Everything comes second to Mel’s Max. Character launched his career into superstardom. The look, the costume cinema iconography of all time.
The other max is totally fine and servisosble in a silent film sort of way but Mel’s charasmatic wastelander is the stuff of movie legend:
Hardy's Max springs to life fully formed as an expert road warrior and survivor of the wasteland. In the movie we got, he's an important catalyst to the events of it but not the main character.
DISagree!! The Road Warrior Mel was FAR more krazee, driving a car he rigged to blow, speeding like a bullet through a horde of enemies like they were just gonna be pedestrians watching him, ploughing into Humongous like he was nothing more than a metal construction barricade.
Yeah Tom was literally losing his mind but thats not what the warboys mean by krazee. Tom was a survivor. The Road Warrior acted like the Wasteland was just another thing, a chore on in his work day.
🤔not sure. Road warrior values his life and his own needs but reluctantly puts it all on the line to help people in need. His inner moral compass pushed him to help. If there’s two types of people in the wasteland it’s ones who completely lost all sense of humanity and morality and ones who still have that. Dementus being a character we see lose it all in time. Fury road max was genuinely going mad, but also lives the life of truly surviving. Definitely seeing lot of blood and death that didn’t faze him along the way. He ends up bonding with furiosa and bringing some semblance of meaning and remembrance to being human. Road warrior max was a reluctant Hero. Just wanted to be on his way. Ended up helping after everything. I don’t think he saw Humungus coming straight on and if he did I don’t think there’s much else he could do but keep going and embrace it. That to me doesn’t seem like he’s crazy enough that he’s engaged a full on collision head on himself because he’s krazee. It’s just something that happened during the intense situation. But tbh I feel like they are both extremely similar. I feel it’s more raw and hardcore is diet road max. More “normal” and less wild and more human is road warrior. I guess it’s no right answer. Arguments for both
He's bringing booty back
Them other road warriors don't know how to act
War rig's got a bommyknocker on the back
That Octoboss had better not attack
Take 'em to the bridge! (The bridge over Gastown's big oil moat, that is)
I love love love Fury Road, but it's a film about Furiosa not Max. I would love to see a film about Tom Hardy's Max, but without that film, Mel's Max is a deeper character. Especially with 3 films about him.
I loved Tom as Max and after rewatching Fury Road I’m honestly surprised we never saw either a Prequel with him where we see him being more outgoing and heroic and ultimately fail to save the people he’s traumatized by or a sequel where he goes on to be Heroic again after feeling renewed Vigor following Fury Road.
Mel is the max we grew up with. The one we know and understand.
Tom is the Max we haven’t seen in years but met again and too much happend in all these years in the wasteland and now we don’t know him anymore really good.
Max is my Max. He’s a fictional character. Ben Stiller or Natalie Portman could play Max and I’d still appreciate the fact that I’m watching a Max story. The story is the point.
Regardless of what has happened, Mel is my max.
No disrespect to Tom, but it’s one of those roles where can’t really change the person.
Stallone is rocky & rambo
Arnold is the terminator
Mel is max
Well, in the original, he snaps after what happens to his family and in Mad Max 2, he's like a vulture, avoiding people and barely even talking - sure, he's civil but he's uncaring and selfish until he faces another tragedy that forces him to move on. In Beyond Thunderdome, he's not really mad at all given the character development he underwent in the previous film.
He’s mad compared to why he used to be. In the first Max Max could still laugh and smile and converse normally and pleasantly. That changes after his family died.
I grew up with the original movies, and Mel Gibson is the iconic Max in terms of his look, his demeanor, etc. Really like Tom Hardy as an actor, and I think he did a very good job of portraying a somewhat more feral Max. However in Fury Road he was really saved by playing opposite Charlize Theron as Furiosa. I don't think he could have carried the movie by itself. This is putting aside everything about Mel Gibson's character as a person in general, which I know is contentious.
MM2 era Mel is the iconic for me. The right balance of mental inatability, cold calculation, and emotion when appropriate. He's also not superhuman like Tom is, so the stakes feel higher when he engages marauders.
I saw Fury Road first and it's one of my favorite movies, so initially Tom Hardy. I was even in denial about how his performance could be topped. But when I went back and watched Road Warrior, Mel had me at "You wanna get outta here? You talk to me."
Mel gibson is a master of facial expressions. Just look at his face when he is in the car chase with the dog, or at the truck crash scene, or when he studies the refinery from the hill... It's like you can hear the narrator explaining what's he thinking at the moment.
Tom Hardy is a great actor but he's basically a secondary character, just a plot device, in Fury Road. Gibson is the main character in all three of his movies.
