Watching the three Mad Max movies in such quick succession, I can’t help but notice how the franchise spun further and further out of control with each entry. The first film was basically a vigilante western set in some vague “near future” setting. The storytelling of Mad Max was hardly revolutionary, but it was still a fun bit of violent schlock. Then came The Road Warrior, in which the label of “post-apocalyptic” finally meant something. Max became the unwilling savior of a tribe that wanted to take their resources and build a better utopia. This story was even flimsier than its prequel, but at least it was something.

This progression leads us to Beyond Thunderdome, which has absolutely zero plot at all. The film is simply Max stumbling from one scene to the next, reacting to whatever he comes across. There is no logic, character development, pacing, or purpose to be found in this movie.

And forget about continuity. The gasoline crisis so vital to the last film’s plot is absolutely nowhere to be found here. In fact, none of the events or characters of the last two films have any bearing on the narrative in this go-round. How bad is the continuity? Bruce Spence plays an annoying and untrustworthy comic relief in both movies, each with his own flying machine… and they’re clearly different characters. I can only conclude that each of these three films took place in their own separate universes.

Still, the franchise has been consistent in one regard: Its sterling production design. There’s no denying that the design of this movie is very good, though I think it finally got too good for the series’ own well-being. The second film got it just right, with costumes, settings, and props all made out of recognizable scraps. This aesthetic brought home the point that this was a world not too far removed from our own, it gave the film an unmistakably post-apocalyptic vibe, and it was endearing in a tragic sort of way to see these survivors rebuild their world into a pale imitation of what it once was.

By comparison, the third film has precious few items that might be recognizable in the here and now. This world has its own fashions and materials that aren’t recognizable to the audience. This creates an emotional disconnect, in which the characters and cities may as well be part of an alien species for how much they have in common with us. Of course, it doesn’t help that the characters are all scarcely defined and impossible to relate to anyway.

But where the third movie really suffers is in the car stunts. Car chase scenes were the bread and butter of the last two films, yet they’re close to non-existent here. The societies of the last two films revolved almost entirely around motor vehicles, yet this movie features close to none of them until the climax. And by that point, the villains have pretty much entirely lost. As such, the sudden car chase at the climax feels tacked on for the purpose of adding another 20 minutes to the screen time. It also doesn’t help that this movie’s car chase scene isn’t remotely as bloody or destructive as its forebears. It’s patently obvious that this movie was PG-13, and fuck if I know why the filmmakers went and made a PG-13 sequel to two R-rated movies.

However, for all my griping about this movie, I will grant that it has one thing that made its predecessors enjoyable: Mindless, creative, juvenile fun. After all, this movie has such memorable features as the pigshit-powered city, the bizarre team of Master Blaster, and of course, the Thunderdome. Hell, the Thunderdome is only featured in one scene, yet that fight scene is so wonderfully done and larger than life that it’s easily the most memorable part of the film.

When all is said and done, I just don’t think the Mad Max franchise is for me. I can understand the appeal, but the lack of consistency in the three movies goes completely counter to what I expect from a franchise. Beyond Thunderdome is especially beset by lazy storytelling and action that falls far below the standard of its predecessors, even though it had a few good ideas all its own.

There’s been talk lately of a fourth movie going forward without Mel Gibson. In response, I would say “Eh, why not?” After all, Mel Gibson and his character could have been taken out of this third film completely, then replaced by any other actor playing any other generic badass, and the movie wouldn’t have been the slightest bit different for it. There aren’t any other characters, settings, or backstories that are especially relevant to the series. Hell, even the car chases have become an afterthought by this point.

This is a franchise without any identity of its own, save only for a vague post-apocalyptic setting. They can continue the series or leave it alone, and I don’t much care which.