This kind of excitement must be how everyone felt when “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” came out. Like the first “Mad Max” films, the first “Star Wars” movie redefined what both sci-fi and action could be on the big screen, an instant classic from the day it released. Disbelief settles in: How great could a sequel possibly be?
And just like “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” is, implausibly, better than the rest of its 36-year-old franchise. So much so that it should come with a warning label: “Fury Road” is the best action film of the decade, an impressive, gorgeous and sufficiently deranged journey through apocalyptic chaos that puts today’s blockbuster standards in an uncompromising choke hold.
Right out of the gate, the film surprises. Max (Tom Hardy), contemplating his many woes amid the sand-washed wasteland that the Earth has become, is chased down by warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). He brings Max to the Citadel, a small haven where Joe is worshipped by War Boys, his army of pale servants, and begged by thousands of hapless individuals for some of his tyrannically controlled water.
One of Joe’s workers, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), makes off with valuable cargo: five women (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton) who serve Joe as slave wives for breeding. A War Boy named Nux (Nicholas Hoult), with Max in tow as his blood supply, joins a berserk search party to catch the fleeing traitor.
The biggest criticism that one could make for “Fury Road” is that it’s too awesome. It’s so awesome that it’s insane – watching the film in 3-D is one of the most exhilarating experiences that cinema has to offer. For two hours, director George Miller, returning to the series he founded, drives the mayhem to the point of exhaustion, farther and more fearlessly than anyone could have imagined.
There is barely a semblance of civilization in Miller’s world anymore. What remains is a $150-million production budget pushed to its unrivaled limits – the vast deserts of Namibia filled with the burning glow of vehicular manslaughter. Every costume, set piece and terror machine take the inspiration of graphic novels. “Fury Road” is the formation of years of demented teenage dreams and design finally realized, then injected with raw, metal power.
But beauty isn’t the only thing that the film gets absolutely perfect. Unlike that of almost every action movie in recent memory, Miller’s story is one with zero fluff. It’s as tight as narratives can be, the exposition boiled down to sincerely gripping moments.
More impressive, however, is how the story fits as a contemplation of the state of movies today. “Fury Road” posits an endless amount of philosophical ideas based on the compelling fiction it presents – humanity is all but completely gone, and everyone that remains is obsessed with an empty faith. Bullets have become the new currency, fire has replaced fashion and “love” is a dated term for savagery. It’s the evolution of the sci-fi genre masterfully blown out of proportion.
The movie’s characters are anything but subtle. Somehow, however, that works to their advantage. Max isn’t the only main protagonist – he shares the spotlight with Furiosa, the perfect double to Max’s relentlessly brutal talent. All of Miller’s protagonists – slave wives and Nux included – shine on such equal footing that “Fury Road” commands a strikingly humanistic, even feminist message.
When everything goes to hell, Miller proves that humanity is the most important thing remaining once the dust settles. He then shoves his visionary knowledge in Hollywood’s face, creating the definitive movie of the summer and perhaps even the year.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” is the new benchmark, and thank George Miller for directing a “Babe” sequel and two “Happy Feet” movies before deciding to come back and show the pre-apocalyptic world how it’s really done.
– Sebastian Torrelio