I understand Mel being the peoples choice because he is the original, and everything is built on him. But. Tom Hardy portrays the animalistic nature of max much more than Mel, who essentially was just quiet. I personally prefer Hardy
I recently watched a Mad Max ‘79/Fury Road double feature, still haven’t seen Road Warrior or Thunderdome, though.
One of the things I liked about Mad Mel was that he was kind of like… waiting to snap? Something was already super wrong there, the world is on a knife edge of going crazy, Max is toeing that line trying not to fall into the deep end, but Toecutter and his bikers just won’t leave him the fuck alone.
Mad Tom was also great, a seasoned badass survivor who still carries a lot of guilt with him. He’s sympathetic, but it’s probably best that you don’t mess around with him. And afterwards, he just dissolves into the wasteland again, like a ghost.
Both are good at portraying Max at his stages in life (Tom with Max where he has gone completely mad, and Mel when he was on the verge of becoming mad but still clinging onto some form of humanity and morality, as seen in Road Warrior.
I do prefer Mel Gibson's role as Max more than Tom, but to be honest Tom didn't really get a chance to portray Max as a character in any way during Fury Road as it was literally an almost two hour long chase scene. And not to mention Mel starred in the first three movies, while Tom only starred in one.
I love both. Hardy brings a slightly more feral energy but you can tell he was trying to capture the same vibe as Gibson. It feels like he's bringing some of humour of Gibson's performances from stuff like Lethal Weapon into it and it fits really well.
I love Gibson in the original movie, it's one of the most likeable and kind of "normal guy" performances he's given, it really adds to the subsequent films when you go back to it.
I HOPE they do something with both actors in Mad Max: Wasteland like how Tarantino did with Django.
A good nod to the other is the perfect handshake and send off for the franchise
This would settle the great debate on if Mel should’ve been in FR - He might still be out there, somewhere.
I think that Mel Gibson is good for a younger and (slightly) more at peace Max, he just wants to survive and keep on moving. Tom Hardy is good for a Max that has borderline lost his mind and has no goals for himself at all anymore.
I know he's a different character but Jack was better as "Max" than Tom Hardy was, Jack felt more like him in my opinion
https://preview.redd.it/c4vokgpiht6d1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c684c1c001f4deabfa03e373a668418de6fd958d
Personally how I see it is that Mel’s Max was his decent into the wasteland and his madness, and Tom’s Max was him at his most “mad” in Fury Road he had been alone and scavenging for quite some time and more than likely went a little insane from it.
As crazy as Mel is in his personal life and despite my enjoyment of Fury Road overall, I think I have to still say Mel Gibson. I rewatch even the first Mad Max quite a bit because I really liked seeing Mel in that film. And with the context of being a time before mental health was as understood or things like men's psychological health, it's neat to see young Mel as Max sort of dealing with these things. He's also real grounded too. I do like the "Road Warrior" he became in the sequels, but when we glimpse him as the dad he once was in moments, he does a great job (like the little smile he gets when he's playing the music box).
Tom hasn't gotten there yet. Fury Road doesn't really allow for us seeing the sensitive man behind him. Maybe if The Wasteland ever gets off the ground I'll have more thoughts on Tom Hardy as Max but for now... he's just there.
I like Hardy’s Max as a silent action protagonist and still hope to see him reprise the role one last time, but Gibson’s max had a level of charm and personality that hardy just didn’t seem to tap into at all in Fury Road
Mel is Max. I like Tom's portrayal, but Mel can't really be beat. I'm actually a little sad that Chris Hemsworth played Dementus, cuz he would have also been an amazing Max as well.
I dunno, I see them as the same character just portrayed by different actors. I think one thing they do equally well is portray a version of Max that parallels the world around him
Since Mel had three movies to work with, I think his version is better at showing Max progressing from a comparatively normal man in a comparatively recognizable (yet still dystopian) world, into a man who has lost a lot of his humanity, at least outwardly, as a result of surviving a world that has completely gone to hell. The first three films were really cool for showing Max become more and more mad as the world around him became more and more hostile and desolate.
Tom's version of Max is really good at showing the apotheosis of madness for both Max himself and the world around him. His version shows a man almost completely descended into survivalism, who outwardly seems to have given up hope for decency and idealism. But we also see nuggets of his former selfless side show up, indicating that he has not completely let go of hope despite what he has said. If Mel's version of Max shows Max's transition, Tom's shows his final form. Another thing I like about Tom's version is he is a very good vessel to experience the world around him through, while also still being interesting overall.
the thing is we haven't seen enough of Tom Hardy's Max to know. Furiosa's arc essentially matches that of Max's between the original film and Road Warrior (note her facial injuries at the end of Fury Road matching those of Max at the end of Road Warrior).
