“Living for the Max” Series:
Welcome to the Living for the Max series. Over the past 45 years, there has been no other film franchise QUITE as inventive nor as consistently exciting as The Mad Max Saga….four films mostly chronicling the post-apocalyptic adventures of lone wolf Max Roxatansky played three times by Mel Gibson and most recently by Tom Hardy. As everyone has been directed by Australian cinematic genius George Miller, they have each reflected his unique vision while also being HUGELY influential on pop culture, more specifically the action genre. So needless to say, new ones don’t come around very often and when they do….it MORE than qualifies as a cinematic EVENT. Therefore over the next several months, I will be revisiting EACH entry of this beloved franchise every month leading up to the U.S. release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on May 24! (Music playing over)
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA – 2024
Directed by George Miller
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, George Shevtsov, Lachy Hume, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Elsa Pataky, Nathan Jones, and Charlee Fraser
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Action Thriller (Audio clip)
I don't think I felt THIS trepidatious walking into a new franchise movie since Creed 2....a sequel to film which I LOVED but was attempting to merge the stories and TONES from two extremely different previous films: one grounded (Creed) and one a 90 minute music video. (Rocky IV) 😆 How do you thread that needle? Well in the case of Creed II, it was done well enough....all the necessary boxes were checked to create a satisfying sequel but one which just didn't elicit as strong of reaction from me as the two sequels it blending. That's always the risk with sequels....even more so PREQUELS. :o Which this undoubtedly is....infact a DIRECT prequel to one of the most exciting films of the past 20 years.
With prequels, there's a HUGE chasm between the risks and rewards....if you're setting up the story for a beloved character (like the title character here played by Alya Brown then Anya Taylor-Joy), you have to deliver something which checks off the necessary boxes but you also have to keep it fresh and engaging. 🤔 You HAVE to deliver the "Holy shit!!!" wow moments for this character's origins which as surprise you in the best way with just how giddily inventive the filmmaker got - one of my personal favorite examples of this was Matthew Vaughn's introduction to "Magneto: Nazi Hunter" in X-Men First Class. :) On the side of the coin, look to the conclusions of BOTH otherwise strong JJ Abrams Star Trek movies....where it just felt as if JJ and crew wrote themselves into corners remembering a timeline they had to adhere to (or did they even?) so they take their characters in lazily perfunctory directions to get there. (Don't get me started on Khan 🙄)
So with this rewind back to the origins of the Furiosa character first introducing us to her as a young girl living in the idyllic "Green Place"... George Miller - with MOST of the same crew returning (though with two different younger actresses taking over from Charlize Theron who KILLED it in that last movie) - has delivered a generally satisfying action epic which at some points feels as if it has little actual interest in being a prequel. 🤔 I enjoyed the hell out of it, it was undoubtedly fun and engaging to return to this world of sand, blood, Chrome, and exhaust! The movie is a tad overlong at around 150 minutes, well over a half hour longer than any previous entry in the Mad Max Saga....it's still paced pretty well, somewhere between the breathless momentum of 'Fury Road and the more episodic structure of 'Beyond Thunderdome. (For the record, I love both of those movies....though for very different reasons)
The overall story is pretty straightforward....a epic tale of prolonged revenge as we watch some one come of age in the wake of tragedy early in their life, with the focus of her vengeance (and the perpetrator of said tragedy) ALSO being an important figure who inadvertently played a huge part in influencing the adult she would become. Now if that's making this sound more like a talky melodrama, well you don't have to worry about that....this is STILL a George Miller Mad Max movie where actions often speak much louder than words. ;)
Except of course when one character is delivering a lot more words than anyone else on screen....and it's not our main protagonist either. From what I understand, Anya has only around 40 lines of dialogue in the entire movie despite portraying the character for just over 2/3 of its runtime....SO much is being conveyed from just those EYES and that works. (She's got the eyes for it!) Nope the lion's share of dialogue to this story's main villain Dementus, a flamboyant Wasteland Warlord played TO THE HILT by Chris Hemsworth sporting long, flowy hair (of various colors depending on which stage of the movie) over a comically oversized prosthetic nose.
