Ma Max 2 (also known as The Road Warrior in the U.S.) is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film. Directed by Australian doctor-turned-director George Miller, this sequel to Miller's 1979 film Mad Max was a worldwide box office success that launched the career of lead actor Mel Gibson. The film's tale of a community of settlers moved to defend themselves against a roving band of marauders follows an archetypal "Western" frontier movie motif, as is Max's role as a hardened man who rediscovers his humanity when he decides to help the settlers.