Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller returns to live-action filmmaking with one of the greatest action films ever put to screen. 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is ridiculous in all the right ways.

For those who have seen the original films and loved them, you'll fall in love all over again with this film. Tom Hardy takes the reigns this time around as Max - a man of few words who has been hardened by the world in which he lives. Along with him is Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa - a woman who seeks redemption by helping five young '"wives" escape from the film's antagonist.

Leading up to the film's release, many speculated if this would be just another action film that lacks a solid narrative and motive, but I am happy to say that this is simply not the case. Yes, the film does fill 80% of its run-time with action sequences, but it never gets in the way of the humanity between these characters that Miller has brought to life. There are some emotional moments. Specifically, with Theron's character. Is the story something we haven't seen before? Not at all. But in a film loaded with action, it's nice to see a solid narrative.

Now, how about those action sequences? Incredible - exhilarating - jaw-dropping. George Miller has put together some of the greatest, most memorable action set-pieces ever. One thing that sets the action in this film apart from a good majority of mediocre action films today is that every action the character's make have an affect on them. For good and for bad. The action is not pointless. It's motivated. And it's glorious to behold thanks to the use of practical effects, incredible stunt work and stunning cinematography.

'Mad Max: Fury Road' has set a new standard for action films. It's arguably the greatest action film of the 21st century. It's that good. George Miller has brought back what we loved about 80's action films while also brining new ideas to the table. It's the best time I've had in a theater in a long time, and I couldn't help but laugh in appreciation of the ridiculousness that was unfolding before my eyes. The film left me feeling giddy, with a big smile on my face.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is the finest piece of pure action spectacle that I've watched since THE RAID 2 and JOHN WICK. It feels like the MAD MAX film that George Miller always wanted to make, and in many ways it's a virtual remake of MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR, except with a grossly inflated budget and CGI effects used to enhance rather than dominate. Now, I love THE ROAD WARRIOR and always will, but MAD MAX: FURY ROAD truly is an action film for our times.

I know that some will hate it; the story here is action and action alone and there's little else to get in the way. It's one long chase film and the amazing thing is how they manage to sustain the momentum for a good two hours. Exemplary cinematography and quite wonderful direction is what makes this work. With bad direction it would have been a real chore to sit through, but instead we get tons of suspense, great fight scenes, and incredible spectacle. This is the kind of film you watch to see stuff that's never been done before.

Tom Hardy feels like an obvious fit for the role and brings some working class style charisma to the part. As many have commented, Max is often a supporting player in his own film, but Charlize Theron as the real lead is excellent too, so that's not important. Even Nicholas Hoult in support is fantastic. I loved the way that the bad guy is played by Hugh Keays-Byrne, who was the villain in the first MAD MAX all those years ago. Overall, though, this is a film not about the people, but the Namibian desert landscapes, the modded vehicles, the speed, the violence, the overall thrill of the chase. And it's pretty much my idea of a perfect film.

Cold-blooded, botanically medieval, crusades-like, and horrifically thrilling—that's Fury Road. As for Max, it looks like he's the same archetypal Bane, only this time, he's more immune to "I'm not afraid, I'm angry." He's silent, and angry, and frustrated. He's Rango-like, reflective of the quest to solve the water-mystery. With everything red, orange, and yellow, it seems like you're viewing 300 blended in Saw, and over-the-top F&F.

George Miller revises his ideological construct in the most exhilarating, dreadful, and striking manner this time. For all I know, the audiences spoil themselves with "cinematic orgasms," if that's a thing, throughout the movie. They're not afraid of the porcupine-trucks, maybe a little on the edge of madness, but that goes without saying. Here's a hint as to what it was like: Bane and Miranda beating the beep out of war-painted, anti-Christian, Hulu tribe—only this time, it's some dark, full-raged action with mountain bikes, and trucks, and springy tentacles moving idiotic half-Willy, half-Wonka The Da Vinci Code Bettany's horrendous versions. Miller puts his tribal culture in the crux of action, which reveals an unorthodox, authoritarian, and devout portrayal of enmity. The sport-arena action is complemented by prayers in Citadel, banging of drums, skeleton-wheels, and skeleton-feels. It has a bizarre feeling—you're dredged into the modernity of Prometheus and antediluvian era of the Exodus.

