Does it stand the test of time? Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

I'm old enough to remember a time when we ALL liked Mel Gibson.  He was this Aussie family man who was good looking, talented and cool.  People made a point of seeing his movies.  Now?  Not so much.  I'm sorry his life took such a downturn because I still think he's a talented actor. However, he's made some REALLY bad choices in his personal life that people may not ever forgive.

So why this Mad Max and not the others?  Well the first two didn't quite have the impact on me that Thunderdome did and it's because of one thing...the kids.  When you're a kid, you like seeing other kids in movies.  This could be the only explanation for why I have fond memories of Solarbabies.  Anyone?  C'mon!  It's Jami Gertz and Jason Patric the year before The Lost Boys!  Still no?  Whatever.

The other reason for this Mad Max and not the second one, The Road Warrior, which is arguably a better flick?  TINA EFFING TURNER!  Prior to sitting down and watching the movie, all I could remember was her hair and something about the outfit she wore in the film weighing 70lbs. She's an icon but can she act?  Actually?  Yeah.  I think she did a great job in Thunderdome.  She seemed totally comfortable and totally into it.  Tina Turner is fabulous.

And the rest of the movie?  It's pretty good.  The music was good considering it was 1985 and could have been all synthesizers (ahem, Ladyhawke).  The story was fine but you'd really need to be familiar with the first two films to figure out why Australia looks the way it does.  The kids' performances were ok and as good as one would expect. I'm thinking I might revisit the first two as well since they're rolling out another sequel soon. Mmmmm, Tom Hardy as Max.  I see it.

But the best thing about this movie?  This song:

Tina Turner We Don't Need Another Hero by Celtiemama

FABULOUS!