I'm so on board with this movie in theory, but having seen it twice now, it just doesn't jazz me like I want it to. An action movie doesn't have to be cerebral or even substantial for me to have a good time watching it; however, Mad Max feels just a little too cheap 70's exploitation for it to be anything more than "okay." The terrific story (conceptually, it's SO well-rounded, which makes its execution even more disappointing), the solid action sequences, and Mel Gibson giving way more of an acting damn than the material deserves sadly can't force me to overlook the sketchy writing, the annoyingly campy villains, and the weirdly muted, kind of monotonous tone the film seems stuck in. I'm hoping The Road Warrior is awesome and this one was just effectively retconned into an action classic.