"Just one man can make a difference."

The Rio Theatre's Friday Late Night Movie series continues on April 25 (aka ANZAC Day) with a screening of one of the biggest action movies from one of the biggest action franchises ever, Australian filmmaker George Miller's 1981 blockbuster MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR.

This wildly successful sequel to Miller's original 1979 cult-classic MAD MAX finds Mel Gibson reprising his role as Max Rockatansky, who, after avenging the death of his wife and young son at the hands of a vicious gang leader, drives the post-apocalyptic highways of the Australian outback while fending off attacks from nomadic tribes that prey on outsiders. Falling into an encampment led by the relatively peaceful Pappagallo, Max at first schemes to steal their oil, but soon becomes the group's reluctant defender against the hulking Humungus and his ruthless marauders. With Mike Preston, Kjell Nilsson.

"Out of the countless action movies produced in the 1980s, there only a few genuine works of art; [this film] might very well be the best of that extremely rarefied company." (Antagony & Ecstasy)

"Miller's choreography of his innumerable vehicles is so extraordinary that it makes Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark look like a kid fooling with Dinky Toys." (Time Out)

"'The Road Warrior' isn't 'Citizen Kane,' but it has a lot of things -- power, speed, brains and energy -- in massive quantities and at a high degree of quality that many films can only dream of." (The Wrap)

Friday, April 25
Doors 10:30 pm | Movie 11:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Bring a friend, or maybe your best Aussie mate your best Kiwi pal and get two-for-one entry!

MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (George Miller, 1981 / 94 mins / ) Max Rockatansky returns as the heroic loner who drives the dusty roads of a postapocalyptic Australian Outback in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defendants of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by the charismatic Lord Humungus, a violent leader whose scruples are as barren as the surrounding landscape.