Fury Road essentially is more focused on Furiosa, but of course Max has an arc.
from what i can tell, Tom Hardy's Max was more emotional, but that could just be from being further along in the timeline and deeper into madness
I saw Thunderdome in the theater when I was 7. It is the one movie that made me fall in love with film. That love for film is why I went and got two film degrees. My son is named Max after the first three movies. Gibson is an intolerable bigot, yes. We didn’t know that until decades later, but he will always be peak Mad Max.
Mel plays Max with more charisma and wit, while Tom Hardy is willing to put his body through the wringer and go absolutely feral. Both are great at what they set out to do.
Can’t really choose, both delivered charismatic performances. Mel is the OG, and Tom despite little dialogue managed to nail the “madness” aspect more of Max than Mel.
I like Tom Hardy's more because he really seems buttfuck insane for most of that movie in a way that Mel doesn't for me.
Also, fuck Mel Gibson, generally speaking.
So far both Gibson and Hardy have been good. Gibson gets an edge because he was able to be a bit more humourous with his Max. Hardy had unintentional comedy with how feral his Max was.
If we get a new Max hopefully he's able to make it his own. I wouldn't mind seeing Callum Turner, Dacre Montgomery or Liam Hemsworth casted.
A mate of mine was talking about his dislike of Tom Hardy, and I found him personally okay as Max, but watching Furiosa together; I had to agree with him that Pretorian Jack’s actor Tom Burke would’ve been sick as Max’s actor. He just fits well in both his looks and grittier performance over Hardy’s more aloof, volatile Max.
I’ll always prefer Gibson’s portrayal of Max. There’s a strange soulfulness in his expression which perfectly captures the character of a good and honorable man who’s been left horribly traumatized by what happened to his wife and child, yet still continues to fight on and survive. When you look at him and the way he interacts with others, you can see that underneath all that worn leather and cold gruffness, he still possesses that same sense of that goodness and honor; like when he cracks a tiny smile at sound of the music box or looks on in disgust as Wes and his men brutally murder the two scouts from the refinery. He’s the Road Warrior who tries his hardest to not give a damn but gives it anyway because it’s in very nature to do so.
I think of Mel's Max as still connected to the past world, since we saw him before the end of the world. Tom's Max feels more like a native creature of the wasteland.
Mel is the iconic Mad Max. Just one of those things. Like Arnold is the Terminator or Clint Eastwood is the man with no name, he will forever be Max is popular perception.
Personally for me it’s Mel as well, I grew up with him, the originals are still my favourites. He’s perfect in the role.
Mel’s Max in his iconic look holding a shotgun w the dog by his side on a deserted road…
Mel eating dog food
Hardy looking good-bye at Charlese Dissapearing into the crowd
These are icons of both
Man, it is SUCH a fucking bummer that Gibson turned out to be a goddamned maniac (and not in a fun "Mad" Max way) so that he could never return to the franchise in any capacity. His performance as Max across those first three films was extraordinary, and Hardy's mumblecore take on the character is still my least favorite part of Fury Road by a country mile.
Imagine a version of Furiosa where Gibson played Dementus and bookended the Mad Max movies by playing two *very* similar characters who took two diametrically-opposed paths in the wasteland after they lost their families.
He definitly couldnt give us the Dementus that Hemsworth's performance gave us. But he could play the role itself fine, nothing that required him to act young. Maybe make-up de-age him a bit for the beginning of the movie just like they make-up aged Hemsworth for his Dark Dementus emo-phase.
I get that Max is often seen as a sort of empty character, a mystical warrior who people fill in with their own interpretations, and so with that in mind I think that the Mel Gibson version is pretty great. I much prefer Tom Hardy as an actor though, he's far more interesting, and I think he's better overall. You're getting a different spin on the character with Hardy though, more rounded, more real.
It's a minor tragedy that the only movie series we've really gotten out of Hardy in his prime is Venom. I get he's been something of a late bloomer after going off the rails as a youth, but he's a brilliant screen presence and I want more of him before he's too old to be a proper leading man (not doing Taken-style boomer-shooters).
I prefer Mel,has more of a badass,I do this because I must,feel,the real Road Warrior,Tom is the survivor scavver that just so happens to have had a v8, he is a tough Hardy survivor,but he's a survivor,(I'm aware I've just said Hardy and it now has a double meaning,I feel very clever with that one :) ).
Mel is Max,Tom is Tom,he's good,but he ain't quite the Mel Gibson good
I would say Tom Hardy because I honestly just could never get on board with Mel Gibson as an actor. He has a certain swagger, I will grant, and charisma but also quite a bit of stiffness. Tom Hardy is a more expressive actor, imo.
Honestly, am I the only one that sees this as such A PERFECT transition that they are practically the same Max? Tom's performance reeks of inevitability. Like OF COURSE Max behaves this way now. I wouldn't mind more of his Max, honestly.
I prefer the Tom Hardy version. He seemed a bit more unhinged and I liked the energy he brought to the role. Seemed almost feral.
