rings and Their Beacon

At the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the sorcerer Wong informed Shang-Chi that the otherworldly bangles he acquired from his father were very ancient and were emitting a beacon to the cosmos. But that was all he knew, and we haven’t learned to date the origin of these fantastic rings or who was being summoned. Even more baffling is that even though the film was successful, a sequel is stuck in limbo, and we won’t be getting the answers to the questions regarding the bangles for a long time.

Speculation: Supposedly, the bangles were related to Kang the Conqueror and was to have been part of the plot for the abandoned film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Maybe they will be the plot device used to summon Galactus into the MCU or Doctor Doom. Or maybe we will have the questions finally answered whenever the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ever happens.

2. The Fate of the Eternals

This is major. At the end of Eternals, about half of them were abducted by extra-terrestrial Celestials for saving Earth. Later on, those Eternals that were not abducted set off in a spaceship to find their comrades. Then the Titan, Starfox, and his friend Pip the Troll teleported to their spaceship and offered their help to find the missing Eternals. An interesting setup, but there will not be a sequel to Eternals so the cliffhanger ending to the film will not be resolved. There’s also the revelation that Starfox was Thanos’ brother which was unaddressed.

Speculation: There has been speculation that this Eternals storyline will be resolved in the next Thor film, though there are not any concrete plans for the film, as of yet. Given the cosmic nature of the Eternals, it’s possible another cosmic-themed MCU project could pick it up, perhaps a new Guardians of the Galaxy film which could incorporate a couple of the Eternals into the team.

1. What Happened to Steve Rogers?

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers went back in time and multiple dimensions to return the Infinity Stones. When he returned, he came back as an elderly man who could not continue as Captain America, and he passed his shield to Sam Wilson in order to become the new Captain America. So, what became of Rogers at that point? In the limited series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he was referred to in past tense, indicating he passed away, but one character mentioned the rumor that Steve Rogers was living on the moon. It was never made clear if he passed away and so far, he is not shown in trailers for Captain America: Brave New World. So where is Steve Rogers? What happened to him?

Speculation: Maybe Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Secret Wars so that Chris Evans could play the superhero one final time before the role is recast. Perhaps, as in the comic books, Rogers will be rejuvenated if only to help out in Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has speculated that he could return to the MCU in some fashion, though the actor has stated that there are no plans for him to reprise the role. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Notable Mentions

What Happened to the Beekeeper in WandaVision?

Who was Sonny Burch working for in Ant-Man and the Wasp?

Will the United States and Wakanda go to war against each other?

Will the Scorpion ever set out to get revenge on Spider-Man?

Is Spider-Man still framed for murdering Mysterio?

Who is working with the Power Broker/Sharon Carter?

What happened to the symbiote left behind by Venom/Eddie Brock in the MCU?

Will we ever see the remnants of the Illuminati exact revenge on Doctor Strange?

What became of President Ritson’s war on aliens on Earth?

Aug 11 2024

Top Ten Cameos & Appearances In Deadpool & Wolverine…Spoilers, DUH!

By now most fans have seen Deadpool & Wolverine and enjoyed all the cameos and appearances of the characters and actors that appeared in numerous Marvel films including the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Here is a top ten list of cameos and appearances in Deadpool & Wolverine, and as a bonus there will be a mention of cameos that never materialized in the film but should have.

Obviously, there will be major spoilers in this list for anyone who hasn’t seen the film yet (What are you waiting for? It’s the best MCU film of the year! Actually, it’s the only MCU film for the year. Spend a few bucks and see this already in theaters!).

10. Thor

Thor’s brief appearance where he cradled a dying Deadpool in archival TVA footage from the future was just repurposed footage from Thor: The Dark World with Deadpool swapping out Loki.  However, it set up a gnawing mystery that was never resolved in Deadpool & Wolverine and left us wondering if this was a scene from the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars or some other film.

9. Pyro and the Evil Mutants

It was a blast seeing many of the evil mutant characters from the Fox X-Men films, which included Pyro, Toad, Juggernaut, Azazel, Psylocke and more. For the most part they were good foes and deserved to be seen again. It was also great seeing Aaron Stanford reprising his role of Pyro again, who was a scummy as ever and one of the more developed villains.

8. Elektra

Jennifer Garner’s reprisal of the assassin may not have been wanted by those who hated the Fox Daredevil and Elektra films. Yet, her strong performance and off-color remark about Daredevil (once portrayed by Garner’s ex-husband, Ben Affleck) being killed, not only gave her character credibility, but provided some mischievous meta humor.

