One of the best action movies in recent memory

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2016)

Every day is a fight to survive in a harsh and unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape. In Citadel, one of the few cities still standing, a ruthless overlord maintains an iron grip over every resource and human being. When Furiosa (Charlize Theron), one of his top soldiers, steals his "wives" and flees, all hell breaks loose. She crosses paths with Max (Tom Hardy), a man haunted by past failures who's reduced to a single instinct: survival. Together, they just might be able to restore order to the world. Mad Max: Fury Road is a reboot of the franchise from the late 70s/early 80s, but knowledge of the original films isn't necessary. The best way to describe the world of Mad Max to the uninitiated is as follows: engines roaring, guns blazing, people jumping from vehicle-to-vehicle, sandstorms; in short, complete insanity.
From Citadel, to the desert, to the action sequences, everything about Fury Road is massive and well-crafted. Most modern directors choose to make huge action films like this with copious amounts of CGI for the sake of ease. George Miller (director of the original Mad Max trilogy) went to painstaking lengths to ensure the film's authenticity, and it makes a world of difference. The stunts were real, there's very little CGI, and the props were fully functional, even a flame throwing guitar hooked up to a truck full of amps (a type of post-apocalyptic war trumpet, if you will). The high-octane action sequences, which take up a large portion of the film, are awe-inspiring, gritty, and imaginative. However, they are precise enough where they never feel like they are too over-the-top or overstay their welcome.
Because the focus of the film is on the action, there isn't as much room for story or character development. Max and Furiosa's pasts and motivations are compelling, but most of their time is spent kicking ass (not necessarily a bad thing). The world that Fury Road is set in is full of fascinating details concerning how humanity continues to survive in such a harsh and unforgiving world, which makes up for the fact that the plot isn't as unique as it could be.
Bottom Line: Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies in recent memory. 8/10