The Mad Max Trilogy Blu-ray set is a mixed bag in the only positive sense of the term.

The Mad Max disc is an exact duplicate of the existing Blu-ray (which lacks the extras on the DVD included on the MGM release), the Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior disc is a completely new AV transfer that improves substantially on the 2007 release, and Beyond Thunderdome looks great in its Blu-ray debut.

The $35 price tag is less than the movies cost separately, and roughly equals how much the first two movies generally go for ($15 each). Whether you're fine missing on the couple of extras only found on the packed-in DVD of MGM's Mad Max release (more on that in a moment) is one thing...

From the exact, down-to-the-data duplicate Blu-ray disc of Mad Max .

An example of one of the few seconds where the print reflects damage, in this case from mold.

Packaging & Potential Repackaging Speculation

...and whether you want them all in one metal tin, which lacks text on its ostensible "spine", is another matter entirely. I would have preferred a steelbook, personally, but I don't have any other sets like this on my shelf. Anyone complaining about the case not saying "MAD MAX" along its side is picking nits.

As is the pattern with Warner multi-movie sets, there will likely be a budget version down the line, but there's no way of knowing whether extras will be preserved, or if movies will be crammed together on discs rather than on their own, causing quality to suffer.

As it stands, the standard multi-disc, plastic Blu-ray case that sits inside the tin carries the exact same UPC as the outer tin packaging, so don't expect this exact set to be duplicated without the tin...that is, unless it really is a "limited" release, in which case the plastic case guts will replace the old SKU at a presumably lower price.

Movies, Gaps, and Value

There are a few extras on the DVD included in MGM's release of the Mad Max Blu-ray that are missing here, but they don't break my heart.

The most prominent is a 17-minute documentary called Mel Gibson: The High Octane Birth of a Superstar. Also missing are a trivia track (no big loss), a photo gallery (ditto), and some TV spots (double ditto). The Birth of a Superstar thing is a Peter Cullen-narrated puff piece with a few talking head bits with George Miller, Piper Laurie, and others who knew Gibson early in his career. It's no enormous loss, except for completists.

From the brand-new picture and audio transfer of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior , which finally sports lossless DTS sound.

Flesh tones are more natural, and the color balance looks natural across the board.

All three movies look and sound great, with the biggest Blu-grade improvement going to Mad Max 2 , whose previous WB Blu-ray was from the earliest era of Blu mastering (2007). If buying just that movie, make sure you get this one, and not the old one, which Amazon is still selling for some godawful reason.

I can't help but have a hunch that all three movies will drop to the magic price point of $7.99 apiece at some point before the holidays (as catalog releases often do these days, but if these movies mean a great deal to you, the (unnumbered) limited edition tin is a better deal than buying the discs separately for the moment.

I don't know why I focused on frames that show off shafts of light. Contrast is very consistent, with a multitude of dark scenes looking great throughout.

For a movie that's mostly black and brown and dark, when you do see color, it pops nicely (and not to the point of over-saturation).

Buying Advice

Here are some "if this then that" cases and how I recommend you buy what as a result.

Have: Mad Max Blu-ray and/or 2007 Road Warrior Blu-ray
Want: New The Road Warrior Blu-ray
Don't Care About: Beyond Thunderdome

Get the single The Road Warrior Blu-ray

Have: None of the Mad Max movies
Want: At least Mad Max and Road Warrior Blu-rays

Get the Trilogy set if you want Beyond Thunderdome (comes out cheaper than separately), grab single Mad Max and The Road Warrior discs if pinching pennies.

The stupidest reason that I like the tin is the Road Warrior image with Max and his dog glued to the inside cover. If you're a diehard Max fan, the current price is reasonable, and if a collector, it seems Amazon is having trouble keeping it in-stock due to popularity.

Discs in a Box reviews and provides contextual commentary on Blu-ray and DVD box sets. DIAB covers everything from repackagings to true Blu-grades to the opulent mega-boxes that pack in loads of extra physical goodies.

Recent and upcoming releases are examined here, in addition to sets that have been collecting dust on store shelves for months (or years, in some cases).