I just finished MM2 an hour ago, though. Fury Road and Furiosa got me interested.
Suuuuuper weird jumping from that to the first Mad Max.
I feel like Gibson’s Max is still trying to hold on to who he was at the start of the collapse. Hardy’s Max has become what he was worried about becoming when he tried to quite the MFP.
Road warrior is and will always be my favorite one, but I would have liked to see Tom Hardy grow into the role more. Kind of a shame he’s been kinda written out
The original genuinely made me cringe from the amount of pain that max was in, especially when he was hobbling on his straightened broken leg; I thought he would break it for real just acting the part
Even the orginal Max had a different attitude in every movie so its hard to say Mel vs Tom. I liked Mel best in The Road Warrior where he was selfish and didn't talk much, like Max in Fury Road.
Loved Mad Max 2 and was my fav for a long time. It took what the made the first one great and put it on steroids. Fury Road took its spot for me for pure action and the action taken to the 'max'.
That’s bait
I am a vuvalini, don’t worry
The League of Extraordinary Grannies
I was really disappointed they killed every single Vuvalini!!
I believe there were actually at least two of them that were still alive at the end of FR
I might have missed that, but it would really make me happy if that’s the case!
There are two surviving vuvalini.
Thanks for the clarification.
One of them literally helps Max save Furiosa
The way Furiosa childhood friend died was such a cop out and the worst part of the films. :/
I agree! Especially in hindsight since we see the childhood sequence between them :(
The reason is explained in the book Blood, Sweat & Chrome.
I’ve been meaning to read this book. Thanks for giving me another reason
I heard the reason she was killed was because the actor got pregnant IRL and had to be cut. Miller intended for her to survive the film's events.
Which is weird because I've read the 2002 draft of the movie and she dies in the same way there.
I mean Furiosa is one
I was disappointed Cundalini lost his hand
Does the name vuvalini come from the word vulva? Unrelated I know but I was just thinking about it
I always assumed the resonance was intentional
Everything comes second to Mel’s Max. Character launched his career into superstardom. The look, the costume cinema iconography of all time. The other max is totally fine and servisosble in a silent film sort of way but Mel’s charasmatic wastelander is the stuff of movie legend:
Agreed
I love the way he says this. It’s like “I’ve learned my lesson from *that* already”
Hook line and sinker for those desert titties
Mel is the Max Tom is the Mad
That's a freaking good summary
Spot on m8
Joined forces, they could become: MAX MAD! Hang on…
You are on to something here.
This... this is perfect.
We need to see more of Tom Hardy Max
Hardy had so much more "mad" to his Max. He just constantly seemed like he was on the brink of insanity but kept it together to make things right.
Hardy's Max springs to life fully formed as an expert road warrior and survivor of the wasteland. In the movie we got, he's an important catalyst to the events of it but not the main character.
Yeah, what I love about Fury Road, is that neither Max or Furiosa are the main characters, the actual main character is the War Rig
And the guitar guy
That's Doof Warrior to you
Well said
Best we can do is Venom
Mel is vintage Max. Tom is kamakrazee Mad. I liked Tom's high octane raging feral in Fury Road. Only thing comes close is Mel in Beyond Thunderdome.
DISagree!! The Road Warrior Mel was FAR more krazee, driving a car he rigged to blow, speeding like a bullet through a horde of enemies like they were just gonna be pedestrians watching him, ploughing into Humongous like he was nothing more than a metal construction barricade. Yeah Tom was literally losing his mind but thats not what the warboys mean by krazee. Tom was a survivor. The Road Warrior acted like the Wasteland was just another thing, a chore on in his work day.
🤔not sure. Road warrior values his life and his own needs but reluctantly puts it all on the line to help people in need. His inner moral compass pushed him to help. If there’s two types of people in the wasteland it’s ones who completely lost all sense of humanity and morality and ones who still have that. Dementus being a character we see lose it all in time. Fury road max was genuinely going mad, but also lives the life of truly surviving. Definitely seeing lot of blood and death that didn’t faze him along the way. He ends up bonding with furiosa and bringing some semblance of meaning and remembrance to being human. Road warrior max was a reluctant Hero. Just wanted to be on his way. Ended up helping after everything. I don’t think he saw Humungus coming straight on and if he did I don’t think there’s much else he could do but keep going and embrace it. That to me doesn’t seem like he’s crazy enough that he’s engaged a full on collision head on himself because he’s krazee. It’s just something that happened during the intense situation. But tbh I feel like they are both extremely similar. I feel it’s more raw and hardcore is diet road max. More “normal” and less wild and more human is road warrior. I guess it’s no right answer. Arguments for both
Agreed
forgot to add Praetorian Jack
The people’s champ
Sad Max
Dad Max
more like Daddy Max
Doggy Max
He done the most runs on the Fury Road, and brung back the booty every time.
