Mel Gibson as a tanker truck driver? The idea wasn’t so far-fetched back in the early 80s, since Mel was the silent, world-weary tough in leather traveling through an apocalyptic world scavenging for gas. Back then he was much busier busting speed limits with his super-charged Pursuit Special than busting ex-wives. How times have changed…
The Road Warrior was the follow up to Mel’s previous film Mad Max, made in 1979. It was a mid-budget box office smash, quickly becoming Australia’s top-grossing film of all time. It was later eclipsed by the sequel, The Road Warrior in 1981.
The Mad Max film franchise made Gibson an instant international film star. Gibson still rides the wave of fame today, although under more auspicious circumstances. His career high point remains the decade of the late 80s to the mid-90s as he starred in high grossing films like Lethal Weapon, Payback, Maverick and the huge smash (literally) of Braveheart. These days he occupies his time talking through a beaver puppet, or something. Whatever.
Anyway, in this sequence, courtesy of our buddies at 80sActionMovies.com – Max decides to help some peaceful settlers transport their storage of precious gasoline to a safer haven away from Humungus and his band of oil pirates. The semi truck is a Mack tanker outfitted with protective spikes and some arrow shooting turrets mounted on the top of the payload. The entire scene culminates in a spectacular crash that nearly kills Max (and basically the rest of the movie budget).
Have a look and enjoy this slice of pure 80s movie action, truckers!
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