At the end of the day, this is still Furiosa's movie and thanks to effective, mostly wordless performances by both Taylor-Joy AND Brown, hers is a compelling central character of action who commands the screen. The makeup, Costume design and stunt work are also impeccable....she's at the center of just about every action sequence, each of which are staged and shot impressively. While this film doesn't QUITE have as many action setpieces as 'Fury Road - and few films do - I would say that the action we are given is actually a bit more varied this time around.
Now if I have ONE significant criticism of 'Furiosa, this takes me back to my original concern: this movie did NOT need to be a full-on prequel. 🫣 Because as long as this film's runtime is, it DOES feel as though there is some narrative connective tissue missing and it seems to often be sacrificed in order to include more set-up and world building geared towards leading up to the story of 'Fury Road. While the story wastes little time bringing us to key Fury Road touchstones like the Citadel and Gastown....and Immorten Joe (this time played by Lachey Hume) and the warboys and that creepy People Eater dude who just CAN'T seem to stop touching his own nipples....delving into that world is of course highly entertaining. (With the exception of a bit too much awkward nipple stuff here....yeah 🥴)
There's just SO much fantastic stuff throughout most of the runtime that it's not as if these narrative choices negate all of that....but yeah it raises the question as to WHY this had to be such a definitive "prequel." Furiosa's emotional journey could have been given more room to breathe here and that wouldn't have made this any less satisfying.
Moment of MADNESS (From the get-go, the Mad Max series has become widely known for jaw-dropping action sequences often made possible by death-defying stunt work. This would be THE best demonstration of that for this entry in the Mad Max saga.):
Ok there is LITERALLY a 20 MINUTE extended action sequence which kicks off about an hour into the film…..it’s apparently the inaugural ride of a newly tricked out War Rig……WOW, just take your pick as there are so many standout moments within this set-piece. It’s also effective from a character standpoint as gives us our first taste of action with a now grown-up Furiosa who is basically strapped to the undercarriage of the rig not only doing repairs but launching explosives at combatants who get too close. (Audio clip)
Beyond that it’s also a savvy introduction to likely Furiosa’s greatest ally through much of the movie and that would be Praetorian Jack who becomes her mentor – he’s effectively played by Tom Burke and for most of this sequence, HE’S actually driving the war rig. During this drive, things start to escalate as several marauders approach and attack the war wig….and not just by land but by air. And as one entirely black clad scavenger comes flying in from behind on some kind of fan-propelled copter, we ALSO see the introduction of what might be THIS particular war rig’s more impressive new feature……it’s basically a large drill at the very rear which when activated starts to swing various meteor hammers rapidly to not only pull in but utterly decimate any one who comes in its path. So yes ONE definite highlight is watching Furiosa slide down on the roof to ACTIVATE it….ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to….the BOMMY KNOCKER. Great name! (Audio clip)
Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film):
Several of the most notable sequences here actually don’t have score or background music which actually helps them land more effectively….raises the tension a bit. Regardless Tom Holkenberg otherwise known as Junkie XL returns to compose the score for this film following is pulse-pounding music for ‘Fury Road….and I guess the best way I would describe the music this time around would be KIND of more of the same but quieter…more subtle. It still works. (Audio clip)
If I’m being honest….the best music associated with this film has been from the trailers. Crazily enough, if the melody for that second trailer sounds familiar…..well it should as that music is actually a ramped up instrumental cover of the David Bowie 1970 classic, “The Man Who Sold the World” – stay tuned for the end of this episode to hear it….
