Mad Max Fury Road: A statement to embarrass and destroy all other movies in the action genre

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, is George Miller's attempt to reignite his long dormant Mad Max franchise...and my god does he ever. For the past decade or so, with exceptions such as John Wick, The Bourne Trilogy, and The Raid, action movies seem to be struggling to capture the excitement and enjoyment the genre once held; a tenacity that classics from the 80's and 90's had in spades. George Miller single handedly delivers our saving grace with Fury Road on the back of a spike covered oil rig with a blind zombie playing a fire breathing electric guitar.
Max is a man of few words, but Tom Hardy's talent for portraying strong, silent characters shines through in a gruff but sympathetic performance. He teams up with Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa to save the last 5 hot women in the world from the leader of a powerful cult with a terrifying breathing mask inspired by the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. From there, the chase is on.
Using this simple plot as the setting, we are able to bear witness to one of the most beautifully shot films in years. The world of Mad Max looks absolutely gorgeous, combining awe-inspiring practical effects and landscapes with bold colours brimming from all edges of the frame. These are of course just bonuses in enhancing the primary reason people will love this film, the action itself. I'm happy to report these action sequences are damn near flawless. No shaky cam, barely a hint of CGI, and scenes where we actually feel like our characters are in danger (yes Furious 7 I'm calling you out). Total chaos relentlessly ensues for the majority of the film, but it's chaos you can follow clearly and marvel at. Whether it's one of the explosive car sequences, or one of the smaller emotional moments, Mad Max: Fury Road refuses to let up on tension for one second.
There's a reason this movie is sitting at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is an action movie that will set a precedent for years to come, roaring ferociously at all who may challenge it. Hopefully, this is only the beginning of a genre revolution early in the making.
FINAL VERDICT: Mad Max: Fury Road is a beautifully chaotic display of masterfully executed action sequences with a strong emotional core, and a raw energy unmatched by nearly all of its action genre competition.