MAD MAX – FURY ROAD: Movie Review

Before legacy sequels like Top Gun: Maverick and Blade Runner 2049 took over the multiplexes, filmmaker George Miller revved up and resuscitated his 80s film franchise Mad Max in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road. The film went on to be nominated for and win several awards at the Academy Awards, and director Miller established himself as an important figure in the world of action cinema. Notably, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the most visionary action films you’ve seen, with its punk-style apocalypse, in which armored vehicles battle it out in the desert. The film’s loose storyline is both its strength and weakness; the character arcs are slight but impactful, and the film’s non-stop action consistently remains the focus. Seeing it nearly a decade after its release, however, Mad Max: Fury Road feels like a film that has received more than it was due; it’s great but not as exceptional as the acclaim at the time made it seem to be. Nevertheless, this rollicking action film definitely serves up solid moments with its unique style, featuring a compelling performance from Charlize Theron as Furiosa.

While there isn’t much dialogue or space for too much drama in the two hour runtime of Mad Max: Fury Road, the performers do an incredible job of bringing out the pointed arcs of their characters. Despite what the title may suggest, this film namely centers around Charlize Theron’s Furiosa, a rogue imperator attempting to liberate the five wives of a tyrant Immorant Joe. Theron is stoic, powerful, dangerous, yet delivers a performance that feels nuanced and emotional at times; when she realizes the fate of the “Green Place”, it’s a heartbreaking moment. Nicholas Hoult is also solid as Nux, a War Boy who finds out the truth about his despot leader. Ironically, it’s Tom Hardy as Mad Max, who has the least to do; perhaps it was an intentional and even wise ploy by Miller to keep Max in the background of a legacy sequel that needs new life.

Mad Max: Fury Road is definitely unique; it manages to be hyperstylized while retaining most of its grit, and finds an arthouse language for action cinema that feels surprising and satisfying. That being said, the paper-thin plot, which is often riddled by cliché and indulgently silly moments, sometimes look to detract from the otherwise full-throttle nature of Fury Road. Its themes of looking for redemption and place to call home amidst a wasteland, accompanied by a closing quote, are noble but only seep into the film’s narrative very well a few times. The main attraction in Fury Road is its aesthetic, one that borrows equally from a pulpy and artsy sensibility, making for an interesting and engaging cinematic experience. However, I posit this – if you love Fury Road, you need to check out Ghost Rider and the Fast and Furious films; perhaps these are films that also deserve more prestige than they have received.