150% Beautiful Insanity!

Rating: 9/10 (21 September 2015)

Hunted by scavengers and haunted by his past, Max lives on the run like a lone wolf reduced to the single instinct of survival. Things, however, take a turn for the worse once he finds himself a prisoner of a citadel tyrannized by an evil warlord and must join a group of strangers in hopes of escaping out alive.
From director George Miller, the original mastermind behind the Mad Max franchise, comes a new post-apocalyptic tale of vengeance and solidarity. Fueled with stylistic chaos and amped with 150% beautiful insanity, Mad Max: Fury Road is like a nitro-boosted adrenaline rush straight to the head! Every shot was flawlessly staged, lit and framed like an artistic photograph that simply screams pure genius. This goes without mentioning the awesome, heavy metal-infused orchestral score by Junkie XL. Now some viewers might feel a little awkward accepting some of the steam-punk attire, eccentric props and unquestionably weird characters, but they shouldn't be too quick to judge. Everything in the film, no matter how odd, has a sense of logic and a functional purpose to support its existence. Not only does this sensible approach make things feel more realistic but it also couldn't look more genuine, thanks to the abundance of practical effects and real stunt work. Even more impressive is the clear dedication from our leading actors who performed the majority of their own stunts. One fight sequence even resulted in Tom Hardy breaking his nose, but judging by his interviews, it's pretty clear that everyone's proud of what they've accomplished.
Putting the film's obvious strengths aside, one of Fury Road's most impressive aspects is the technical brilliance behind the cinematography and editing itself. Regardless of how fast-paced some of the scenes were and how many quick cuts they included, I never once had to struggle to process the visuals. It's safe to say that the director knew exactly how to frame the characters in each shot to ensure everything flowed together without nauseating the audience, regardless of its high-paced action. Too bad most modern action movies aren't competent enough to film and edit sequences this way. Maybe Taken 3 rings a bell? Keep in mind, viewers may find disappointment through the film's relatively thin plot and lack of dialogue, but one could easily argue that Miller effectively makes up for this with his clever use of visual storytelling techniques. I for one felt the characters' actions spoke for themselves and am confident his storyboard- based script had a lot to do with why this approach worked so well.
This might be the 4th chapter in a pre-established saga, but Millar has proved his concept is far from dead and Fury Road completely justifies all the critical appraise it's receiving. With just enough nods to the originals to please die-hard fans but more than enough fresh material to engage new audiences, anyone getting on board is sure to enjoy the ride. If its unique style or genuine originality isn't enough to catch your attention, the high octane and unquestionably explosive action sequences are sure to blow you away!