A triumphant return to form for both Mad Max and George Miller!

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2015)

Let me just first say that right off the bat that Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the most insane action films that I have ever seen! Although the film deviates heavily from the original trilogy in terms of aesthetics (the overtly orange-yellow palette, the ridiculousness of the action scenes...), the story and spirit remains pretty much the same: Max Rockatansky is trapped in a post- apocalyptic Australia and does all he can to survive - while getting involved in the dangerous affairs of others.
Prior to watching Fury Road, I quickly squeezed in some time to watch both the Mad Max and Mad Max: Road Warrior - both great movies in their own right. Entering Fury Road, I had some expectations of how the latest Mad Max installment would turn out. Based on my rating for this movie, one can say that my expectations were blown out of the water.
Tom Hardy as Mad Max is just as good as Mel Gibson as Mad Max. The character's lack of faith in humanity, paranoia of strangers, and sense of loneliness are all brought convincingly to the screen by Hardy. Not to mention, he can be just as brutal and violent - don't worry, some of the best action scenes in this film belong to Max (despite the belief that this movie eventually sidelines Max for Furiosa).
That's another thing that really surprised me - Charlize Theron as the tough-as-nails Imperator Furiosa. Not only is she completely unrecognizable in the role, but also (IMO) gives one of her career bests here! Her commanding presence on screen is proved by the fact that she can hold her own against any of the male characters (including Max), and that she can take great risks at the expense of the group she's trying to save. Along the way, she also makes a number of painful decisions that elevates the film's emotional impact. In all honestly, I'm hoping that Miller and Warner Bros. do a spin-off movie for Theron's character if Fury Road proves to be a success at the box office.
The story may seem simple and straightforward (it basically feels like two long, ridiculous car chases), but don't let that detract you from the fact that it is imbued with a deep sense of back-story and many complex themes. Despite what sceptics are saying, Mad Max: Fury Road is not some dumb, typical popcorn-flick. The film also lightly touches on a number of current social/political issues: gender equality, global warming, and authoritarianism.
Recently, I've been noticing a number of my reviews haven't been helpful too fellow readers. If anything, I believe one of the reasons why they aren't helpful may have to do with the fact that I assign a 'verdict' at the end of my reviews – telling people whether or not they should be watching the film on the big screen. I realized that in my short time as a movie reviewer, people will make that decision on their own regardless if they take my review into consideration. I also realize that he/she may actually end up liking a movie I gave a poor rating to or disliking a movie I gave a great rating to – and that I have to respect that. Starting with this review, I will no longer be putting 'verdicts' at the end of my reviews.
All in all, Mad Max: Fury Road is designed and meant to be seen on the big screen. I'm certainly glad that I saw it on the big screen (even though at first I had no plans to see it at all), and highly recommend it to anyone. This is a great film; don't let the opportunity slip by.