It’s been nine years since we last visited Director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic wasteland. 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road was a gift of special effects and stunt work. We, as moviegoers, became like the citizens of this franchise’s world, where we thirsted for more.
In Fury Road we were introduced to Furiosa, who ran shipments for the sinister warlord Immortan Joe. Throughout that movie we saw that she that she orchestrated the events to escape his clutches and find her home.
Now, we get to see how Furiosa earned her pivotal role as a trusted driver in this unforgiving world where resources are beyond scarce and death is around every corner. The film follows Furiosa from the time she was a child and how she ended up as a captive of Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Throughout the story, she suffers great tragedies and she vows to survive long enough to get revenge on Dementus for what he’s taken away from her.
Anya Taylor-Joy plays young Furiosa, and upon first glance along with her stature, she doesn’t seem to have the intimidation or authority that Charlize Theron easily held. However, she is so dedicated to the role, that she disappears into it quickly. Even with only a handful of lines, you can sense the hatred, grief, and vengeance in her face.
The performance that steals the show belongs to Chris Hemsworth. In what is his best role yet, he constantly lets loose and camps it up to a somehow scary point. He is chaos on wheels that somehow stands out in a franchise full of crazy people in cars.
Fury Road changed the direction of the series by putting the focus on one giant two-hour chase. The story beats were minimal, but it expanded on the complete spectacle of this wasteland. Furiosa, on the other hand, is story heavy. The plot covers 15 years that highlights her captivity and her subsequent rise to prominence. This movie really pulls off the world-building and the uneasy compromise that those in power must maintain to keep their people alive and dependent on their rule.
Fair warning to those expecting a 2 1/2 hour bigger and badder chase through the desert. There is less action here. However, the action scenes you do get are far more fun and visually/audibly pleasing than any you’d typically get in other blockbusters. I am already excited to see the thrilling vehicular choreography again.
On the negative side, there is a some noticeable CG here, which took me out of the movie for a moment occasionally. Also, the climax of the film chickens out. A character proclaims that a great war is about to begin, but we only get to see a montage of the carnage. Nobody needs a modern movie to be longer, but the action movie glutton in me wanted more.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is exactly what this year needs. Recent movies haven’t been the big screen draw that they once were. However, Furiosa demands that you see this on the biggest screen with the coziest luxury seats to get the full visceral experience that is a sandy feast for your eyes and ears. Let’s all hope that it doesn’t take another nine years before we go back to a post-apocalyptic Australia again. A-
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