Mad Max: Fury Road Review

Someone told me that today was ANZAC day was today, so what better day to review a modern Australian classic.

Every year there is an abundance of action films, one or two will be ones that you will want to revisit with years to come. Recent examples include Snowpiecer, The Raid 1/2 and any spy with its main characters with the initials of JB. Every couple of years there comes an action movie that isn't a great action movie but a great movie. Seven Samurai, Goldfinger, The French Connection, The Terminator, The Matrix, The Dark Knight and now Mad Max: Fury Road.

The movie opens with a voice over from the titular Max, (played by Tom Hardy) laced with a collection of what we can assume are radio or TV recordings. Before we see Max we know what kind of world this is; post apocalyptic. For an action movie about cars, there is only one car crash in the opening scene and a another one doesn't happen for 17 minutes.

After the opening credits we are introduced to every other main character in the movie and already we have a clear understanding of each character. It's a simple story of good vs evil, we've seen many times before but what makes it a continuously interesting concept is how it test the characters. In Fury Road it's the relationship between Furiousa (played by Charlize Theron) and Max and their relationship as it develops throughout the film. Early in the film, before any action, Furiosa looks into the camera, looking at the audience, we know that something is up, that something big is coming and oh boy! Does it deliver.

The original trilogy of Mad Max films still remain some of the great action films and with those films George Miller made a bold statement on what action should be. Since then action directors have learnt from those films but some have gone off the rails with over the top CGI and shaky cam. The 70 year old Miller returns here remind everyone what action can and should be. He not only shows us how the action should be created (with practical effects) but with how it's presented. There are videos online which show how George Miller directed us so I won't talk about it here because it's covered in those videos.

George Miller is the director of this film but in ways he should be called its conductor. Like an orchestra, he couldn't play every instrument the way the musicians do but he knows how to bring them together. Of the seven technical categories at the Oscars it was nominated for all of them and won all but one of them (best visual effects). This wasn't because each team had the best people in the business in them but because of how they collaborated with Miller they worked together to achieve greatness. Whether that be the movies costumes, sound mixing/editing, cinematography, hair and makeup, and editing.

One reason why Fury Road is step above other action films is its messages on feminism and world peace and heritage. With Furiousa in the spotlight of this film she is surrounded by strong female characters, they don't rely on Max in any way, Max does help but these women show just as much resistance as Max for their single instinct 'survive'. Even if this movie is testosterone filled the female

I've seen this movie once for every Oscar it has won and it hasn't been out for a year. I can not urge you enough to watch this movie in a cinema if you ever get the chance, you will be immersed in a movie that makes use of both sight and sound. The overwhelming acclaim for this movie is very well deserved.

Overall Score: 10/10

What do you think of this movie if you have seen it? Did it make you go out and find some gasoline?

Mad Max: Fury Road is avabiable on DVD and Blu-Ray

Director: George Miller

Writers: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Keays-Byrne

Cinematography: John Seale

Editor: Margaret Sixel

Music/Score: Junkie XL