Every George Miller Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

The best George Miller films are better known as Mad Max films. However, the Australian filmmaker has also had success with family films, a biographical drama and several dark fantasies. In recent years, Miller has become more prolific, leading Three thousand years of longing while directing more films in his Mad Max franchise, including Fury Road and the release of 2024 Furious. Miller's first work as a director was the short film Violence in Cinema: Part 1which received mixed responses from critics and audiences when released in 1971.

The film examined elements of cinematic violence, which Miller then used it in his directorial debut, Mad Max. Although he has since shown himself capable of making successful films across a variety of genres, the dystopian action film released in the late 1970s established Miller as a filmmaker capable of orchestrating narratives of awe-inspiring spectacle. George Miller almost gave up directing Mad Max after an accident during production, but he continued, and his films have been consistently well received by critics and audiences.

12

Happy Feet Two (2011)

The animated sequel about a dancing penguin

THE Happy feet the sequel turned out to be a huge misstep for George Miller. Happy Feet Twofailure almost stopped Fury Road to be done. The first film was about a penguin who wanted to dance and his parents and friends' inability to understand his dreams. The second film changed things up, with the young penguin from the first growing up and everyone dancing, but Mumble's son can't dance and needs to find his own way in the world.

Although the colorful computer-animated sequel features upbeat music that covers popular pop and rock songs like a jukebox musical, the story can't live up to the simple charms of the original. Even though it is the last animated film to feature the voice of Robin Williams, Happy Feet Two It's forgettable. It earned much less at the box office, while also seeing its reviews drop to rotten levels in Rotten tomatoes.

11

Babe: Pig in the City (1998)

The cult sequence, seeing Babe entering the city

George Miller co-wrote the phenomenally successful film Dear with Chris Noonan but was less successful when he took over as director of the sequel, Babe: Pig in the city. Although some critics praised the sequel, it failed to impress audiences and was not as commercially successful as Dear. Most of the cast returned for the sequel, except for Christine Cavanaugh, who originally voiced the title pig character but was replaced by a colleague. Rugrats voice actor EG Daily in the sequel.

Even with familiar faces and voices, Babe: Pig in the city unnecessarily complicates the premise of a sheep herding pig. The most successful aspect of the film is its original song, "That'll Do", performed by Peter Gabriel. The song, written and composed by Randy Newman, was nominated for an Oscar. Since its launch, Babe: Pig in the city it developed a cult following and received better reviews in the years following its lackluster release.

10

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

George Miller directed the remake of Nightmare at 20,000 feet

Long before Jordan Peele revived The Twilight Zone in 2019 for Paramount+, four filmmakers came together to direct segments of an anthology film based on Rod Serling's original 1959 sci-fi horror series. John Landis directed an original story, while Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and Each of George Miller remade popular episodes of the series into feature films.

Miller was responsible for directing a version of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” which was also loosely remade for the 2019 series. Despite controversy resulting from an on-set accident while filming Landis' segment Twilight Zone: The Movie is a fun homage to the beloved TV series and was moderately successful at the box office. Roger Ebert credited Joe Dante and George Miller created segments superior to those of Spielberg and Landis.

9

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

George Miller's adaptation of John Updike's 1984 novel

Based on John Updike's 1984 novel, The Witches of Eastwick is a comedic fantasy about a trio of suburban women who inadvertently form a clan without realizing that they hold power as witches. The discussion about the perfect man features an incarnation of the devil, played memorably by Jack Nicholson. Although the feminist themes of Updike's novel are diluted in George Miller's adaptation, the star power and chemistry of Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer as the main trio make this a lighthearted adventure into the occult.

is currently developing a remake of The Witches of Eastwickalthough it's hard to imagine Miller's version being surpassed. This original version received two Oscar nominations (Best Original Score and Best Sound). Jack Nicholson took home the Saturn Award for Best Actor, with Susan Sarandon and Veronica Cartwright also receiving nominations.

8

Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

A fantasy about a Djinn's relationship with a human woman

George Miller is one of the few filmmakers bold enough to make an R-rated fantasy film like Three thousand years of longingwhich is clearly aimed at an adult audience, despite containing magical creatures and wishes to be fulfilled. The plot involves a lonely British literature scholar (played by Tilda Swinton) who writes a book about her relationship with a djinn (Idris Elba)who offers you three wishes. When she rejects his offer, he tells her three stories from his past lives.

Its ambiguity may be off-putting to some audience members, but it's easy to get swept up in the narrative and stunning filmmaking. Although the true meaning of Three thousand years of longing is debatable, the deep themes regarding love and life choices are as moving as the production design is mesmerizing. Critical scores have been mostly positive, with a recent rating of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, and although it has not received awards recognition, it has still received praise for its adult themes in the fantasy genre.

