Warner has released, at the same time as 'The Road Warrior', a letterboxed reissue of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'. 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' is the third, and some say weakest, film in the Mad Max trilogy. I, however, have found it to be exactly what it was supposed to be, a big budget showcase for a young actor that had, by then, become a huge star. 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' has plenty of action, great costumes, elaborate sets and what I consider Mel Gibson's best performance as Max. This disc transfer from Warner also reflects the top notch production values of this film.
Like both the preceeding films, 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' was shot anamorphic widescreen, making a full frame transfer more distracting than anything else. Perhaps the film's detractors will find this a better film now that they can enjoy the terrific Panavision cinematography that this very wide transfer restores. This disc has the exact same framing as 'The Road Warrior', around 2.40:1. Some (even fans of letterboxing) find Warner's practice of extreme framing on many of their scope transfers undesirable, or at least unnecessary. They may be a bit bothered by the framing here.
The quality of the transfer is first rate. I consider it a bit better than 'The Road Warrior' that has already been touted for it's quality. Colors are excellent, solid and accurate throughout. There is a bit of grain in some of the numerous dark scenes, though I find this to be common in underlit scenes and this transfer does a better job than most with shadow detail. Overall, the image is crisp and clean with very few visible video artifacts.
The soundtrack is a real treat. Dialog is always clear and intelligible, even in the presence of numerous and loud effects. Very good bass and an extemely active surround channel help make this a fun soundtrack.
'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' runs 107 minutes and contains 30 chapters. Like 'The Road Warrior', Warner as elected not to include the trailer. List price is $34.95. Recommended.
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