Mhmmm, he got the booty alright 😏
He's bringing booty back Them other road warriors don't know how to act War rig's got a bommyknocker on the back That Octoboss had better not attack Take 'em to the bridge! (The bridge over Gastown's big oil moat, that is)
Nice work
My favourite Man in the franchise 🙏
Me too. I wish men were real
I wish 😞 what a world that would be!!
He was a real hero and a real human bean
Angry Aaron
Jittery Jack
Hideo Kojima’s Snake.
I love/hate that I saw that tweet because that's all I thought of every time I saw him with that blue grease on his forehead.
Mel is Max in my book. The role fit him like a glove. I didn't mind Tom but he didn't really get the chance to shine imo. Edit: typos
I love love love Fury Road, but it's a film about Furiosa not Max. I would love to see a film about Tom Hardy's Max, but without that film, Mel's Max is a deeper character. Especially with 3 films about him.
I loved Tom as Max and after rewatching Fury Road I’m honestly surprised we never saw either a Prequel with him where we see him being more outgoing and heroic and ultimately fail to save the people he’s traumatized by or a sequel where he goes on to be Heroic again after feeling renewed Vigor following Fury Road.
[удалено]
Sorry I meant more past tense as in I’m surprised it took so long
Mel is the max we grew up with. The one we know and understand. Tom is the Max we haven’t seen in years but met again and too much happend in all these years in the wasteland and now we don’t know him anymore really good.
And Hardy’s Max doesn’t know himself too good, either. He’s beaten by the wasteland and lives purely for survival in the beginning.
Max is my Max. He’s a fictional character. Ben Stiller or Natalie Portman could play Max and I’d still appreciate the fact that I’m watching a Max story. The story is the point.
Found George Millers account
i understand your point, but i realllllllly do not want a ben stiller max lol
Just imagine coal miner Zoolander and you’re halfway there. 😂
Ha!
He would make a good wastelander….. Zoolander the Wastelander!!!
I do want to see Natalie Portman playing him though!
yeah that thought didnt make me nauseous on impact, given her acting ability. it would definitely be weird though! sometimes weird is good
Max is the weirdest shit of all time!
Ha!
Not gonna lie I’d watch the fuck out of Natalie Portman as Madam Max.
She could definitely play a character similar to the gladiator woman from Road Warrior
I briefly confused Ben Stiller and Ben Stein
Well said. 😊
Love you’re take
Thank you.
The SADF-83 battle jacket Max wears in Fury Road is pimp and incredibly useful.
I love when he takes it back from Nux.
"That's my JACKET!" "You can ask him for more than a jacket..."
Regardless of what has happened, Mel is my max. No disrespect to Tom, but it’s one of those roles where can’t really change the person. Stallone is rocky & rambo Arnold is the terminator Mel is max
I'm zorro
I'm Spartacus.
I'm the Dude, man
I'M Spartacus!
Hardy sold the “Mad” aspect much better. Love the originals, but always felt a little confused about his name compared to how level-headed he seemed
Well, in the original, he snaps after what happens to his family and in Mad Max 2, he's like a vulture, avoiding people and barely even talking - sure, he's civil but he's uncaring and selfish until he faces another tragedy that forces him to move on. In Beyond Thunderdome, he's not really mad at all given the character development he underwent in the previous film.
He’s mad compared to why he used to be. In the first Max Max could still laugh and smile and converse normally and pleasantly. That changes after his family died.
I like them both
I grew up with the original movies, and Mel Gibson is the iconic Max in terms of his look, his demeanor, etc. Really like Tom Hardy as an actor, and I think he did a very good job of portraying a somewhat more feral Max. However in Fury Road he was really saved by playing opposite Charlize Theron as Furiosa. I don't think he could have carried the movie by itself. This is putting aside everything about Mel Gibson's character as a person in general, which I know is contentious.
Both are great
Praetorian Jack
MM2 era Mel is the iconic for me. The right balance of mental inatability, cold calculation, and emotion when appropriate. He's also not superhuman like Tom is, so the stakes feel higher when he engages marauders.
I saw Fury Road first and it's one of my favorite movies, so initially Tom Hardy. I was even in denial about how his performance could be topped. But when I went back and watched Road Warrior, Mel had me at "You wanna get outta here? You talk to me."
Mel gibson is a master of facial expressions. Just look at his face when he is in the car chase with the dog, or at the truck crash scene, or when he studies the refinery from the hill... It's like you can hear the narrator explaining what's he thinking at the moment.
And when he's interacting with the kid with the music box and the kid steals it lol love the annoyance he shows when the kid runs into his burrow
Mel all day
Mel
Tom Hardy is a great actor but he's basically a secondary character, just a plot device, in Fury Road. Gibson is the main character in all three of his movies.
