Movie Review Repost -- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Sorry, guys. Once again I've got nothing new. But please understand that I've not been lazy; I'm currently working on a bunch of new stuff for this blog (including some stuff for a new topic I've not yet covered on Anachronarchy before) and hopefully it will be ready for next Saturday. For now I guess it's time for another movie review repost, this time of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. This was a fun movie to watch, and while I haven't seen it since, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing again. Enjoy.

   I have to confess, I was probably the only person on the world who didn't know what Mad Max: Fury Road was going to be like. Upon viewing the trailer it looked to me like happy hour in the Australian Outback. As it turns out, that's this movie in a nutshell. And it delivers what it promises.

   Mad Max is a crazy, over-the-top adventure that exists in a deranged heavy metal fantasy world. One could easily imagine Motörhead or Judas Priest coming from that guitar-playing dude. Yeah, one of the cars is loaded with tons of amps and has a guitarist strapped to it. And that's just one example; there's lots of bizarre characters and outlandish but still cool-looking cars. I guess I should talk about the plot. It takes place in a post apocalyptic world where water and gas are sought-after goods and where most of the population is crazy with radiation poisoning (I guess). Max and Imperator Furiosa team up to try to escape the clutches of the evil cult leader Immortan Joe. This is a film that is relatively light on plot and dialogue, but heavy in the action department. When people tell you that Mad Max is one long action scene, they're not far from the truth.

   The film showcases some great acting across the board. Tom Hardy is great as the level-headed, yet tormented title character who is primarily concerned with his own survival. But Charlize Theron steals the show as the grim, determined Furiosa, who is arguably the film's real main character. She doesn't speak much more than Max, but remains just as compelling.

   Mad Max should also be commended for its outstanding cinematography. Every shot looks great, and you can easily tell what's going on. I've heard that this movie used a lot of practical effects and stunts, but with such highly developed CG thrown in as well it's hard to find the seams. In either case, the effects look amazing, even in 3-D.

   Despite its very few plotholes – like why did Joe leave the citadel unguarded? And where was Max going at the end? – Mad Max: Fury Road is an outstanding movie. Everything you've heard about it is true (except for the claims that this is a feminist film; I wouldn't go that far). And that's about all there is to say. It's a good movie and you oughtta watch it.

Rating: five stars out of five!