After the low-budget nihilism of the original movie, director George Miller moved up a gear and the result was this violent, slick and exhilarating action thriller that accelerated star Mel Gibson's progress to superstardom. His police days now well behind him, Mel the road warrior comes to the aid of a peace-loving group that owns a valuable source of fuel and is being threatened by the voracious gangs that patrol the highways of the future. Gibson is appropriately charismatic as the introspective hero and Bruce Spence shines in a supporting role. Miller doesn't take his foot off the accelerator for a second, and the ingeniously designed and staged road action is stunning.

Max Rockatansky returns as the heroic loner who drives the dusty roads of a postapocalyptic Australian Outback in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defendants of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by the charismatic Lord Humungus, a violent leader whose scruples are as barren as the surrounding landscape.