I originally had no desire to see a new Mad Max chapter (released this weekend), and I was only curious about seeing this film because of my affinity for Tom Hardy’s consistently excellent broodiness and Charlize Theron’s, well, Charlizeness. And I can certainly say I wasn’t disappointed. Mad Max: Fury Road is an adrenaline-infused tale of chaos and car wrecks amid a post-apocalyptic Western backdrop. It is an assault on the senses and an orgy of wild action sequences, outlandish characters, and brutal violence. If you can resist the motion sickness elicited from the swooping camerawork and endless quick cuts, you are in for a ride unlike any other.
Those meeting Max for the first time here will likely struggle with understanding his backstory or how all of this came to be. Director George Miller, the creator of the original films decades ago, banks that it won’t matter. The narrative—along with the history of the resource wars and the murder of Max’s family—is secondary to the constant bombardment of grandiose stunts. Cacophonous chase scenes are the staple of the Mad Max franchise, showing the audience that bad guys hunting somewhat okay guys is all the story you really need.
In this installment, Max is arguably not even the main character as Theron’s Furiosa leads the way with her rescue of five women—breeding wives—from the evil clutches of a despotic cult leader. Her War Rig, a gasoline tanker, is the ultimate battle machine and is put to the most vicious of tests against multiple terrorizing gangs as she and Max, and their precious cargo, are endlessly on the run across an unnamed and desolate landscape.
Describing much more of the plot won’t much assist in your understanding of this world, but the third act is kicked off by an interesting turn in which Furiosa, in an attempt to return to her former home, is met by a band of women who are the rugged survivors of a “Green Place,” long since gone. The women join the War Rig in one last trek back to where the story began in an attempt to defeat the tyrant leader and liberate the enslaved people and unleash a hoarded water supply. These strong women lend qualities not often seen in film—skilled, violent, and defiant in the coolest way possible—as they are the warriors we ultimately root for.
There are elements here of Waterworld, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Book of Eli, The Road, and many standard end-of-the-world motifs we’ve seen in recent years. But the execution in Fury Road is excellent, and each intricately orchestrated action piece is effectively distinct. The film seems very aware of its excess and seems to wink at the audience in its violence.
Never telling the audience why the world is as it is, Fury Road is a film that doesn’t make much sense if you aren’t familiar with the franchise. Yet, it knows it doesn’t have to as its campy quality creates a weird watchability. And its action is some of the best you will see during this or any year. The film looks fantastic on the screen. Its feminist angle is unique and fun. And you can’t help but get swept up in the fast pace and overall badassery of its protagonists. Watch this film without thinking too hard and you’ll have a great time.
Grade: B+
Those meeting Max for the first time here will likely struggle with understanding his backstory or how all of this came to be. Director George Miller, the creator of the original films decades ago, banks that it won’t matter. The narrative—along with the history of the resource wars and the murder of Max’s family—is secondary to the constant bombardment of grandiose stunts. Cacophonous chase scenes are the staple of the Mad Max franchise, showing the audience that bad guys hunting somewhat okay guys is all the story you really need.
In this installment, Max is arguably not even the main character as Theron’s Furiosa leads the way with her rescue of five women—breeding wives—from the evil clutches of a despotic cult leader. Her War Rig, a gasoline tanker, is the ultimate battle machine and is put to the most vicious of tests against multiple terrorizing gangs as she and Max, and their precious cargo, are endlessly on the run across an unnamed and desolate landscape.
Describing much more of the plot won’t much assist in your understanding of this world, but the third act is kicked off by an interesting turn in which Furiosa, in an attempt to return to her former home, is met by a band of women who are the rugged survivors of a “Green Place,” long since gone. The women join the War Rig in one last trek back to where the story began in an attempt to defeat the tyrant leader and liberate the enslaved people and unleash a hoarded water supply. These strong women lend qualities not often seen in film—skilled, violent, and defiant in the coolest way possible—as they are the warriors we ultimately root for.
There are elements here of Waterworld, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Book of Eli, The Road, and many standard end-of-the-world motifs we’ve seen in recent years. But the execution in Fury Road is excellent, and each intricately orchestrated action piece is effectively distinct. The film seems very aware of its excess and seems to wink at the audience in its violence.
Never telling the audience why the world is as it is, Fury Road is a film that doesn’t make much sense if you aren’t familiar with the franchise. Yet, it knows it doesn’t have to as its campy quality creates a weird watchability. And its action is some of the best you will see during this or any year. The film looks fantastic on the screen. Its feminist angle is unique and fun. And you can’t help but get swept up in the fast pace and overall badassery of its protagonists. Watch this film without thinking too hard and you’ll have a great time.
Grade: B+