Deranged is the new black.

Rating: 7/10 (14 May 2015)

Dear George Miller, I truly admire your post-apocalyptic take on the future of humanity- it is senseless, spectacular, isolated, barbaric, idyllic, brash, demented, berserk, refined, and nonsensical all in the same breath.
Let's try to break this film down into 3 separate plot-points or occurrences. First, Miller immerses us into the wondrous yet disturbing landscape of Mad Max's Australia - a dry and barren futuristic wasteland. The film essentially is one giant tracking-shot for the ages. A video game-like sequence (of sorts) in which our favorite bad boy Max, traverses the unknown territories of Miller's universe- in the hope of helping Imperator Furiosa smuggle wives; belonging to a tyrannical cult leader named King Immortan Joe- from his utopian citadel.
If that sentence sounded long and absurd, it's because the plot itself needs psychotherapy. Trying to adequately sum up the storyline is an insurmountable task - thus; let me skip trying to explain it. All you need to know is that it's a mindless car-chase extravaganza that ends with good prevailing over evil.
The characters in Fury Road are all over-the-top- simply put: they are just plain fun to look at. The special effects are unfathomable in their grandeur. Yet after all that praise, the film misses the point of what "itself" is trying to accomplish.
I was expecting a catharsis for the character of Max. His moral-ambiguity towards everything he does, anyone he meets, and anything he tries to accomplish - is never truly explained. Let's take for instance, his quite peculiar relationship with Furiosa. Max lives in a world filled with savages that support a madman - yet we do not understand why he chooses to protect Immortan's wives from being captured. He feels conflicted at first, and later just becomes their secret guardian angel. The convolution in the plot is irreparable.
If like me, you expected to find a poetic message left at the end of the film - you will be extremely disappointed. I waited and waited for something emotional to happen that would enable me to empathize with these characters. This moment never came. The one underlying problem with Mad Max: Fury Road is that the ideas it presents are so far-fetched and borderline crazy - they detach the viewer entirely from the film. There is no background given to the characters, therefore, all credibility in the storyline is tossed out the window. The journey Max and Furiosa undertake is confusing. The plight of both these characters is not resolved in the end. Furiosa will try to establish her "Green Place" in an area previously run with violence and cruelty; and Max just wanders off into the sunset - doing whatever he does after that. Which is a way of saying: it's unclear where Max will end up and what tasks lie ahead of him.
The practical effects used in some action-sequences are revolutionary. They even hired individuals from the Cirque-du-Soleil to perform some of the stunts. This shows Miller's dedication to create a lifelike universe - where the viewer is expected to spend over 2 hours engrossed inside. However, this universe lacks any sort of human component to it. All the human elements or themes of this film started to develop a deeper significance towards the climax but ultimately were left dying in the dust with car wreckage.
The desolate land, George Miller details in the film imparts us with a sense of psychological confusion. The universe of Mad Max is fundamentally flawed- which is the point I think, but Miller neglects the prospect of refining it. He does not explore the motives of the characters inhabiting his canvas. He sets a grimy tone to the universe but fails to justify its purpose or presence.
In conclusion, Mad Max: Fury Road is a visually pleasing spectacle but the actors playing the protagonists do a poor job at conveying powerful feelings to the audience. This may or may not be George Miller's fault, but at the end of the day, no one can deny the fact that this film is, and always will be a visual masterpiece.
Consensus: A soulless circus that entertains, or a cartoon parody of itself? No one can deny George Miller as a mastermind but I feel even he lost something in the making of this puzzle. Was it his sanity?