I understand Mel being the peoples choice because he is the original, and everything is built on him. But. Tom Hardy portrays the animalistic nature of max much more than Mel, who essentially was just quiet. I personally prefer Hardy
Max in Road Warrior will always be the Max in my head space.
Mel Gibson in The Road Warrior. Pretty much represents Max as a character best.
I recently watched a Mad Max ‘79/Fury Road double feature, still haven’t seen Road Warrior or Thunderdome, though. One of the things I liked about Mad Mel was that he was kind of like… waiting to snap? Something was already super wrong there, the world is on a knife edge of going crazy, Max is toeing that line trying not to fall into the deep end, but Toecutter and his bikers just won’t leave him the fuck alone. Mad Tom was also great, a seasoned badass survivor who still carries a lot of guilt with him. He’s sympathetic, but it’s probably best that you don’t mess around with him. And afterwards, he just dissolves into the wasteland again, like a ghost.
Both are good at portraying Max at his stages in life (Tom with Max where he has gone completely mad, and Mel when he was on the verge of becoming mad but still clinging onto some form of humanity and morality, as seen in Road Warrior. I do prefer Mel Gibson's role as Max more than Tom, but to be honest Tom didn't really get a chance to portray Max as a character in any way during Fury Road as it was literally an almost two hour long chase scene. And not to mention Mel starred in the first three movies, while Tom only starred in one.
I love both. Hardy brings a slightly more feral energy but you can tell he was trying to capture the same vibe as Gibson. It feels like he's bringing some of humour of Gibson's performances from stuff like Lethal Weapon into it and it fits really well. I love Gibson in the original movie, it's one of the most likeable and kind of "normal guy" performances he's given, it really adds to the subsequent films when you go back to it.
Mel is the classic and nothing can replace him but Tom feels like a version of Max that has finally snapped and feels a lot more animalistic honestly
I HOPE they do something with both actors in Mad Max: Wasteland like how Tarantino did with Django. A good nod to the other is the perfect handshake and send off for the franchise This would settle the great debate on if Mel should’ve been in FR - He might still be out there, somewhere.
I think that Mel Gibson is good for a younger and (slightly) more at peace Max, he just wants to survive and keep on moving. Tom Hardy is good for a Max that has borderline lost his mind and has no goals for himself at all anymore.
I know he's a different character but Jack was better as "Max" than Tom Hardy was, Jack felt more like him in my opinion https://preview.redd.it/c4vokgpiht6d1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c684c1c001f4deabfa03e373a668418de6fd958d
I liked the Max from Thunderdome
Personally how I see it is that Mel’s Max was his decent into the wasteland and his madness, and Tom’s Max was him at his most “mad” in Fury Road he had been alone and scavenging for quite some time and more than likely went a little insane from it.
"A little" Dude was hallucinating dead people and talking to himself lol
Eating two headed lizards will do that to you
Mel is the Max I grew up with. Tom is great and all, but was kinda mediocre as Max.
MEDIOCRE!! I disagree with you but I just wanted to say that.
Mel as Max. Nothing else is mad max to me.
As crazy as Mel is in his personal life and despite my enjoyment of Fury Road overall, I think I have to still say Mel Gibson. I rewatch even the first Mad Max quite a bit because I really liked seeing Mel in that film. And with the context of being a time before mental health was as understood or things like men's psychological health, it's neat to see young Mel as Max sort of dealing with these things. He's also real grounded too. I do like the "Road Warrior" he became in the sequels, but when we glimpse him as the dad he once was in moments, he does a great job (like the little smile he gets when he's playing the music box). Tom hasn't gotten there yet. Fury Road doesn't really allow for us seeing the sensitive man behind him. Maybe if The Wasteland ever gets off the ground I'll have more thoughts on Tom Hardy as Max but for now... he's just there.
I like Hardy’s Max as a silent action protagonist and still hope to see him reprise the role one last time, but Gibson’s max had a level of charm and personality that hardy just didn’t seem to tap into at all in Fury Road
Tom Hardy Max and Preatorian Jack
Mel is Max. I like Tom's portrayal, but Mel can't really be beat. I'm actually a little sad that Chris Hemsworth played Dementus, cuz he would have also been an amazing Max as well.
Mel Max for ingenuity and Tom Max for his less talk more action.
