Leigh Ann Rassler
Release Date: May 15, 2015
Running Time: 2 hours
Rated R
Grade: A-
Directed by George Miller
Screenplay Eric Blakeney, George Miller, Brendan McCarthy
Starring:
Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky
Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa
Nicholas Hoult as Nux
Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe
Zoe Kravitz as Toast the Knowing
Riley Keough as Capable
Rose Huntingon-Whitely as The Splendid Angharad
My name is Max. My world is reduced to a single instinct: survive. As the world fell, it was hard to tell who was more crazy…me or everyone else.
In 2060, the world is a post-apocalyptic hellish wasteland. When Max (an ex-cop) is captured by the fascist tyrannical leader King Immortan Joe’s Warboys, it appears that his fate is be to a blood donor to Nux (one of the Warboys). Imperator Furiosa is headed across the desert in a 3,000 gallon tanker nitrous boosted war machine in what should have been a routine run for Immortan Joe. While Furiosa leads her caravan in a different direction, it is clear that she has hidden agenda. Immortan Joe joins two other war parties in the pursuit of his precious commodities. Max is taken along for the ride as he is connected to Nux. Luckily, Max is able to escape and after a resolution of mistrust, ends up joining Furiosa on the Fury Road.
The future belongs to the mad……
Mad Max: Fury Road does not let off the gas. Director George Miller’s $150 million opus is non-stop with thrilling chase scenes, phenomenal visual effects, fantastic cinematography by John Seale and a score that will leave you wide awake long after the end credits. The hard-hitting story begins in a wasteland where Max has been captured by the antagonist Immortan Joe’s goons. The casting team of Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress successfully cast Max with Tom Hardy. Academy Award Winning Actress Charlize Theron portrays a maddened Imperator Furiosa on a quest to seek the “green place” and redemption. Theron drastically changed her looks for her role as the androgynous leader on a mission to save the women forced into slavery by Immortan Joe. The make-up and special effects team did a phenomenal job creating the garish look of the goons. Seale and Miller shot the film in the scorched wasteland of Africa’s Namib Desert. It proved the perfect background to work the CGI magic for the astounding sandstorm on Fury Road. Miller used an editing technique that you don’t see used very often. He inserted very short pauses between several key scenes where the screen fades to black for a few seconds. The method did a couple of things. It allowed our brains to process and catch up and also gave our senses a break. The audience reaction to the film was surprising to me. As soon as the credits rolled, applause broke out from almost everyone that attended the screening. Followers of the film franchise will leave the theater ready for the next installment. So take my advice and drive your hot rod down to the nearest cinema this weekend to see Tom Hardy captivate us as Mad Max.
~A.S. MacLeod
George Miller’s 4th installment of his legendary Mad Max franchise is nothing short of visionary film making. Mad Max: Fury Road is not a sequel nor would I call it a reboot. It encompasses the concept of the post-apocalyptic totalitarian society, the rage instead of fear, and all of the anarchy that one could imagine in such a time. As George Miller stated it is more of a ‘renaissance’ of the franchise. Charlize Theron is known for drastically changing her appearance and immersing herself into her roles. Her dedication to this role emanates in every scene that she is in. Tom Hardy is excellent as Max especially since many of his scenes are non-verbal yet his facial expressions relay more than words can. Nicholas Hoult also brings his A game to this film and is extremely enjoyable to watch as he transforms throughout the movie. The $150 million dollar budget was well spent in breathtaking visual effects using 6 Arri Alexas and several Canon EO 5D cameras, spectacular stunts by Cirque du Soleil performers and Olympic athletes, creative costumes, and the talented cast and crew. CGI was used sparingly (20%) to enhance the Namibian landscape, remove stunt rigging, and Theron’s left arm. George Miller’s passion for making a film that differentiates itself was so strong that John Seale (known for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) came out of retirement to be the cinematographer. To expand the overall excitement and thrills of the action sequences, Junkie XL provided a heart-pounding musical score that kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m hoping that this film does as well in the box office as I think that it should because Mad Max: Furiosa is the next film in the franchise and I’m already looking forward to it! Run furiously into the theater to see this one.
~Movie Buffette
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