7

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

The third Mad Max film

Even though Mad Max beyond the Thunderdome is the worst installment in its franchise so far, the film is still much better than one would typically expect from the second sequel to a popular action film, especially considering it was rated PG-13. The violence in the post-apocalyptic action sequence may be more subdued compared to the previous films. However, George Miller and co-director George Ogilvie also incorporated the Beyond the Thunderdome with deeper themes about society and religion, while also finding time for inventive fight and chase sequences.

There's also a lot more cast in this second sequel, with a group of kids reminiscent of the Lost Boys from Pedro Pannot to mention a memorable villain. Beyond the Thunderdome foreshadowed Furiosa's story in Fury Road featuring the strong but ruthless character of Aunty Entity, played by musical icon Tina Turner.

6

Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

Parents seek a cure for their child's ALD

In a career full of genre films Lorenzo's Oil stands out as the only purely dramatic narrative directed by George Miller. Based on the true story of a couple's search for a cure for their son, Lorenzo's life-threatening ALD disease, Lorenzo's Oil is a sensitively directed film with a strong visual style and dedicated performances from stars Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon.

The latter was nominated for an Oscar, as was Miller for his screenplay. Rather than giving in to the pitfalls of melodrama, Miller approaches the material poignantly and with understated consideration. Lorenzo's Oil it's emotionally moving without ever feeling manipulative, something even the best dramatic directors sometimes struggle with. The film also earned Sarandon a Golden Globe nomination and was mostly praised by critics, despite moving away from real-life events.

5

Happy feet

A young penguin just wants to dance

The fourth non-Disney or Pixar film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Happy feet is easily the lightest entry in George Miller's filmography. The computer-animated jukebox musical follows an emperor penguin with a knack for tap dancing and features a cast of voice actors including Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.

Animated films often do well at the box office because they are aimed at younger audiences, with parents buying tickets to appease their children. However, Happy feet also engages adults with renditions of well-known pop songs and an award-winning original Prince number in jukebox musical format. In addition to the Oscar win, the film also won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes and received two Grammy nominations for its music.

4

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

The first Mad Max film without Max Rockatansky

George Miller managed to profit from the critical and box office success of Mad Max: Fury Road with the first film in the franchise that wasn't about Max and didn't even feature him in the plot. Instead of, This served as a prequel to Fury Roadtelling the story of Charlize Theron's Furiosaplayed in this film by Anya Taylor-Joy. Its origin story, Furious, shows how she belonged to a utopian society outside the desert lands, but ended up kidnapped and enslaved by the evil Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).

The film has all the action and explosions of the previous four films in the franchise, but takes it in a different direction with the female protagonist and the story of how Furiosa managed to unite her legion of warriors to reach the point of her introduction in Fury Road. The film was a box office failure thanks to its sky-high budget, but it still received praise from critics and fans for the action, George Miller's direction, and the frenetic sound and visual design of the film's world.

3

Mad Max (1979)

The original Mad Max Film

George Miller's film debut, Mad Maxwas independently financed by Kennedy Miller Productions and quickly became an international hit. In addition to catapulting the Australian filmmaker's career, it was one of Mel Gibson's first film roles and led to him becoming an international film star. Mad Max is set in a dystopian future where lawlessness reigns due to a widespread oil shortage.

Gibson plays the title character, forced to become a vigilante when he encounters a violent motorcycle gang responsible for the deaths of his wife and son. This makes the original film in the franchise much more personal and character-focused, with the main journey being that of Max coming to terms with his new life and seeking revenge for having his family taken from him. Given the extremely low budget and monumental success, Mad Max was the most profitable film ever made until the release of The Blair Witch Project in 1999.

2

Mad Max 2

THE Mad Max Film that set the template for the franchise

Mad Max 2also known as The road warriorincreased the budget and scope of the first film, improving it in every way. The simple plot that pits Max against a roving band of marauders in defense of an innocent community of settlers feels like a post-apocalyptic Western. With minimal dialogue and a basic plot, the emphasis is placed on intense action sequences. This film goes beyond Max's introspective moments and turns him into a Ronan-like warrior, defending people from violent warlords.

Everything that made the first film great is improved and perfected for the sequel, including the introduction of the memorable masked man. Mad Max villain Lord Humungus. Not only is it Mad Max 2 one of George Miller's best films, but also one of the greatest action films ever made. The car chases are all bigger, the sound is louder, and Miller really delves into the post-apocalyptic landscape in a way he only hinted at in the first film. Road Warrior This is where George Miller showed what this franchise really was.

1

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Mad Max franchise at its best

It seemed impossible that a Mad Max the reboot would be able to surpass the second film in the franchise, even with George Miller returning as director once again. Released in 2015 when it was popular among studios to reboot or remake classics from decades past Mad Max: Fury Road It surprised everyone and proved to be one of the great cinematic achievements of modern cinema.

Tom Hardy replaced Mel Gibson as Max, who joins forces with Emperor Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to evade an evil dictator and cult leader and his army of marauders in a chase across the desert wastelands. Along with an impressive combination of practical stunts and computer-generated effects, Fury Road has the largest number of bodies in the Mad Max franchise. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning six of them to become the most awarded film of the year.