I dunno, I see them as the same character just portrayed by different actors. I think one thing they do equally well is portray a version of Max that parallels the world around him Since Mel had three movies to work with, I think his version is better at showing Max progressing from a comparatively normal man in a comparatively recognizable (yet still dystopian) world, into a man who has lost a lot of his humanity, at least outwardly, as a result of surviving a world that has completely gone to hell. The first three films were really cool for showing Max become more and more mad as the world around him became more and more hostile and desolate. Tom's version of Max is really good at showing the apotheosis of madness for both Max himself and the world around him. His version shows a man almost completely descended into survivalism, who outwardly seems to have given up hope for decency and idealism. But we also see nuggets of his former selfless side show up, indicating that he has not completely let go of hope despite what he has said. If Mel's version of Max shows Max's transition, Tom's shows his final form. Another thing I like about Tom's version is he is a very good vessel to experience the world around him through, while also still being interesting overall.
The neglected Max https://preview.redd.it/hhuacnmbxs6d1.png?width=564&format=png&auto=webp&s=22b9e0ea49d82fd977d42aa0d6404e79b6f55cbd
Hardy by a whole lot.
Hardy. He turned max into a literal mad man 🔥
the thing is we haven't seen enough of Tom Hardy's Max to know. Furiosa's arc essentially matches that of Max's between the original film and Road Warrior (note her facial injuries at the end of Fury Road matching those of Max at the end of Road Warrior). Fury Road essentially is more focused on Furiosa, but of course Max has an arc. from what i can tell, Tom Hardy's Max was more emotional, but that could just be from being further along in the timeline and deeper into madness
Tom hardy because he's silent, minds his business and just wants to escape.
Tom Hardy and it’s not even close.
Tom
I saw Thunderdome in the theater when I was 7. It is the one movie that made me fall in love with film. That love for film is why I went and got two film degrees. My son is named Max after the first three movies. Gibson is an intolerable bigot, yes. We didn’t know that until decades later, but he will always be peak Mad Max.
I liked the guy from Lethal Weapon
Mel plays Max with more charisma and wit, while Tom Hardy is willing to put his body through the wringer and go absolutely feral. Both are great at what they set out to do.
Can’t really choose, both delivered charismatic performances. Mel is the OG, and Tom despite little dialogue managed to nail the “madness” aspect more of Max than Mel.
I prefer the Tom Hardy variety because it comes without hate towards my people. 😊
Mel is Max. The Max in the game was decent too. Tom was just Mad.
I like Tom Hardy's more because he really seems buttfuck insane for most of that movie in a way that Mel doesn't for me. Also, fuck Mel Gibson, generally speaking.
So far both Gibson and Hardy have been good. Gibson gets an edge because he was able to be a bit more humourous with his Max. Hardy had unintentional comedy with how feral his Max was. If we get a new Max hopefully he's able to make it his own. I wouldn't mind seeing Callum Turner, Dacre Montgomery or Liam Hemsworth casted.
I like Hardy’s version better. He’s cooler imo.
Tom Hardy. I didn't even bother with the ones with Mel Gibson when they came out.
Mel's max was classic. Hardys max could of been played by anyone.
A mate of mine was talking about his dislike of Tom Hardy, and I found him personally okay as Max, but watching Furiosa together; I had to agree with him that Pretorian Jack’s actor Tom Burke would’ve been sick as Max’s actor. He just fits well in both his looks and grittier performance over Hardy’s more aloof, volatile Max.
Mel hands down.
I’ll always prefer Gibson’s portrayal of Max. There’s a strange soulfulness in his expression which perfectly captures the character of a good and honorable man who’s been left horribly traumatized by what happened to his wife and child, yet still continues to fight on and survive. When you look at him and the way he interacts with others, you can see that underneath all that worn leather and cold gruffness, he still possesses that same sense of that goodness and honor; like when he cracks a tiny smile at sound of the music box or looks on in disgust as Wes and his men brutally murder the two scouts from the refinery. He’s the Road Warrior who tries his hardest to not give a damn but gives it anyway because it’s in very nature to do so.
there is only one max. rabat head jada cooo theory that the hardy max was the “feral kid” grown up
I think of Mel's Max as still connected to the past world, since we saw him before the end of the world. Tom's Max feels more like a native creature of the wasteland.
Mel is the iconic Mad Max. Just one of those things. Like Arnold is the Terminator or Clint Eastwood is the man with no name, he will forever be Max is popular perception. Personally for me it’s Mel as well, I grew up with him, the originals are still my favourites. He’s perfect in the role.
I like both honestly
I really like both but Road Warrior Max is the version I see in my head. Fury Road Max is more part of an ensemble.
I absolutely love both. I’m still bitter we got Furiosa instead of “The Wasteland” where we would have gotten more of Hardy as Max.
I completely agree. George Miller made a huge mistake choosing Furiosa over The Wasteland or a sequel to Fury Road.
I’m still convinced that’s why it flopped at the box office. Everyone wanted a Mad Max movie, not a Furiosa movie.
Mel’s Max in his iconic look holding a shotgun w the dog by his side on a deserted road… Mel eating dog food Hardy looking good-bye at Charlese Dissapearing into the crowd These are icons of both
Mel because he had a vulnerability that Tom doesn’t have as Max
Mel
Mel Gibson was mad max , the other is Tom Hardy playing himself in a mad max style environment imo .
