Review of Mad Max: Fury Road

When we consider what we want from a great action movie, Mad Max: Fury Road is an example of what we think of. We want entertainment we experience as opposed to merely watch. We want perfect pacing, a feast for the eyes and ears, and characters worth caring about. We want that "wow" factor to show up several times before the end credits roll. And when it's all over, we want to feel exhausted in the best possible way. Leave it to 70-year-old director George Miller, returning to his roots after a lengthy layoff, to deliver that which action movie lovers everywhere hunger for. For full impact, Mad Max: Fury Road demands to be seen on the biggest screen with the most state-of-the-art sound system possible.

Taking place in the same post-apocalyptic world as the previous three Mad Max films, Fury Road sets up its story at an astoundingly economical pace. We're quickly introduced to Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) as he's captured by a roving gang and forced to serve as a blood donor. Then we meet their leader, the warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), who rules over a large town thanks to his control of the most precious resource-- water. He sends out several trucks, led by one of his best Generals, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to procure gasoline. But Furiosa plans to betray him. Having smuggled his five wives, she seeks escape and salvation to a mystical "green land" far to the east. When Joe learns of her whereabouts, he sends an all-out war party to stop her. Max eventually escapes and joins her on a quest with seemingly impossible odds of survival.

Miller constructs Fury Road as a two-hour chase. On one level, the movie recalls Bong Joon-Ho's Snowpiercer in how it shows that action sequences on a linear path make for the most nerve-wracking experiences. Characters are constantly on the move, chasing and fighting from Point A to Point B. When Max and Furiosa's Big Rig does battle with armored cars and motorcycles, we always have a strong sense of where everyone is on the movie's map. This is an achievement which cannot be understated. How many summer action films devolve into chaos, where we can't tell what exactly is happening until the explosions stop? Not here. Each set piece tops the one that came before it.

The movie may be titled after Max, but the filmmakers let Furiosa become the focal point of the narrative. There's an excellent reason for this. Had Max been the man behind the escape plan, one could've dismissed this movie as just two men (Max vs Joe) fighting over five beautiful women. They would become "things" indeed. But by having Furiosa lead the charge and Max settle into a supporting role (albeit a strong, memorable one), Fury Road makes a proud feminist statement. With Charlize Theron dominating the screen, the effect is similar to that of Alien back in 1979, where Sigourney Weaver's Ripley emerged and left an indelible impact on viewers. She kicks ass big-time.

Visually, Fury Road is as impressive as anything one can find in 21st Century filmmaking. The day scenes pop with orange and red hues while the nights are covered in blue, and the level of detail in the costumes and set design is unparalleled. Miller relied on "practical" special effects far more than CGI, and while that makes for an exhausting shooting schedule, the result feels far more grounded in reality than it would otherwise. Certain sequences, like a destructive dust storm clouding the screen in red, are enough to make the jaw drop. Junkie XL's pulse-pounding score is every bit as important to the overall experience. Miller finds highly clever, even humorous, ways of integrating it (gotta love those drummers and the guitar/flamethrower guy).

The story's trajectory is simple but contains a deceptive amount of depth. When pausing for brief moments of rest and reflection, the filmmakers give us a great sense of the characters' inner struggles without overselling them. Flashbacks and back-stories do the job quickly and economically. The depravity of Joe's reign, where model-esque women serve as breeders, larger women become farmed for breast milk, and the poor scrounge for water, makes for some unsettling images. War-boy Nux (Nicholas Hault) has a memorable arc from villain's lackey to rebel hero. And there's even a little bit about religious fanaticism and capitalism. The message is clear: even in a post-apocalyptic world where society has a chance to "start over," we inevitably settle into the same class structure we have today.

Depending on how you look at it, Mad Max: Fury Road can be viewed as a sequel to a long-dormant franchise or a reboot. But however you see it, make sure you see it in theaters. It deserves to go down as an action classic. This is the Mad Max film that Miller wanted to make for so long but was constrained by budgetary limitations and the lack of a bankable star (we all know what happened to Mel Gibson). The sense of awe and the adrenaline rush from this movie-- that "you are there" feeling-- is something you're not likely to experience in quite this way again anytime soon. Will more sequels follow? It's hard to say, although Miller is on record saying he has at least two more stories to tell if this one succeeds. I say we make this a hit and have him show us his hand.

Rating: **** (out of ****)