As this is my first review for my new blog, I wanted to avoid from being too enthusiastic about the first film I decided to review; you don’t get a second chance for a first impression. Unfortunately, I decided to choose Mad Max: Fury Road as my film to critique. And I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be part of such an experience
To understand my view on the Mad Max franchise, I have seen the first two within the last five years and have yet to see Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome. Though I enjoyed the first two films, I wasn’t the biggest Mad Max fan.
So I was happy to see that Fury Road was a stand alone film that anybody could watch and not feel left out of. George Miller, creator of the franchise, totally takes advantage of the Hollywood backup he got for this film ($150 million budget!) to create a colorful and violent feast for the eyes. The film kicks off with the eponymous Max, played superbly by Tom Hardy, being captured by the belligerent cult The War Boys. The War Boys are dictated by Immortan Joe, an intimidating, mask wearing war lord with a breathing problem, but can still rule with an iron fist. Charlize Thereon plays Furiosa, a member of the War Boys, who goes rogue and turns a routine trip for fuel into a car chase for the ages.
Ohhhh boy, the car chases….
I have never been happier to see car chases that are not only exhilarating, but so beautiful that I almost choked up (and I’m not being over preachy). If you love your car chases and adrenaline driven stunts, you will not be disappointed. (Scratch that!) You might have a new addition to your list of favorite action sequences. The best part? CGI is not a dominating presence in said stunts. You heard me! So if you were concerned that Mr. Miller might have lost his ways since the old Mad Max days, have no fear. It’s pretty much an update of the series for the modern times rather than a “new and improved through special effects” sort of film.
Which brings me to any skeptical fans of the franchise…
I understand if you think that the film looks different in style, tone and might lost what made it great in the first place. I get it. I, myself, am usually wary of sequels to a beloved series. But understand this: George Miller has a vision of the universe of Mad Max. If you look it up, the budget for all three films of the trilogy was not very much. (Thunderdome has the most of the three, with only $12 million. Road Warrior had $5 million. The first Mad Max had almost $0.5 million) With budgets like that, Miller was limited to use what he can with those amounts. The universe Fury Road is much grander and detailed, it’s almost like something within him was bottled up inside all those years and now with a budget of $150 million, he can unleashed everything he had. So I ask, please give it a chance
Also, there is a truck equipped with stereo systems with a War Boy playing awesome tunes on the guitar (which shoots FIRE!!!)
Just let that sink in….
Rating: 4.5/5
Most Likely to Love it: Car Chase fanatics, Stunt fanatics, Fanatics fanatics
Most Likely to Hate it: Misogynists (http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/mad-max-fury-road-when-a-film-upsets-misogynists-it-only-makes-me-want-to-see-it-more-10254227.html)
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The other Mad Max movies had great inspiration behind them but often felt scattered, especially Thunderdome (although that had TWO directors, which explains why it felt like two movies.) Fury Road stuck to one compelling story and let the rest of the time be filled with delicious world building. That, and finally seeing a movie that treated post-apocalyptic women like human beings, is why I liked this movie so much.
When the guitar-playing War Boy came into the shot I think the whole audience let out a laugh that was equal parts surprise and satisfaction. It was definitely in these little touches that the movie was such a joy to watch.
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Yes, the Guitar playing War Boy had the same response at my theater. It was a mix of “Lol why?” and “Know what? I don’t care. I dig it”. And i couldn’t agree with you more on the women’s role in a post-apocalyptic setting bit. It’s like they said “We’re not your playthings”. Regarding Charlize Thereon’s character, though the film was called Mad Max: Fury Road, it might as well been called Mad Max: Furiousa. Both characters were worthy of their own movie and I wouldn’t be a surprise if it becomes a real thing
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