More than anything—Max's deafening seriousness, Furiosa's bald-grace, armless-attraction, sense of responsibility, and and absolute congeniality to the role (always imposingly remarkable,) religious affirmation, banging, puffing, booming, clatter, splash, tick-tick, boom—the "fantasized-realism" behind all the get-off-my-property-you-crazy-lunatic is what gives you the honesty-chills. The stunts, the effort, the don't-care-about-ourselves-just-love-the-movie-please pledge, and the extraordinarily enormous—480 hours of footage into 120 minutes of freaking-awesome warfare—blows me off of my seat in the cinema to the pale, scorching blaze of the sun, amidst the crazy-eyes of this action-genre Orange is the New Black. Even the over-editing has that medieval, darkly comical feel to it, just like 300 for example (can't think of another movie with such aberrant effects, but such positive response.)

But like any other movie, there are points where you start questioning yourself. Nothing seems to justify Max & Furiosa's relationship, mutual combats, strategies, certainty of plans, and stuff like that. But by then, the movie's not about logic or sense anymore; it's more about seeing what you wouldn't in ages. With such a brilliant ensemble—I mean it was pretty good for a solely madness-based movie—you couldn't care less about the abacus-loving dumb-toads sitting in exactly the middle seats of the theater to get the most balanced view of the screen, and judge the minus-plus of the 120 minute long clip. I feel like reporting their stupidity to the CIA—enough with the pen and paper!

Mad Max comes equitably with the characters, their roles, and the titular projections. Each name is qualified by its corresponding characteristic with the character in the movie—Spikers, Rictus Erectus et cetera. This complements the heartfelt glow to the movie itself—everything's done for the movie. They didn't feel any need to impose worldly sense into it, which is the best part, because that miniature world seemed pretty damn believable to me—but why? Maybe it were those religious beats, maybe the dragon-roars of engines, maybe it was just the psychological effect. Whatever it was, it did what it planned to.

Mad Max: Fury Road puts forth the idea that there's so much more to combats than mere combats—MMFR incorporates belligerent, spoiling-for-a-fight attitude, oppressed landscape, estranged and barbaric drug-lords, heavy-weight weaponry and wheelers, and poster-paint bombings. The intensified red-blaze of fire, the sandstorm-effect, the preposterous turn of events, the nonsensical touch of things, and the wacky script—everything wrong with the movie is everything good about the movie. Mad Max: Fury Road revises the post-apocalyptic scene—utter dryness of region and minds—and uses the irritating sense of that dryness into a rigorous will to get past it with victory—Fury Road's victory. It's not about the comparative analysis of protagonists and the white-witty-wackos, it's about what's happening throughout. And when it happens, you're only remark is: "What a lovely day."

The opening is wild, kicking off with a captivating start. I think everything about this movie is perfect: the visuals, the action, the dialogue, the costumes, the acting... it was both beautiful and apocalyptic. I loved how everything felt like a rock 'n' roll fest.

I love dystopian movies, but you don't have to be a fan to recognize how amazing this was. It's a story of survival in a savage wasteland, every scene felt epic. I liked the cult-like nature and how they glorified their deaths like they were Vikings. Everything was eccentric and crazy, with non-stop action for nearly the whole movie.

It's really dystopian and wild, so it's surprising that this was actually a mainstream hit. "Do not become addicted to water" was such a wild statement, lol.

The premise is very simple; I don't think I can think of a more simplistic movie that worked so well. They drive out into the desert, then make a U-turn back to where they came from. That's it. And it's a blast. This is my favorite action movie, jam-packed with crazy sequences.

The movie is really just one huge dystopian action sequence, so I guess the drawback could be that it's all action. If you're looking for something more, you won't find much. Apparently, Mad Max lore has some complex and darker elements, and maybe the upcoming Furiosa will delve deeper into that.

Furiosa was probably the main character; it felt like Mad Max himself was just tagging along. The villain, Immortan Joe, was great. All the characters are memorable. And because the premise is so simple and the movie is so action-packed, it feels shorter than it actually is. It's just great fun and keeps me glued to the screen. Looking forward to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Don't take my word on this one. I recognize that I am in a small minority of people who didn't care for this move. It wasn't bad! I just think it wasn't for me. The crazy vehicles were obviously pretty cool but I couldn't rationalize the worldbuilding in it. Broke my suspension of disbelief and I couldn't really enjoy the rest of the movie I guess.