Mad Max: Fury Road (B+) Movie Review
Mad Max: Fury Road stars Tom Hardy as Mad Max and Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa in a post-apocalyptic Australia in which water is scarce. Furiosa is on the run from a group of crazed men after she takes the leader's six wives to free them. Max is on the run from the same group for a different reason and the two team up.
Mad Max: Fury Road has to be one of the most badass films I've ever seen, not to mention one of the best action films. It seems now that critics and audience members have gotten used to terrible action films with no intellectual content, CGI galore, and little creativity. What sets Mad Max: Fury Road apart from all the other recent action films is that it is extremely inventive and creative in its action sequences and its story has quite a bit of impact, not to mention a terrific and welcome feminist streak that mainstream audiences aren't used to. In a lot of ways, Furiosa overpowers Max and becomes the star of the show. The six beautiful women escaping from the crazed leader of this group, Immortan Joe, are independent, strong, and not presented as sex objects.
George Miller has an obvious and masterful control over his actors and his action sequences. His action sequences feel tight, sharp, and you can actually see what's going on. Miller had a lot to handle. He was smashing cars in the Namibian Desert and I imagine that'd be quite hard to catch on camera, let alone have it look this polished.
Charlize Theron makes a great action hero as Furioso. Her performance is moody but calm, a perfect contrast to the non-stop insanity that surrounds her. She's a very strong character with an emotional backstory and great arm for punching.
Mad Max: Fury Road excels technically. John Seale's cinematography highlights the heat of the desert and follows the action beautifully and fluidly. The production and costume design are both excellent and a superb score by Junkie XL which is a cool mix between classical and heavy metal.
It's hard to go wrong seeing Mad Max: Fury Road. It didn't give me chills but its action and visuals did wow me and the film is so well crafted. I can't imagine someone not being at least entertained by the film.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images
Mad Max: Fury Road has to be one of the most badass films I've ever seen, not to mention one of the best action films. It seems now that critics and audience members have gotten used to terrible action films with no intellectual content, CGI galore, and little creativity. What sets Mad Max: Fury Road apart from all the other recent action films is that it is extremely inventive and creative in its action sequences and its story has quite a bit of impact, not to mention a terrific and welcome feminist streak that mainstream audiences aren't used to. In a lot of ways, Furiosa overpowers Max and becomes the star of the show. The six beautiful women escaping from the crazed leader of this group, Immortan Joe, are independent, strong, and not presented as sex objects.
George Miller has an obvious and masterful control over his actors and his action sequences. His action sequences feel tight, sharp, and you can actually see what's going on. Miller had a lot to handle. He was smashing cars in the Namibian Desert and I imagine that'd be quite hard to catch on camera, let alone have it look this polished.
Charlize Theron makes a great action hero as Furioso. Her performance is moody but calm, a perfect contrast to the non-stop insanity that surrounds her. She's a very strong character with an emotional backstory and great arm for punching.
Mad Max: Fury Road excels technically. John Seale's cinematography highlights the heat of the desert and follows the action beautifully and fluidly. The production and costume design are both excellent and a superb score by Junkie XL which is a cool mix between classical and heavy metal.
It's hard to go wrong seeing Mad Max: Fury Road. It didn't give me chills but its action and visuals did wow me and the film is so well crafted. I can't imagine someone not being at least entertained by the film.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images