A new classic that demands repeat viewings

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 2015)

Flesh and metal collide in the part sequel, part reboot, post apocalyptic, no holds barred Mad Max: Fury Road. 70 year old director George Miller returns to the franchise he created, 30 years after the last outing. This time with Tom Hardy as Max and Charlize Theron as Furiosa, two rebels trying to survive in a desert landscape of lost humanity.
The plot is fairly simple, Imperator Furiosa abandons her duties and sets out to find her homeland, and take Immortal Joe's young brides with her. Joe of course sets out to stop her and Max is caught up in this battle. Charlize Theron is fantastic as Furiosa, with her artificial limb and war paint, determined to find her home and reunite with what's left of her family. Tom Hardy as Max is a man of few words, troubled by visions of past horrors. Both need to work together as they guide the fragile and beautiful brides of Joe to safety. The film has a core theme of feminist solidarity that balances well against the testosterone of Max, Immortal Joe and his War Boys. The performances from the two leads and their mutual respect is told mainly through actions rather than dialogue, exposition takes a back seat here.
Unlike previous films in the series, the budget this time around of $150 million finally matches the ambitions and imagination of the director. The sheer originality on display is impressive. Stunning photography, high contrast, warm colour palette and smooth camera work draw you into the wild west wasteland. The jaw dropping carnage of the action scenes are indescribable, Fast & Furious is a walk in the park compared to this. You must see it to believe it, but even then you still ask yourself, "Is this actually happening?" It has the right mix of CGI and real stunts that will make you think back to classics like James Cameron's Terminator 2. And it all looks awesome in 3D IMAX. The score by Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) is loud, heart pounding, epic and in sync with the bizarre but soon to be iconic flamethrower guitarist and tribal drummers who get their fair share of screen time.
Are there any negatives to the film? Only a few. Immortal Joe was fine as the main villain but The Bullet Farmer and The People Eater lacked depth, i wanted more time with them to understand their reasons for actually being part of the chase. Joe's brides (which included Zoe Kravitz and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) weren't the best performers and were quite bad at times.
So despite tall that, i highly recommend this film if for some strange reason you've been sitting on the fence. It's feral, dark, gritty, anarchic, surreal, just pure mayhem. Mad Max: Fury Road isn't just any action film, it's one that sits side by side with your favourite Hollywood blockbusters, a new classic that demands repeat viewings for it's visual triumphs and sonic assaults. Now if you excuse me, i'm off to watch it again.