Why Practical Effects Matter

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2015)

I won't say anything new about MAD MAX: FURY ROAD that hasn't been said before, so I'll just be preaching to the choir. While Tom Hardy is good and all, it is Charlize Theron's Furiosa that ultimately trumps the titular character in an unexpectedly significant role that is handled with grace and gravitas that one can expect from Theron. The character of Furiosa herself is a revelation, someone you don't normally get to see in a big budget action blockbuster: She is on an equal level playing field as Max, both important, and one helping the other when the situation calls for it. She's also the more interesting character, going through a deeper change and a more emotional journey. It's a good thing, then, that Max is resorted as a background character, which may anger some people, but it works here.
On the other hand, the action scenes are something to behold. In a era over-reliant on CGI, director George Miller's throwback to practical effects makes the action scenes come, quite literally, to life. There's a sense of verve, wonder, thrill, and rhythm that you don't usually get from modern action movies, save for Tarantino's DEATH PROOF and the FAST AND FURIOUS movies. Even then, those films look insignificant in comparison. Maybe FURY ROAD is Miller's way of reminding us what we've been missing out on for the past several years. Maybe it's his plea to get action movies back to their roots. Or maybe Miller just wanted to show the world the visionary he really is. After all, THE ROAD WARRIOR had inspired many action films since its release, and one can expect FURY ROAD to do the same...again.