Mad Max Fury Road has raised the bar to a whole new level for action movies in my eyes

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2015)

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD review by Mike Smith
In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order.
25 years after the last Mad Max film "Beyond Thunderdome" we hit Fury Road. This film isn't really a remake, it feels like a continuation of the Mad Max mythology.
From start to finish this movie grabs you with non stop heart pounding action and madness. One thing that sets this film apart from most films this year is that over 80% of this film is practical effects. In the heavy C.G. movie industry that we live in, it's a breath of fresh air to see a big budget film with car crashes and flames.
The cast is amazing; Tom Hardy can do no wrong! He plays Max just like Mel Gibson did but better. He rarely talks but this facial expressions and intensity keeps you wanting more. Charlize Theron plays a strong character and she steals the show. Theron and Hardy work amazingly together. Nicholas Hoult is always a good choice; he does this gradual shift from psycho that you kind of want to see get killed off, to a sweet broken hearted man who is falling in love. Sure lots of people can pull it off but some actors can't. Nicholas Hoult pulled it off and was a great choice for the film. Now to the main villain, a spooky, creepy, evil, dictator overlord, what a hell of a blend. In a movie called Mad Max you would expect to see more of the hero but a character like Immortan Joe made me want to see more of the villain. This roll was made for Hugh Keays-Byrne and he ran with it. This whole cast worked amazingly together the chemistry was dead on.
The cinematography was spectacular; the car crashes, explosion and practical effects aside, the desert landscapes were awesome and the blue cold nights were stunning. The bit of C.G. we did see was really well done but the colours in the film were beautiful.
In the Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome there was a lot of crazy cars, characters, and sets. Well if that was crazy then this is straight up insane! everything is unique and beautiful in a post apocalyptic way. This was a treat for my eye.
There are some nods to the first three films (I'm not going to spoil anything). One thing that worried me going into this film was will I keep thinking of the other films, NOPE. I didn't miss Mel Gibson at all and let's be fair, if it works for 007 it can work for Mad Max. There are sequels planned but I hope they are released 2-3 years between each other.
I feel like Mad Max Fury Road has raised the bar to a whole new level for action movies in my eyes. I thought nothing (until Star Wars episode 7) would top The Avengers Age Of Ulton for my favorite movie this year.... Well I was dead wrong. After seeing this film I wanted to see it again right away. So stop reading my review and go enjoy this crazy ride.
11 out of 10 Edited by Samantha Locke twitter: FatMikeTPK Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FatMikesMovieReviews