7. The Deadpool Corps

For a film that is about the main character jumping around the multiverse, it was only natural that he would encounter outlandish versions of himself. And this film certainly did not disappoint us. From Lady Deadpool to Kidpool, to Dogpool and Nicepool, the Deadpool variants were hysterical and imaginative. It’s guaranteed that we’ll be pausing the scenes when all the Deadpool variants appear together whenever the film hits home media.

6. The Hulk

The green giant made a quick appearance during Deadpool’s visit to a timeline where the events of The Incredible Hulk #181 (the debut appearance of Wolverine for you non-fans) were taking place. Sadly, we did not get to see the epic throwdown between Hulk and Wolverine, but it was a tantalizing tease. Maybe this can happen in Avengers: Secret Wars? We fans can only hope.

5. X-23

Having Dafne Keen reprise her role as a now-adult X-23 was an appropriate way to follow up Logan and reunited her with Hugh Jackman. The two actors have a natural chemistry and their scenes together provided Wolverine with needed emotional growth and a means to embrace his humanity. Keen was also such a kick-ass when she ripped those evil mutants apart later in the film.

4. Gambit

Channing Tatum was thisclose to having his own Gambit solo film before the project was canned during the time when Disney acquired the rights to the Fox X-Men films. It was a passion project for the actor and thankfully Deadpool & Wolverine gave him the chance to show off how awesome he would’ve been as the Cajun mutant, who was comic book-accurate down to his thick Cajun accent. Remember it!

3. Wesley Snipes as Blade!

The original Blade is back, baby! With all the behind-the-scenes headaches in trying to reboot Blade for the MCU, having Wesley Snipes return as Blade was a great surprise and a fitting tribute to the actor. After all, his films ushered in the modern Marvel films and his appearance has now sparked calls for Marvel Studios to forego the character’s recasting with Mahershala Ali and allow Snipes to reclaim the role for future MCU films.  

2. Cavillerine!

Henry Cavill’s brief appearance as Wolverine was the most unexpected cameo in the film and the best Wolverine variant to appear (though the comic book-accurate Wolverine was hysterical). Not only did it allow fans to see someone else credibly play Logan, but it was a well-deserved middle finger to Warner Bros. for the way they mistreated the actor during the entire DCEU debacle.

1. Chris Evans…as the Human Torch!

The funniest and most out-of-left-field appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine was Chris Evans who did not reprise his role as Captain America, as Deadpool and many audiences expected, but as the Human Torch from the Fox Fantastic Four films. The way he was introduced was misleading and ingenious, and a nice call back to those films. Evans’ appearance also contributed some of the best laughs in the film, especially the line by Deadpool that the actor was too expensive to keep around for too long, hence his untimely death.

The Unrealized Cameos

Given the fact that Deadpool & Wolverine deals with the multiverse, the possibilities of variant characters were endless. Unfortunately, the realities of filmmaking precluded some possible cameos and appearances, some of which were planned but never materialized.

The Avengers

Aside from archival footage at the TVA we never see the team appear, much less have them interact with Deadpool. At one point, this was supposed to happen but the logistics of gathering the actors together was too much.

Robert Downey, Jr.

He was supposed to appear in the scene were Deadpool visits the MCU timeline and tries to get a job with the Avengers. But unfortunately, the actor turned down the opportunity and then wowed us when it was revealed that he would portray Dr. Doom, later on.

Ghost Rider

Speaking of actors who turned down the chance to reprise previous Marvel roles, Nicolas Cage was asked to appear as Ghost Rider. The actor was approached with the opportunity but for reasons unknown he passed on the offer. Blame the crappy Ghost Rider films.

Spider-Man

As much fun as it would have been to have Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine the fact that the film rights of Spider-Man are owned by Sony pretty much nipped that idea. They’ll probably appear in Avengers: Secret Wars.

Alternate Castings

Tom Cruise as Iron Man? How about Daniel Radcliffe or Tom Hardy as Wolverine? Sorry, these variants do not appear in the film nor was there any indication that this was considered. But given how busy Deadpool & Wolverine with its cameos, appearances, references and Easter eggs, it is probably for the best that these additional cameos did not happen.

José Soto

Jun 23 2024

Sci-Fi Properties That Should Be In Theme Parks

Many of us will head to the theme parks this summer to enjoy abundant thrill rides and attractions that are based on beloved sci-fi properties like Star Wars, Tron, Avatar and Jurassic Park. While it seems like many sci-fi films and TV shows have been adapted into popular rides and attractions, there are actually a gold mine’s worth of material that either haven’t been done yet, are no longer available or are only available in the less visited theme parks throughout the world. Let’s explore some sci-fi properties that should be featured in more popular theme parks.

Alien/Predator

Both sci-fi/horror properties have been featured as haunted house attractions in Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, while Alien was part of the sorely missed attraction The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Although both properties don’t gel well with the standard Disney family friendly image and their current parks, they are popular IP owned by Disney and should be considered for some kind of dark ride that is geared for adults.

