Mad Max is The Littlest Hobo

There has been a little bit of debate about whether Mad Max – Fury Road was wrong, like someone made a horrible mistake and they released the wrong movie.  It’s supposed to be about Max, right? His name is right there in the title.

Fury Road, though, is much more about Furiosa and the women that she is trying to rescue. Max is there as a catalyst, an observer, and an occasional helping hand. It does seem a bit odd that the title character would take a backseat, sometimes literally, to other characters in the film. It is not, however, without precedent.

Enter The Littlest Hobo. This was a beloved series that ran for six seasons about a stray dog that helped people. The stories were very rarely about the dog, himself. They are about the people he helps. He usually only helps in small ways, barking at the right time, pointing people in the right direction, leading them to safety in. The stories aren’t his, he’s just as often an observer as an actor. Nobody had an issue with that when the title character was a dog, I don’t see why we should be more upset when the title character is an A-list celebrity.

So if you haven’t seen Mad Max yet, you should. It’s awesome. But you shouldn’t go in expecting a variation on the Expendables, you should go in expecting a post-apocalyptic version of The Littlest Hobo.

Unconvinced? I’ve recut the trailer for your benefit.