MOVIE REVIEW: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Director: George Miller

Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Adelaide Clemens 

Release Date: May 15, 2015 RealD 3D 

Rated R for Intense Sequences of Violence Throughout, and for Disturbing Images

Runtime: 2 hr. 0 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is an assault on the senses from the opening scene and pretty much through its entire runtime.  Its action is the kind of stuff that is rather jaw dropping due to its sheer size and scope.  Miller’s film is proudly ridiculous and over the top while taking a minimalist approach on the story side.  What’s really surprising about the film is that even though it seems like story and characters would end up being 1 dimensional there is a steady amount of emotional resonance when it’s all said and done.  Tom Hardy is a fine successor for Mel Gibson in the titular role bringing the appropriate amount of quiet intensity required by the role.  Charlize Theron, though, is the real star here.  The character and Theron’s performance makes Furiosa the most interesting character on screen throughout the film.  The pair makes for an engaging twosome that grounds the film from some of its insanity.  It’s a simplistic film with some of the most complex action that I’ve ever seen put to the screen, the type really deserves to be seen on the screen.

A-