Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Review

Fast and Furious

Mad Max: Fury Road released almost 10 years ago and was been hailed as one of the best action movies of all times. Filled to the brim with practical effects, engaging dessert apocalyptic wasteland, and interesting characters, the film and director George Miller cemented itself as powerhouses for the genre. Centering now around one if its main protagonists from Fury Road, the latest Furiosa film celebrates the legacy that came before but undoubtedly is telling its own unique story that doesn’t need any prior knowledge to other films. It is a non-stop adrenaline fueled action movie, filled with directorial choices that are bold and successful, electrifying villain, and a simple story that once again cements this as a defining action film for our generation.

Snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers, young Furiosa falls into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel, presided over by the Immortan Joe. As the two tyrants fight for dominance, Furiosa soon finds herself in a nonstop battle to make her way home.

If you’re worried about not having seen the previous Mad Max films, then rest assured that this is a true standalone adventure that doesn’t require any prior homework. Some of the characters have overlap with other films, from what I am told, but I had only ever watched Mad Max: Fury Road once and didn’t remember any plot details and could follow this film just fine. This absolutely works to the film’s strength as you get to see the development of Furiosa into this film so that if you do want to go back and watch the other films your experience will only be enhanced. This movie does a good job of setting up compelling characters that you would love to see more of.

The character of Furiosa is played primarily by Anya Taylor Joy as advertised, but the first hour of the film has her portrayed by a younger actress, Alyla Browne, that sets the stage for what’s to come. Browne does a great job of experiencing the trauma that happens to Furiosa early on in the film and bearing the weight of hurt and pain. Taylor Joy on the other hand is the hardened warrior who carries the chip on the shoulder from what her trauma was. Both are necessary to truly be invested in Furiosa’s journey and carry the film well in terms of understanding her character. The film spans about 15 years of time and being invested in flashbacks to childhood, her adolescent years, and then on the cusp of adulthood made for a compelling narrative.

Undoubtedly this is Chris Hemsworth’s show as he commands the screen as the antagonist Dementus. The world of Mad Max is one of chaos, disorder, and insanity and Hemworth fits into this world perfectly. He clearly is having a blast playing an out-of-his-mind villain who’s primary purpose is survival in this desert wasteland. Anytime Dementus is on screen, you can’t help but smile at seeing the amount of pure recklessness this character has and how much fun it is to see Hemsworth play such a dramatic yet insane character. He also possesses good motivation and insight making him less of a one-dimensional crook and more of a three-dimensional mastermind aiming for control of the wasteland. If anything, Hemsworth’s performance is worth the price of admission.

As I mentioned earlier, this film uses lots of bold directorial choices that ultimately work in its favors and one of these is the lack of character dialogue. Miller is able to tell such a coherent and engaging story just with somber looks on character’s faces, through action sequences that demonstrate the stakes, and through the imagery that is possessed in the wasteland. While there is dialogue, you don’t actually see Furiosa speak a whole lot of lines and yet you understand her motivation, her emotional state, and her commitment to gaining her revenge. Even as she comes across other characters, few moments of dialogue are spoken but you can feel the connection, or on the other side distrust, they have. It’s a beautiful display of direction to be able to have fully realized characters and emotions on display with minimal dialogue.

I went into this film for the over the top insane action sequences that I knew made Fury Road a monumental achievement, and boy was I not disappointed. Miller’s insistence on using practical effects and building out his set pieces to tell his story makes the action feel gritty, real, and have weightier stakes to them. Whether its racing through a dessert wasteland to escape captors, to a fantastic attack on a convoy sequence, or epic shootout through a canyon, each sequence is ripe with tension, and adrenaline leading to some of the most exciting set pieces. It has to be applauded the level of detail and grit with the minimal use of CGI to bring this world to life and make the intensity feel high stakes.

Another positive aspect of this film is the world building. You see a lot of different locations that fleshes out this setting and makes it feel like a lived in apocalypses. There are different hierarchies, battles for resources, and character dynamics that enthrall you in the world making it feel like true escapism and less like an afterthought.

Very little negatives exist in this film, it truly is a non-stop action thrill ride that constantly left me on the edge of my seat. There are thrilling set pieces, engaging characters, dynamic performances. a fully realized world, and so much more that make this chapter in the Mad Max films so exciting! Definitely do not feel like you need to do homework, just go enjoy what is a great Summer action film that shows exactly what Hollywood is capable of. Long live Mad Max!

(A) Thrilling