Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

  It's been a long time since I've seen this movie all the way through.  The first half is still the best half but it's much more cohesive than I remember it being.

Max (Mel Gibson) gets jacked in the desert and goes to Bartertown in order to find the thief.  Bartertown, as the name implies, is all about trade and without any goods to his name, Max finds himself turned away at the door.  Fortunately, he has a particular set of skills that are valuable to the right party.  Aunty (Tina Turner) is the figurative head of Bartertown but finds her power undermined by Master (Angelo Rossitto) and Blaster (Paul Larsson), who provide the fuel on which Bartertown runs.  She wants Max to kill Blaster in the Thunderdome but his principles intervene, causing him to be exiled into the desert.  He is rescued by a group of children abandoned since the apocalypse.  They believe Max is their savior, come to reunite them with the rest of their group.  He, of course, knows better but finds himself stuck trying to secure them a better future.

This is certainly the biggest budget of the three original films.  The sets are bigger, costumes more elaborate, and cinematography more impressive.  Tina Turner is surprisingly good in this.  She's incredibly charismatic and believable as the crafty queen of this struggling city.  The group of kids is where this all falls apart.  They are exceptionally annoying and whiny.

I didn't remember the action looping back around to Bartertown from the exile, nor did I recall the train sequence.  The latter is surprising, since it is a great third act climax.  Overall, this is a worthy sequel but it pales in comparison to its predecessor.