Oh, What a Lovely Surprise.
*NOTE: This review is based solely on the film at hand. I have never watched the original films and know only basic knowledge regarding them.*
I'll be honest, I had no interest or intention of seeing Fury Road. With a name like Fury Road, and a trailer that exhibited nothing but driving, I feared there would be no substance and that it would be excessively action packed. The hype and critical acclaim convinced me otherwise, and after seeing it I am not ashamed to admit how wrong I was to ignore this movie. It is beautiful and weird on a whole new level, and an oddity that I increasingly fell more and more in love with over its two hour run time. Having never seen the original, I now want to just to see where the lore and weird aspects come from or if they are entirely new. The movie sucked me in and left me smiling at its twisted glory.
The story follows that of Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), showing their struggles in the wasteland as their paths cross. Tom Hardy can do no wrong in my eyes, the man is a brilliant actor. Even with very little said by his character in the first act and a half, he pulls it off as he regularly does. Everything his character lacks for in words he makes up for in body language. Max is badass through and through, and the survivor in him is in full force. In his arrogance there is humor, and it just all works so well. Furiosa is just as badass, and the character fits Theron perfectly. She’s a killer with heart, and she just wants to see her and her femme fatales return to her childhood home no matter the cost. They are both brilliantly played by the aforementioned stars, and I only hope to see more of them in the future. The duo were supported by an all-out great cast and not a soul felt out of place. Each character furthered the dynamic of the lore and history of this desolate future.
I'll be honest, I had no interest or intention of seeing Fury Road. With a name like Fury Road, and a trailer that exhibited nothing but driving, I feared there would be no substance and that it would be excessively action packed. The hype and critical acclaim convinced me otherwise, and after seeing it I am not ashamed to admit how wrong I was to ignore this movie. It is beautiful and weird on a whole new level, and an oddity that I increasingly fell more and more in love with over its two hour run time. Having never seen the original, I now want to just to see where the lore and weird aspects come from or if they are entirely new. The movie sucked me in and left me smiling at its twisted glory.
The story follows that of Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), showing their struggles in the wasteland as their paths cross. Tom Hardy can do no wrong in my eyes, the man is a brilliant actor. Even with very little said by his character in the first act and a half, he pulls it off as he regularly does. Everything his character lacks for in words he makes up for in body language. Max is badass through and through, and the survivor in him is in full force. In his arrogance there is humor, and it just all works so well. Furiosa is just as badass, and the character fits Theron perfectly. She’s a killer with heart, and she just wants to see her and her femme fatales return to her childhood home no matter the cost. They are both brilliantly played by the aforementioned stars, and I only hope to see more of them in the future. The duo were supported by an all-out great cast and not a soul felt out of place. Each character furthered the dynamic of the lore and history of this desolate future.
The lore of this fantastic world is what immediately drew me in as I sat there both fascinated and equally confused by what I was watching. It was so deep and rich within a short time frame and rivaled Game of Thrones in its attention to detail as well as its appreciation of its own world. Director George Miller has created a wonderfully wicked post-apocalyptic setting, from the cult like regime to the barren yet beautiful wasteland. The War Boys and their leader Immortan Joe have such depth to their characters and lifestyle that I only wish I had a short encyclopedia on the history of this universe. Following age old Norse mythology and the promised glory spewed by their warlord, this militia of rag tag freaks embrace death. “You will ride eternal, shiny, and chrome” is the afterlife foreseen by the War Boys, and when approaching death they can be seen spray painting their mouths with silver aerosol paint. The people of this future praise metal, one of the few things that have survived in the world. They scrap together cars from the past, making new ones each with their own personal details and history behind them. These newly created vehicles are all equipped for war and survival in their own ways, from makeshift tanks, speed focused rides, or even monster truck like tires for heavy terrain. With these cars as tools, the War Boys have developed a deep and rich tactical style that was well thought out. The War Boys all work as cogs for a well-oiled machine of destruction, and even though many of them seem insane and unintelligent, they are more than capable on the battlefield. It is something of awe to see, just how amazingly the action packed scenes are woven into coherent and intelligent fire fights. For such a gritty movie, its beauty is overwhelming.
This is more than an action movie, it’s a work of art. The wonderful sets, set pieces, and choreography are all brought together by a director and cast that clearly know what they are doing. For something so weird and bizarre, it was odd how easy it was to enjoy. It was exciting and over the top, but brilliantly so in a way that pushes it past what many, like myself, may have expected it to be. It is not for everyone, that is a given, but what this movie has accomplished by far is being a great delight of a surprise. This is one not to miss. Deep, gritty, and conscious of the world it has created, I cannot wait to see what the future of Mad Max has to hold. 9/10
By Edwin Velez
This is more than an action movie, it’s a work of art. The wonderful sets, set pieces, and choreography are all brought together by a director and cast that clearly know what they are doing. For something so weird and bizarre, it was odd how easy it was to enjoy. It was exciting and over the top, but brilliantly so in a way that pushes it past what many, like myself, may have expected it to be. It is not for everyone, that is a given, but what this movie has accomplished by far is being a great delight of a surprise. This is one not to miss. Deep, gritty, and conscious of the world it has created, I cannot wait to see what the future of Mad Max has to hold. 9/10
By Edwin Velez