If you are an 80’s kid, at some point in your life you watched at least one of the Australian exploitation films Mad Max (1-3). They were like cowboy movies but set in the future with cars. Most would say Mad Max 2 is the best of the 3 movies that George Miller created.
The first was a self-funded indie movie that broke all the rules, the second was a gritty classic and the 3
rd felt like a bit of sell-out crowd pleaser with Tina Turner and Hollywood throwing money at George Miller. So what is to be made of the new reboot/retake with Tom Hardy in the classic Mel Gibson role? Well let’s dig in.
In my life there have been very few sequels/remakes that were better than the original i.e. Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back , The Godfather 2, Mad Max 2, The Dark Knight - where the sequel that took what worked in the first movie, reworked it, built on it and then improved it and surpassed the first film. These movies have done that. Mad Max: Fury Road enters this small but very impressive club for me.
George Miller takes the character he created way back when most of us where still in diapers and some just cells in their parents - he takes the set-up, some tropes from Mad Max 1 and 2, adds some massive nitrous oxide to it, ups the production design, ups the physical stunt work, amps the tough girl quota, amps the costume, amps the cars, amps the scale of the Mad Max movie to the level of a grand opera.
I can honestly say Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the few movies in the world today where the trailer does not give away the plot of the story but also where the film completely lives up to the trailer and surpasses it. George teases in the trailer and delivers in the movie.
There practical effects and stunt work are out of this world. Which puts the “Fast and Furious” dude to shame with their laughable and impractical effects. There’s car carnage to make Clarkson, May and Hammond to go gaga with glee and wet their pants from excitement.
There’s girl power to make the best feminist blush and this is a mainstream Hollywood movie. It shames all those mega blockbusters that can't even clinch one third of what Fury Road does for its female characters. Only Game of Thrones treats its women like Fury Road.
There’s enough that's beautiful… yes beautiful scenery, beautiful sets, beautiful looking character tropes, the Namib dessert has never looked so great. There’s even a slight poke at the idea of faith and religion - there's something to find and love in this film for everyone. This is what a blockbuster is supposed to be.
You kinda even welcome Tom Hardy taking over beloved Mel Gibson as Max. Ons Charlize Theron represents, Beast from the X-Men movies shines, as does the young General Stryder.
The best thing though is that Mad Max: Fury Road is not ashamed of what it is - it embraces it’s origin of pulp, brutishness and violence with complete and utter glee whilst still delivering a story. One is entertained, wowed, gobsmacked and even made to laugh and cringe.
This, after
Dear White People, is the second movie of the year 2015 that I thoroughly enjoyed. The best part is that it’s a straight commercial flick - no arty farty pretentions, no great moralizing but the film is conceived and executed so well. It’s cinematic in every way.
Do yourself a favour go watch this movie. Like Drake said, “You’ll thank me later.”
Rating *****
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
index
* Junk **Almost bearable ***Now we cooking **** Almost perfect ***** Classic
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++