You can’t go wrong with either them as the music for that first teaser DEFINITELY sounds like a ramped up homage to Junkie’s score from the first movie….it was actually recorded six years ago by the German composer duo 2Wei who seem to specialize in music for trailers or advertisements. Now I know that a lot fans found that early teaser image of Hemsworth’s Dementus being pummeled by falling bullet to be sketchy from a CGI standpoint but for me, it works VERY much thanks to this music. The title of the original track is called Redrage (Escape Velocity) (Audio clip)
Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):
However when it comes to the emotional development of Furiosa herself, her relationships with other key figures in her life, AND most importantly how she actually reacts/processes the loss of two important people....for some reason, Miller's screenplay (which he co-wrote with Nick Lathouris, whom he also collaborated with on 'Fury Road), simply foegoes much of that potent stuff. ☹️ It feels as if there are key emotionally charged beats missing which is just such a strange choice for an operatic story VERY much driven by vengeance. It just feels as if as a filmmaker, he's more concerned with moving forward to the next chapter or setting.....
I mean it's not as if Taylor-Joy wasn't up for the task, she's GOT the EYES! 😉 And it's not as if Miller hasn't just briefly paused these stories before for some one to react....see Gibson's blow-up t kick off the third act of that first film OR of course Charlize's now iconic kneeling in the dune scream in 'Fury Road. Whether it was a screenplay choice or if there were some character moments left on the cutting room floor, it simply lessens the power of the overall story.
And it's most egregious at the VERY end of this movie leading into the closing credits....wow I won't dare spoil it but it doesn't even feel like George Miller himself was doing this, not the SAME Miller who crafted perfectly ambiguous endings for each previous Mad Max film. It felt more akin to a cloying/cutesy Spielberg coda to a fact-based drama a la The Post or Saving Private Ryan - it raises more questions about Furiosa's motivations and it's also just NOT necessary. Bottom line and disappointingly, the most wasted talent involved with this movie is likely a tie between George Miller the writer and star Anya Taylor-Joy.
Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):
There are at least four standout sequences but for me an absolute BANGER has to be the extended motorcycle chase which kicks off the story. Mostly starkly lit at night and early morning in the desert, it in involves young Furiosa (Alya Brown) being kidnapped by two of Dementus' marauders being pursued by her determined mother Mary (Mary Jabassa (leaving a mark even with limited screentime) who also happens to be QUITE the sharpshooter. You can see with this sequence off the bat that THIS time around, Miller and crew (including new DP Simon Duggan) are using more obvious green-screen and color-grading than the previous film.
Since the first trailer was released for this movie, that has been a common crisism from many fans.....YES in some instances like this movie does not look as starkly realistic as 'Fury Road. But as far as I concerned, it gives the movie a heightened, more story-book feel for the most part....resulting in more operatic action for sequences like this one. Seeing the pursuers AND those being pursued separated far apart by miles of empty terrain on opposite corners of just some genuinely gorgeous long shots - also with minimal score - I just found it to be a compelling re-introduction to The Wasteland.
MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):
Now If I'm being honest, I don't know if the nose COMPLETELY plays as well as it should as from just a purely visual standpoint, I just found it distracting to look at sometimes. I mean it just looks at times like a gregarious Chris Hemsworth with 20% more nose. 🤪Gratefully it never affects Hemsworth's entertainingly balls-out performance and within this post-apocalyptic world inhabited by several figures harboring some admittedly gruesome deformities, the nose just doesn't shock as it would otherwise. But regardless, Hemsworth does in fact steal much of this movie as he has not only has several of the best lines but is quite possibly the most fully developed character in this story... as bombastic as his character is, there's a pathos underneath which effectively slips out at points ESPECIALLY towards the end in a very well-executed final exchange with Furiosa. For delivering what I believe is his best performance since previous episode Rush, Chris Hemsworth is the MVP. (Audio clip)
Final Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5
As it is, this was still a grand time overall which I'm eager to rewatch on the big screen - it's a couple of notches below the previous three Mad Max sequels but given that I consider those to be ELITE films, that's still not bad company. 🙂
Now Playing In Theaters
And that ends another EPIC review!
