The American magazine Variety elected “Mad Max 2: The Hunt Continues”, a 1981 film directed by George Miller and starring Mel Gibson, as the best action film in the history of cinema. The film, which is a sequel to the original 1979 film, portrays wandering ex-cop Max in a post-apocalyptic world.
After the box office success of the first film, Miller had the opportunity to invest more heavily in the second part, which presents Max wandering into a devastated future marked by the struggle for oil. According to “Variety,” the director has turned the “Mad Max” sequel into something “much bigger, scarier and cooler, grandly nihilistic,” “one of the greatest dystopian spectacles” of all time.
The film takes place in a chaotic scenario, where a war destroys and disables oil wells in Arab countries, leading to the collapse of the world, heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Max, whose wife and children were murdered by a biker gang in the previous film, finds himself immersed in an increasingly chaotic and primitive society, where gasoline is valued more than most other consumer goods. Amidst this chaos, Max helps a community protect a refinery from punk bikers.
In 2nd place on the list was 1988’s ‘Die Hard’ starring Bruce Willis, followed by the 1958 classic ‘By North by Northwest’ by director Alfred Hitchcock. The Top 5 also includes “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), the first film in the Indiana Jones saga, and “Enter the Dragon” (1973), the most famous work of star Bruce Lee. The full list, with 50 titles, also includes four 007 films and two feature films directed by James Cameron, as well as kung fu classics, samurai, westerns, blaxploitaton, science fiction and a feature film by Quentin Tarantino.
Check out Variety’s full top 50 below:
1.Mad Max 2 (1981)
2. Die Hard (1988)
3. North to Northwest (1959)
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
5. Enter the Dragon (1973)
6. Operation France (1971)
7. Matrix (1999)
8. Aliens (1986)
9. Seven Samurai (1954)
10. Bullit (1968)
11. Full Speed ​​(1994)
12.007 Against Goldfinger (1964)
13. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
14. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
15. Maximum Boil (1992)
16. Three Men at War (1966)
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
18. Ben-Hur (1959)
19. My Hate Will Be Your Inheritance (1969)
20. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
21. Fire Against Fire (1995)
22. The Wages of Fear (1953)
23. Gladiator (2000)
24. Assault on the 13th Precinct (1976)
25. United Flight 93 (2006)
26. Thrill Seekers (1991)
27. Police Story: The War on Drugs (1985)
28. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
29. Foxy Brown (1974)
30. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
31. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
32. Command to kill (1985)
33. Run Lola Run (1998)
34. Fast & Furious 5: It Takes Rio (2011)
35. The Black Pirate (1926)
36.007: Casino Royale (2006)
37. Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992)
38. Start (2010)
39. On the Corner (1971)
40. Operation Invasion (2011)
41. Night Savages (1979)
42. Faster, Pussycat! Killing! Killing! (1965)
43. The Bourne Identity (2002)
44. Day of the Jackal (1973)
45. Rambo II: The Mission (1985)
46. ​​Hero (2002)
47. Race Against Destiny (1971)
48. The Fugitive (1993)
49. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
50007: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
