Over the span of four decades, George Miller has amassed a truly bizarre filmography, albeit one that generally maintains a respectable level of quality. The Australian filmmaker arrived on the scene with 1979’sMad Max, a post-apocalyptic thriller that launched both Miller’s and Mel Gibson’s careers.
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Since then, Miller has directed action-driven epics, family-friendly animated films, a horror short, and a movie about a pig visiting the big city. Miller is nothing if not versatile, even if the filmmaker tends to be mostly associated with theMad Maxfranchise. When Miller is on his game, there are few directors who can measure up to him. to pay tribute to this legendary artist’s diverse resume, here are all of George Miller’s films ranked by their scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
10Happy Feet Two (45)
2011’sHappy Feet Twodeserves credit for not settling to be just another children’s movie with nothing to say. It touches upon themes of global warming and even tries to throw out a few philosophical ideas; unfortunately, the story itself struggles to build up much steam.
Considering it is Miller’s lowest-rated film,Happy Feet Twois far from a total wash. The animation is quite gorgeous and has aged relatively well, while the voice acting is largely solid. The film just happens to be very forgettable.
9Twilight Zone: The Movie (58)
An anthology film featuring four main stories, each one directed by ahighly regarded filmmaker,Twilight Zone: The Movieends on a high with Miller’s remake of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”
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The best segment in the project, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” follows an airplane passenger, played maniacally by John Lithgow, who sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane. Building up the tension by only showing snippets of the gremlin while playing up the passenger’s innate fear of flying, this segment is so good that it will make most people wish that Miller had directed afull horror filmat one point in his career.
8Babe: Pig In The City (65)
While Miller wrote and produced 1995’sBabe, he did not take on directorial duties. That would have to wait until its 1998 sequel. Far darker than its predecessor,Babe: Pig in the Cityreplaces the farm for a bustling metropolis, one expertly crafted to create a sense of danger and mystery.
Anyone expecting a film as wholesome as the original might fail to come to terms with the sequel’s more unsettling scenery and challenging sequences. However, when viewed in isolation,Babe: Pig in the Cityis a triumphant example of an intelligent film about talking animals.
7Happy Feet (76)
Considering the trajectory of the originalMad Maxtrilogy, it was only a matter of time before George Miller found himself directing a family-friendly animated film. On the surface,Happy Feetis a cartoon about singing (or tap dancing) penguins that touches upon the well-worn subjects of bullying, love, and acceptance.
WhileHappy Feetis definitely all of those things, its rather conventional premise is elevated by Miller’s direction and willingness to touch upon social themes.
6The Witches Of Eastwick (76)
Miller’s first full feature film to not include the words “Mad Max” in the title,The Witches of Eastwickis a delightfully fun time. The film tells the comedic tale of three single women who happen to have an affinity for witchcraft and their encounter with the devil, fittingly portrayed by Jack Nicholson.
The Witches of Eastwickgrounds its many fantastical elements in a town that feels real, allowing the strangeness of the situations to be greatly heightened. Nicholson is hilarious in one of his first comedic roles.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdomecan be split into two halves. The first part, which sees Max stumbling upon a settlement run by Tina Turner’s Aunty Entity, is great. This section culminates in Max taking part in a battle to the death against the Master Blaster combo in the Thunderdome, a move orchestrated by Aunty Entity.
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At this point,Mad Max Beyond Thunderdrometakes a weird turn as its second half begins. Max becomes the caretaker of a ragtag group of kids reminiscent ofPeter Pan’s Lost Boys. This plot thread, along with the film’s PG-13 rating, dulls the franchise’s sharp edge, transforming it into an underwhelming echo of its former self.
Compared to the movies (or games) that followed, the originalMad Maxis a rather low-key affair. A revenge story born out of the Australian New Wave movement,Mad Maxenvisions a dystopian society that is gradually destroying the line that separates the riffraff from the “ordinary” folk.
Moments of tenderness only exist to make the flashes of violence all that more upsetting in Miller’s debut feature.Mad Maxtears down its titular character so thoroughly, he would need multiple films to even hint at a recovery.
3Lorenzo’s Oil (92)
A box office bomb,Lorenzo’s Oilis Miller’s most underappreciated movie, mostly because not enough people have even heard of it. Telling the real-life story of Augusto and Michaela Odone’s unrelenting push to find a cure for their son when he is diagnosed with ALD,Lorenzo’s Oilis an exhausting drama about human determination.
Although the dialogue comes packed with technical jargon,Lorenzo’s Oilis very much about the family rather than the disease. Miller delivers a film that is easy to follow but tough to watch.
Also known asThe Road Warrior,Mad Max 2sees its protagonist roaming the desolate wasteland where fuel is more valuable than gold. Expanding on its predecessor in every way,The Road Warriordelivers better action, more interesting characters, and all of the leather that a gang could ever want.
Closing with one of the greatest chase sequences of all time,Mad Max 2is a truly epic experience. After ending the first film stripped of any humanity, Max starts his rehabilitation in this sequel, as he goes from a self-serving loner to a genuine hero.
More than three decades afterMad Max Beyond Thunderdome, George Miller returned to the franchise that put him on the map, not in a desperate attempt to recapture the glory days but in an earnest need to create something revolutionary.
Mad Max: Fury Roadis basically a long chase sequence. While that might sound dull on paper, the film is filled with jaw-dropping stuntwork, effectivecharacter moments, andgloriously eccentric personalities. Despite being the fourth entry in a franchise that has mostly delivered the goods,Fury Roadis a singular project unlike any other.
