A mad max film for the focus groups

Rating: 3/10 (17 May 2015)

As a fan of the series I had high hopes for this film but I've left the theater disappointed. It can be best summed up as someone saying "the last act of the road warrior was so great so let's make that into a whole film". They've done that and as a result we get a film that's really lacking a story, is too busy and doesn't make sense.
I think most of its problems are down to being made to appeal to focus groups rather than being a true mad max film. The UK rating for it is a 15 and it shows. The few times it attempts to do something gruesome or violent it's always out of the scene and to compensate for the lack of blood the explosions are over the top and add to the busy and distracting feel.
All the theatrics, flaming guitar, pole vaulting guys give you a lot to look at but when you actually think about what is happening there's very little actually going on and you're left wondering why are there so many cars simply driving for no reason other than to follow the handful of cars actually doing something? What is the point to the guy playing random rubbish on his guitar other than to serve as a distraction on the screen?
I like Tom Hardy but in the film he has very little to say for having so much screen time and often it feels more like he's doing his impression of a lawn ornament rather than being mad max. Charlize Theron is barely any better. You could easily take both of their characters out and very little would change about the film.
Without spoiling it I feel there are few wtf moments that at least border on being major plot holes if not actually being plot holes.
It's a great film if you've never realized there were other mad max films or you thought it would be great if they made a mad max film you could take your children (older children that is) to.
If you're a fan of the series, there's not much here for you. Even Beyond thunderdome had more substance than this film and even with its awful bits with the children it still holds up better than Fury road.
Even the title, Fury road feels wrong as no one ever feels *that* angry let along furious.