Mad Max: Fury Road

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Josh Helman, Nathan Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, Angus Sampson
Directed by: George Miller
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A woman (Charlize Theron) rebels against her tyrannical master by moving to escape with his multiple wives. She teams with a deadly drifter (Tom Hardy) to escape.

Review:

Tim: Thirty years after ending his Mad Max trilogy, director George Miller is back with a fourth installment. Odds might have been against him, but Mad Max: Fury Road is a stunning accomplishment. It's a very unlikely action movie. It's absolutely breathtaking to watch and features a massive amount of action. I thought it would be good, but I had no idea how expertly crafted it would be. This is undoubtedly one of the best movies of 2015.

It's always risky when a franchise recasts its lead, especially when you're following in the footsteps of Mel Gibson. This movie was helped by the fact that Gibson hadn't played this role in three decades and by the fact that Tom Hardy was the perfect choice to take up the Max role. I really liked Hardy here- he's quiet, brooding, and yet seems dangerous. He's a wonderful choice I hope he plays this role many more times in the future. One of my few complaints about this movie is that Max almost seems like a sidekick through much of it. I wish he had more to do, more to say. He spends the first part of the movie captured and the second part by arguably playing second fiddle to Imperator Furiosa. I just wanted more for Hardy to do.

Now, while the lack of Max and him technically being second fiddle is a complaint, there's two sides to this coin. One of the greatest aspects of this film is that really, the protagonist is Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa. She's arguably the toughest character in the film and goes to great lengths to protect and save others. She's an incredibly cool character and it was wonderful to see a woman kicking so much ass in a big budget action film. This speaks a bit about Miller's genius- you haven't done a Mad Max film in 30 years, and rather than succumb to the pressure to make it all about Max, you actually make him the second coolest character in the film. That's pure insanity, and it's a big reason why this film is so spectacular. The fact that there's a number of other strong women in the film is an added bonus. Just by looking at this from the point of view of equality in Hollywood, it's a remarkable achievement. It helps that Theron is fantastic in this movie. She gives the best performance of the film.

I have to give Miller heaps of credit for the look and feel of this film. The cinematography is truly astounding. The harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape was portrayed in such a stark and brutal manner, I didn't want to take my eyes off the screen for a second. The sandstorm sequence is especially stunning. My jaw literally dropped at a few points during that scene.

The action sequences are equally as amazing. This a movie that features a few scenes of important character development, then gives us incredibly long sequences of pure action. I love that Miller wanted this film to look gritty and real. Too many Hollywood films succumb to making everything look shiny and sleek through the use of too much CGI. This film just seemed dirty and grimy and wonderfully real. The chase sequences are amazing, with a surprising amount of vehicles, explosions, etc. This film does one of the best jobs of portraying vehicular warfare that I've ever seen. The action was all top notch.

While this film is a stunning achievement, there were a few things I didn't love. Wanting more from our titular character was one. This film was also occasionally hard to watch. Yes, I understand the disfigured state of much of humanity was important to depict the harshness of the world they lived in, but it got to be a little much for me. I also thought Nicholas Hoult's character was more annoying than anything else. His arc felt a little forced and not up to the level of the other characters. I felt like his scenes slowed the movie down. I also thought that while the final chase sequence was impressive, it lacked a truly climactic moment. When the battle was won, I kind of missed it (both times I've seen the film). I thought a more powerful, front-and-center climax would have been better.

So, while I do have a few criticisms, Mad Max: Fury Road surprised me by how excellent it was. It brought this long-dormant franchise back from the dead and given it more excitement and life than I would have thought imaginable. This is an expertly crafted film and I sincerely hope the first of many more to come.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome