MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Review

Mad Max: Fury Road is unlike anything I've ever seen. A stunning production design, a moving score, exhilarating (practical) action, and solid performances make this a rare thing to witness - there just aren't too many movies like this being made anymore.


Where do I even start? This movie is insane. Crazy. Bizarre. It's really unlike anything most us have ever seen. The summer after summer of formulaic superhero/action/thriller movies have seemingly numbed us to what great creative minds are out there brewing, and with Mad Max: Fury Road, we witness first hand what happens when you give seriously talented people the freedom and budget to do whatever (seriously, whatever) they want.

Knowing really nothing of Mad Max lore beforehand, I walked away from Fury Road exhilarated, even a little uplifted(?), but most of all full of respect and awe for what filmmakers are able to create. This movie takes overall production design far and beyond anything I've seen before (that's not CGI).  The movie is a lot of fun and seems to have been made with the mindset of, "the crazier and stranger we can make this, the better! We've got 150 million dollars to play with, so let's go crazy. You want a guy with a guitar standing on top a semi trailer doing 100 miles per hour? Ok. Just make sure there are flames coming out his guitar as well". You think I'm kidding.

As far as plot goes, it's simple: Max is a desert wanderer. The world is in a decayed state in the near future, due to nuclear wars destroying the land and ecosystem. The basic principle lived by anyone is survival, no matter what. Max is picked up by a group of "half-lifes" (because he's a universal blood donor his blood is extremely useful) from a place called "The Citadel" where they follow Immortan Joe - a huge, gross, pale man with long, nasty, stained yellow hair and the most bizarre respirator you've ever seen. He's keen on hoarding the water supply to himself, making sure the inhabitants of The Citadel don't become "addicted" to water. He also loves the idea of having children, so he has five "wives" that he keeps on hand to eventually bear him children. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron - who completely owns this role, but more on her in a moment...) works for Joe as a sort of General, who leads expeditions to get more fuel for The Citadel. On one such excursion, unbeknownst to Joe, Furiosa hides the five wives in her massive war-rig and takes off in the opposite  direction of Gas Town (where the fuel is, of course!). Once Joe realizes she's taken his wives, it's one big, insane race to capture them and bring back his wives into slavery.

Yes, it's a thin plot, but I don't care. Here's why: the plot mostly serves to are two things; Firstly it gives opportunity for the crew to showcase everything they've got. The production design, costumes, music, stunts - everything is absolutely incredible. And secondly, it gives the opportunity for deeper themes to be explored, especially in terms of femininity. In terms of showing females in an empowering way, this movie rocks it. The women are beautiful, yes, but that's not the focus of the narrative. They're beautiful, respected, strong, smart, resourceful, kind, caring, tough, sensitive, compassionate, brave, and faithful. Charlize Theron nails her role of Furiosa, and I'm very happy to to see such a refreshing depiction of womanhood. As my friend, Scotti Hill said, "Loved the strong, fearless females in the new Mad Max movie! Hollywood, take note, this is how it's done."

I've heard complaints that the feminist messages in this movie are too strong and that it degrades men. Too this I completely disagree. This movie showcases womanhood magnificently, and the only men that are put in a degrading light are those like Immortan Joe and his narrow minded cronies and "half-lives". Max, on the other hand is a good man, and even better when he looks outside himself and becomes an equal partner with Furiosa. These depictions of femininity and masculinity are both refreshing and encouraging (If you'd like to read more about these themes, I encourage you to read my retrospective on the early Terminator films, for these themes were my main focus).  Without going too much in subtext (consider the portrayal of woman in say, Furious 7 as opposed to this movie), I can say that this movie is empowering to both women, and men. It shows we need each other, but independently one is not above the other. We are true partners, and when we look beyond ourselves is when our greatest potential is realized and miracles occur (as a side note, Tom Hardy's and Charlize Theron's subtle facial expressions - especially "the nod" near the end, are far more powerful than anything that words could have said). I don't know that I would go so far as to say I was uplifted from this movie, but I would say that I left feeling pretty darn good about the power of hope; and of men and women in our respective and collective roles in this world.

On the production side of things, this movie is mind-blowing. I can't overstate just how incredible the stunt-work and actions scenes are in this movie. I read an interview with the director, George Miller (he's 70, by the way. Consider me even more impressed) that 90% of this movie, stunts and all, was practical. The ONLY CGI used was for Furiosa's arm, the dust storms (shot on location in Namibia and Australia), enhancement of the landscapes, and for erasing the wires from the stunt crew. That's it. How they were able to pull off what they did is simply astounding. When you see guys flying through the air, on top of cars, giant explosions, etc, all of that is real. It really goes without saying that Mad Max: Fury Road is a roaring good time, albeit a bizarre one.

In the end, I would say Mad Mad: Fury Road is a special movie. Frankly, I'm surprised the studio allowed it to be made, given that hardly any CGI was used and that the it's just so weird at times. It's impossible for me not to appreciate what hard work must have went into this. It's hard to put into words just how floored I am at the action sequences and stunt work. I'm glad I saw Fury Road, and if you're okay with a little "out-there"ness in costumes, dialogue, and characters, than I say go for it. It's a crazy road to take, but it's a road you won't forget.

Rating: A, ****

MPAA rating advisement: This movie is rated R, however, I would argue that there are many, many films with much more extreme content than this film (both R rated and otherwise). Mad Max: Fury Road is another example of why the rating system needs to change. There is no sex and no graphic nudity (a woman's butt is seen in a non-sexual way). There is one "f" word, with no other swearing whatsoever. The film is more intense than violent; if you've seen Indian Jones, Jurassic Park, etc, you've seen more blood than what is in this movie. More than anything Mad Max: Fury Road is gross; and by gross i mean grungy, dirty, and decaying. In the end, I wouldn't be nervous about going into the theater, there's nothing blatantly offensive content wise - the most offensive aspects about the movie are more thematic, e.g. how Immortan Joe treats his so called "wives". Enjoy!