When I saw the trailers for Mad Max: Fury Road, I rolled my eyes. It just looked like your standard dumb action movie. Then the reviews started coming in. Apparently it was good. Apparently it was really good. Apparently it was OSCAR good. I had absolutely no idea what people were talking about.
But I wanted to find out.
I have to be honest, when the movie started, I wasn’t understanding the appeal. But as the film progressed, I slowly began to realize what everybody was talking about. The film’s sped up footage and the orange/blue color palette is initially very distracting, but after a while, they help to draw you into this world. (Which is wonderfully brought to life by great production design.)
The script is also very good. I’m drawn towards movies with very simple stories, that allow the images to tell the story. And the images are strong. So is the sound design.
Tom Hardy proves himself as a strong action hero, while Nicholas Hoult offers up a really strong supporting turn. And Charlize Theron is great in this role, but it’s the way the role is written that fascinates me. This isn’t the standard role that women play in most action films. She’s not a damsel. She’s not a love interest. There’s not even any romance between her and Max, their relationship seemed more like a platonic friendship.
It’s not just Theron. The other women in this film don’t just play minor roles. I would say that there are as many women in important roles as there are men in important roles. While the film doesn’t preach it, it does give off a vibe that says ‘men and women are equal, and deserve to be treated as such.’
And yes, the action scenes are freaking amazing. It gets your heart pounding and it’s very creatively staged. For any lover of action films, this film is a must-see. I would like to point out that I am not familiar with the other Mad Max films, so i might be missing some of the mythology. But nevertheless, Mad Max: Fury Road is an exciting action film that I plan on watching again very soon.
****1/2
I just have to say this. Room has won the TIFF People’s Choice Award.
Just to put that in perspective, when you look at the last seven films to have won the award, six of them have gone on to be nominated for Best Picture, with three of them actually winning.
I’m just saying.
CONMAN AT THE MOVIES 
As an old school Mad Max fan, I’ve been sceptical about Fury Road.
I’m not sure how it will compare to the well-oiled machine that is Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, but after reading your review I’m looking forward to catching it on Blu-ray!
If you liked this one I would recommend checking out Mad Max 2 at the very least.
I’ll consider it.
Well, I was actually doing Mad Max marathon before watching Fury Road, there’s a hesitation cause Mad Max has certain kind of quirks.
But it really becomes something you’ll remember over years. All the art design and the cinematography, but most importantly, the characters. Love them all!
This is a good review. The MM movies are a lot to take in action wise, this one was no exception. But the world that Miller and his team build is really amazing. The world and the mythos. I really liked this movie. I have only one caveat. In the first three MM movies, Max is much more integral to the storyline. He pushes the storyline somehow. This one, not so much. In fact, the movie could have gone on without him (except “Mad Max” is a better selling point). That’s not to say that I didn’t like Thomas Hardy in the role (though after rewatching the first three, Mel Gibson has done for Max what Christopher Reeve did for Superman: Made it very hard to fill the shoes with other actors). Nor is Max’s character intrusive in anyway. It’s just that he’s almost more of a spectator. Charlize Theron and her character really are the stars in this film. So as a Mad Max movie I found the slight disconnection of Max to the plot a bit offputting. But only slightly. Again, the world that is created here, and the fact that they stick to it so well, is really impressive. It’s an utterly satisfying movie outside of the Max thing. It’s a great movie.