2015: The Year in Film: "Mad Max: Fury Road" Review

So, as a bit of a preliminary discussion to reviewing this awesome, adrenaline-filled flick... I'm not overly familiar with Mad Max and the mythology of the character. I've seen The Road Warrior, but it's been a long time, and I've watched Beyond Thunderdome on cable, but I can't say that I have a working knowledge about either. The Road Warrior is pretty awesome in an early 80's kind of way, and young Mel Gibson was an incredibly charismatic dude, but it's undoubtedly cheesy to a modern audience. To make a long story short, society has fallen into disarray due to a shortage of resources and resulting war. Max was once a lawman of sorts who lost his family and humanity in the chaos, and is now a lone wolf badass who roams the irradiated wasteland.

But, I want to talk about the state of filmmaking today in a minor digression from my typical movie reviews. When I think about the films in recent years that are the craziest, that push the envelope the most and have a unique voice and vision, Wolf of Wall Street and this one are two of the foremost in my mind. Why is it that we, as a generation, as a society, are fixated upon imitating and paying homage to what Scorsese and George Miller did 30+ years ago while those septuagenarians are creating kinetic, innovative, envelope-pushing and occasionally shocking art?  I can only hope that the lessons that we learn from legends are to take chances and CREATE instead of paying homage. (Here's looking at you, David O. Russell)

So, enter, Mad Max: Fury Road, which appears to exist within the same continuity as the other Mad Max films although the timeline isn't made explicitly clear. It is clear, however, that society is even farther gone, with there being almost no memory or semblance of the world before the fall remaining. Max is the lone figure in the wilderness, haunted by what was and his perceived failures, when he's captured by a roaming band of "war boys" who bring him back to their citadel. Here we see that a figure named Immortan Joe rules over a sort of rough feudal state with an absolute and iron fist - and Max becomes a forced blood bank for his sickly soldiers before fate would have him join up with a band of revolutionaries.

The Good: quite simply, this is maybe the most insane action movie of all time. It's certainly the most insane one I've ever seen. The action is nonstop and dialed up to an intensity that's only seen in spurts in flicks that would ordinarily compete for this title. (see: everything Michael Bay has ever done, the Fast & Furious series, Crank, etc.) But it's not just the intense and over the top action that's the draw, it's the artful and hauntingly beautiful way in which its shot. Amidst scenes of high-octane chaos there are sweeping shots of the desolate landscape that really lend the film an epic, larger than life feel. Additionally, there's very little CGI here, and the practical effects really give the film a tangible, grounded brutality that is miles away from the robot destruction found in say, the Transformers series. The world Miller has created is at once completely recognizable (the "war boys" are obsessed with cars and chrome, and do battle to massive guitar solos) and horrifically foreign, and this attention to detail really lends the in-film universe an authenticity that emerges without the need for endless exposition. The first 40 minutes or so is maybe the most intense 40 minutes of any action movie in the history of film, and really has an insanely kinetic feel to it... the theater let out a collective sigh once the first extended action scene drew to a close.  But more than just mindless action, this is a film with a lot to say. A message of hope, of equality, of perseverance and an oddly feminist message emerges from the nonstop chase, and really gives this film a thoughtful core to go along with the insane action sequences. The cast, especially Hardy and Charlize Theron, rise to the task of carrying a film with almost no dialogue as well. Hardy's Max is practically non-vocal for much of the film, communicating mainly through grunts and body language, and in the hands of a less talented and charismatic actor Max would have felt like an empty suit. Hardy makes it work, and Charlize Theron, who has managed to turn herself into just maybe the best actress working today under the age of Meryl Streep, is every bit as good as the rebellious Furiosa. Rising star Nicholas Hoult really sells out as "war boy" Nux and turns in a memorable performance as well.



The Bad: there isn't much to complain about here - but if there's anything, it's that the sparse dialogue, lack of a voiceover outside of the opening scene and constant, balls to the wall action doesn't leave much room for character development. It works in the context of the film - these are damaged, broken people in a damaged, broken world, but it runs dangerously close to making it hard to relate to the people involved.

In all, this is a unique, fresh, truly insane take on the overcrowded "post-apocalypse" flick. One of the original masters has come back to show us all how it's done, and delivered one of the most intense, heart-pounding action flicks in the history of film in the process. See this one, you won't regret it.

9/10.