Back to the Future

The old Back to the Future: The Ride simulator attraction closed years ago in the Universal Studios theme parks to make way for The Simpsons. The original ride is still remembered fondly by fans of the film trilogy and ride enthusiasts. With the rumor going around that Universal may get rid of The Simpsons since that property is now owned by Disney, why not remake the original ride, but with better special effects to rival Avatar: Flight of Passage?

Battlestar Galactica

There is a roller coaster based on Battlestar Galactica in Universal Studios Singapore, but much more can be done with this property. A trackless simulator ride would work where a random ride operator accompanying the riders could be revealed to be a Cylon. Or go for a high-tech simulator ride that takes you on an epic space battle as you defend the Galactica from Cylon raiders like with Star Tours.

Doctor Who

This is what you do with a Doctor Who ride, have guests line up to enter a blue police box/phone booth which turns out to be the TARDIS! After exploring the time ship and guided by an actor playing the Doctor, guests can choose which door to go through that leads them into some kind of dark ride or walk-through attraction. The choices can lead to an adventure featuring the Daleks, the Cybermen or even the Weeping Angels. Voila!

Godzilla

At one point, the Japan pavilion in Epcot was supposedly going to have a ride based on Godzilla, but of course that never happened and is why that area is usually skipped by visitors looking for an attraction. A ride featuring the world’s most famous kaiju could be in the form of a simulator/trackless ride like Skull Island: Reign of Kong, or be more like the old Kongfrontation ride in Universal Studios with jaw-dropping giant animatronics of Godzilla himself that we can see up close.

Mad Max

This is soooo easy. Put out a motorized stunt show on a recreated barren, desert wasteland. Throw in lots of jury-rigged vehicles, including a V8 Interceptor and a War Rig, plenty of stunt driving and performers, and there you go: a Mad Max themed stunt show. Other options can be explored for a Mad Max-themed attraction. Just don’t do anything like that Fast and Furious abomination at Universal Studios.

The Matrix

Think of the awesome attraction The Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Orlando or the closed Terminator 2- 3D: Battle Across Time show. One featuring the Matrix could be a similar theater attraction could be where patrons are released from the Matrix itself and witness an epic, live-action stunt show with dazzling effects where our rescuers battle deadly Agents in a theater setting.

Planet of the Apes

Genting Skyworlds in Malaysia has a trackless ride called Invasion of the Planet of the Apes that looks pretty interesting. Some kind of deal should be made to bring the attraction to the Disney parks since Disney owns the property. Disney’s Animal Kingdom would be good spot for Invasion of the Planet of the Apes or any other ride/attraction based on the other great sci-fi franchise from the ’70s that is still popular today. After the ride, guests can go visit the gorilla exhibit at the park.

Star Trek

Those of us fortunate enough to have visited Star Trek: The Experience still have fond memories of it. Based in the Las Vegas Hilton, Star Trek: The Experience was how Galaxy’s Edge was supposed to be for Star Wars, a fully immersive mini-park/themed area that celebrated all aspects of Star Trek. The mini-land featured two attractions, one was a simulator ride that took place on a faithfully recreated Enterprise D set, while the other was a 4D movie featuring the Borg and characters from Star Trek: Voyager. Both attractions would work today with some minor upgrades or there are many options that could be utilized for Star Trek. There is so much material ranging from the original TV show through today’s Trek offerings that an entire park can be built that is solely focused on Star Trek. If only!

WALL-E

This sci-fi property based on the classic Pixar film is a no-brainer for Epcot with its environmental themes and the cute robot. WALL-E is practically tailor made for Epcot. Yet for all the IP flooding the park these days, it is a mystery as to why WALL-E isn’t included aside from a minor playground for young children. A trackless simulator ride with animatronics taking place onboard the Axiom with WALL-E trying to protect the plant he found on Earth would be more than suitable.

José Soto

Jun 4 2024

The Mad Max Films Ranked

Given the poor box office performance of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, it is likely this will be the final film in the Mad Max franchise for a good while. Hopefully, the film will have a second life on home media/streaming which could lead to the production of Mad Max: The Wastelands, which was based on background material that George Miller wrote when making Mad Max: Fury Road. In any event, for now we will only have five films in the Mad Max franchise and so it is time to rank the films. It is interesting to see how far the films have come from a low-budget independent film way back in 1979 to topnotch Hollywood-funded productions. Here we go, and be sure to leave a comment on the rankings or with your own preferences.

