Critic’s Pick: ‘Mad Max’ triple feature at Egyptian Theatre on Friday

For those who’ve forgotten the magnetic power Mel Gibson can have on-screen, consider the Egyptian Theatre’s triple dose of “Mad Max” on Friday night, beginning with the first, when a scruffy, sweat-stained 23-year-old unknown kicked up dust and trouble as a road raging sci-fi warrior exacting justice western-style. By the third, 1985’s “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” the cult hit had become a franchise, though Gibson was still two years away from “Lethal Weapon,” which would cement his superstardom. The first “Mad Max” is the best, capturing Gibson’s force field of male rage at its rawest. Sadly, time would sand away some of the rough edges -- at least on-screen.

-- Betsy Sharkey