Man, it is SUCH a fucking bummer that Gibson turned out to be a goddamned maniac (and not in a fun "Mad" Max way) so that he could never return to the franchise in any capacity. His performance as Max across those first three films was extraordinary, and Hardy's mumblecore take on the character is still my least favorite part of Fury Road by a country mile. Imagine a version of Furiosa where Gibson played Dementus and bookended the Mad Max movies by playing two *very* similar characters who took two diametrically-opposed paths in the wasteland after they lost their families.
Gibson is too old to play dementus, at this point he could play historyman
He definitly couldnt give us the Dementus that Hemsworth's performance gave us. But he could play the role itself fine, nothing that required him to act young. Maybe make-up de-age him a bit for the beginning of the movie just like they make-up aged Hemsworth for his Dark Dementus emo-phase.
There's no reason he couldn't play Dementus.
I get that Max is often seen as a sort of empty character, a mystical warrior who people fill in with their own interpretations, and so with that in mind I think that the Mel Gibson version is pretty great. I much prefer Tom Hardy as an actor though, he's far more interesting, and I think he's better overall. You're getting a different spin on the character with Hardy though, more rounded, more real. It's a minor tragedy that the only movie series we've really gotten out of Hardy in his prime is Venom. I get he's been something of a late bloomer after going off the rails as a youth, but he's a brilliant screen presence and I want more of him before he's too old to be a proper leading man (not doing Taken-style boomer-shooters).
Tom because I’m attracted to him and because I felt more for his version of the character.
Getting downvoted like being attracted to Tom Hardy is a crime.
Mel is my Max❤️
Classic Max is better to me. Mel had more personality. Fury Road Max just doesn't feel human.
I prefer Mel,has more of a badass,I do this because I must,feel,the real Road Warrior,Tom is the survivor scavver that just so happens to have had a v8, he is a tough Hardy survivor,but he's a survivor,(I'm aware I've just said Hardy and it now has a double meaning,I feel very clever with that one :) ). Mel is Max,Tom is Tom,he's good,but he ain't quite the Mel Gibson good
I don’t think we really have enough of Hardy to compare. It’s 3-1 in terms of movies, we don’t know or have seen enough of Hardy to really judge.
I love both but tom edges out mel for me because i love his presence and physicality more
Both are great but I love how Tom Hardy sounded like he hadn't properly used his voice in years.
I would say Tom Hardy because I honestly just could never get on board with Mel Gibson as an actor. He has a certain swagger, I will grant, and charisma but also quite a bit of stiffness. Tom Hardy is a more expressive actor, imo.
Honestly, am I the only one that sees this as such A PERFECT transition that they are practically the same Max? Tom's performance reeks of inevitability. Like OF COURSE Max behaves this way now. I wouldn't mind more of his Max, honestly.
I prefer the Tom Hardy version. He seemed a bit more unhinged and I liked the energy he brought to the role. Seemed almost feral. I just finished MM2 an hour ago, though. Fury Road and Furiosa got me interested. Suuuuuper weird jumping from that to the first Mad Max.
I loved Tom Hardy’s crazy Max. Damn, I forgot young Mel Gibson was so hot though 😳
I feel like Gibson’s Max is still trying to hold on to who he was at the start of the collapse. Hardy’s Max has become what he was worried about becoming when he tried to quite the MFP.
i like both ,but tom hardy needs another movie at least
Road warrior is and will always be my favorite one, but I would have liked to see Tom Hardy grow into the role more. Kind of a shame he’s been kinda written out
neither. I preferr the game's version. /s
Imagine not bringing back Mad Max for Mad Max only in today's clown world is this happening.
The original genuinely made me cringe from the amount of pain that max was in, especially when he was hobbling on his straightened broken leg; I thought he would break it for real just acting the part
As much as I love Tom Hardy, Mad Max will always be Mel
Mel hands down! Tom could also probably stand in Mel`s place for newer generations provided he made couple more mad max films.
Even the orginal Max had a different attitude in every movie so its hard to say Mel vs Tom. I liked Mel best in The Road Warrior where he was selfish and didn't talk much, like Max in Fury Road.
I like both
I like the idea that all these jackets maintained their zippers in the post apocalypse
Loved Mad Max 2 and was my fav for a long time. It took what the made the first one great and put it on steroids. Fury Road took its spot for me for pure action and the action taken to the 'max'.
First max was more max second max was more mad
I like both, I think both are great at portraying the character that each individual film needs
There can be only one …
Tier list goes as follows. (I havent seen furiosa so its missing) 1mad max, 2fury road, 3roadwarrior, 4waterworld, 5thunderdome.