5. Mad Max (1979)

The first film in the Mad Max Saga is also the most unlike the typical Mad Max film we have come to expect. The near-future world of Mad Max largely resembles our own, except that it is running down as lawlessness has become more and more prevalent. Mel Gibson starred as Max Rockatansky, a police officer in the struggling Main Force Patrol (MFP), who is dedicated to maintaining order in the wild highways Down Under. It isn’t until the last fifteen minutes of the film that Max becomes the ruthless anti-hero that we know and love. The film would have been improved if Max left the MFP much sooner and his family was killed earlier on so we could have had more scenes of Gibson as Mad Max.

The fact that it takes so long for the film to get going is why it ranks last. It is a decent origin film that shows us how Max was a decent family man, but even at 90 minutes, the film drags at many places. It features a lot of the impressive car stunts and chases that George Miller improved upon in the later films and Gibson was so magnetic in his portrayal of Max, so it cannot be written off. After all, the popularity of Mad Max helped pave the way for greatness.

4. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

The first half of the third Mad Max film was quite enjoyable and captivating. Mad Max is reduced to a nomadic wanderer in the barren desert wastelands of Australia in his broken-down car that is now pulled by camels. The car is stolen by an airborne raider played by Bruce Spence, who portrayed a similar character in The Road Warrior; yes, it’s kind of confusing and a definite sign that continuity was not a strong suit for these films. Max tracks his vehicle to a settlement called Bartertown run by Aunty Entity (Tina Turner, who was surprisingly great in her role). To win his car and his freedom, Mad Max is forced to fight to the death in a gladiatorial match in Thunderdome. After he breaks the rules in the deathmatch, Max is banished to the desert and is eventually rescued by a band of young children who see him as a messianic figure.

The film suffers greatly when Max meets the young refugees from the Lord of the Flies since this storyline of Max mistaken for being their savior clashes with the Bartertown storyline. The second half of the film slows down and takes on a strangely goofy tone that belonged in an adventure film geared towards kids. Not even the derivative chase scene at the end involving a train could salvage this film, which should have been split into two different films.

3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

The world of Mad Max finally expanded beyond Max himself in this prequel that tells the story of Furiosa, the breakout character from Mad Max: Fury Road. Aside from a brief cameo, Mad Max does not appear in the film, but it still feels like a Mad Max film. The film is more sprawling and epic in scope than the average Mad Max film as it takes place across years, as Furiosa is seen developing from a young innocent girl into a vicious warrior in adulthood.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth turn in exceptional performances as Furiosa and her nemesis, Dementus. The production design and other technical aspects of the film are exceptional as is George Miller’s direction. It isn’t as good as Mad Max: Fury Road due to some questionable CG, and although it’s exciting it cannot match the desperate pace of Mad Max: Fury Road that kept us on the edge of our seats. Still, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is an exciting and great entry in the Mad Max franchise.

2. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

The first sequel to Mad Max definitely set the bar (so high) and the template for a classic Mad Max film with pulse-pounding, kinetic car chases, neo-medieval battles in the desert, Western tropes and little dialogue. The film was originally released in 1981 in Australia as Mad Max 2, then released in the United States a year later and renamed The Road Warrior. Nowadays, it is known as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, but whatever it’s called. it’s one of the best sci-fi action films of all time.

Mel Gibson reprised his role as Mad Max, the loner anti-hero who cares little for others and is only focused on surviving and getting the next tank of gas for his V8 Interceptor. He becomes a reluctant hero after meeting a group of struggling, good-hearted people in a gas refinery settlement that is besieged by ruthless raiders. The film was packed with action and rarely lets you breath as it concluded with a white-knuckle chase scene involving a gas tanker and rig driven by Max attacked by the motorized raiders. This sequence was made so memorable by its frenetic editing and a pounding score by Brian May. Simply put, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior forever established the tone for future films.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Now we come to not just the best Mad Max film, but one of the greatest action films of all time and a futuristic Western on wheels, as director George Miller describes his film. Tom Hardy takes over the role of Mad Max, who is captured by the forces of the desert despot Immorten Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), and is soon caught up in a desperate escape from Immorten’s savage society on a modified tanker with several of Immorten’s wives and Furiosa (Charlize Theron), one of Immorten’s officers who frees the wives. The extended chase scenes across the apocalyptic desert were elevated with beautiful photography, intense editing and some of the most memorable imagery seen on film.

Mad Max: Fury Road was so revered that it was actually nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and won a slew of technical Oscars, which were all well deserved. The film is much more than an action film but one that touches on several themes such as women’s rights, societal injustice and the capabilities of the disabled. It also features many unique and eccentric characters that were easily memorable such as the the vicious Immorten Joe, Nux (Nicholas Hoult), one of Immorten’s soldiers who joins Max, and of course Furiosa, who quickly becomes a co-lead in the film and earned her own film. Mad Max: Fury Road is Mad Max at its finest and is a must watch for film lovers.

José Soto