Warrior Woman (Virgina Hey) in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Aunt Entity (Tina Turner) in Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome

How did strong female characters and their plight take away from the movie? It was the ENTIRE point of the film's plot. Is there some sort of over-arching, long-term goal for Max to achieve in the series besides surviving? Is he John McClane? Does he have plans? He is a wandering road warrior without a cause. Each settlement he comes across gives him a purpose for a short while until he's on the road again.

I've always approached the Mad Max films as individual films with stories separate from the predecessors, told from the perspective of the people Max rescued. And each featured different dystopian societies, and this current one happened to have oppressed women who fought back. People offended by the "blatant feminist agenda" that they see in the film just reveals their own insecurities and bigotry, IMO.

I honestly did not feel like the movie shoved feminism down my throat in any way or form. In fact, I thought it was a "guy" flick, what with all the fast cars, explosions, screaming and violence. And scantily clad women with guns hosing each other down with water. How is that NOT a guy flick?

Only fault with the film for me was Hardy. The script did not give him much besides being broody and traumatized. I think Charlize outshining Hardy in the film is adding to this macho vs fem crapfest.