An incredible action masterpiece, crafted as a love-letter to all things film.

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2015)

Whether it is the beautiful cinematography and stunt work that fuel the incredible action sequences, or the surprisingly well-done dramatic content infused among the on-screen insanity, you simply cannot take your eyes off of Fury Road. George Miller's labor of love was released earlier this year in May, but due to extremely unfortunate circumstances, I was unable to see it as intended: in cinemas. Shrunken down onto a 55" television with a suitable surround sound setup, the film manages to offer an incredible experience nonetheless. Considering the genre at hand here, you know what to expect. Or do you? Miller has created one of the most exquisite action films I have ever seen, easily rivaling the likes of classics like Die Hard or T2. I'm being absolutely serious. I credit my intense appreciation of the film to many things, the first of which being the absurd amount of practicality.
That beautiful explosion you just saw was real, and it lends to a feeling of rawness and authenticity that very few other action films have achieved. This man knows that a wide-angle shot of a practical stunt is much more engaging than an actor interacting with a green screen in your typical blockbuster, resulting in lifeless "action," and he pulls it off effortlessly. Watch as a Warboy throws a dynamite-tipped spear into a rival car, and it be destroyed in extravagant fashion, with a beautiful color filter highlighting the billows of fire and smoke that fly from within. Action bliss. But amidst the incredible sequences of fury and fire, there is a strict moral compass for the main character.
While this is a "Mad Max" film, this is Imperator Furiosa's ride, portrayed rather brilliantly by Charlize Theron. She is a fiercely independent woman, with a rebellious and righteous mindset. She will not continue to stand for the oppression that our main baddie, Immortan Joe, has placed upon the people of the wasteland, and this is seen through her desperate protection of a particular group of the oppressed. You really care about this mission as you learn about her motivations, and it places a great amount of thematic drama at the center of the action set-pieces. There is a sense of urgency to her actions, heightened by the incredible spectacle placed into the film.
As for the title character, Max Rockatansky, he is done justice in more than a few ways. Obviously, it hinges upon Tom Hardy's performance, and although the script does not demand too many lines of dialogue from him, he does a fantastic job, mostly dependent on excellent use of emotion from simple facial expressions. This film appreciates the image. Speaking of the script, it had the bright idea of Max being at the short end of the stick. Haunted by his past memories of failing to protect those he loves, he has become mostly broken and destroyed, and is rarely firing on all cylinders. Without any sort of advantage throughout the movie, he is a very vulnerable and human hero, and the film is much better for it. The tension is ramped up to an all-time high due to the constant adversity Max faces. By the time Max is granted a moment to catch his breath, he is pitted with the decision to either join Furiosa's cause and continue to deepen the consequences termed by Immortan Joe, or return to the madman's clutches who may grant him a small possibility of redemption into this wasteland.
This movie simply does not break the immersion into this world, making the trip one you will remember, and one you will compare to future action titles. The rather seamless pacing, despite a minor hiccup in the second act, keeps the experience going along at a fantastic pace. Simply put, the action is exhilarating and rich, the performances are much more grounded and subdued than any typical action film has the right to attain, and the passion for filmmaking put on display for our action-hungry brains is absolutely impeccable. This is what action movies are meant to be. This one shows us the impostors that have hidden in plain sight for years now. At least someone in Hollywood is listening to our pleads and cries for action that returns to the roots of its once-remembered ferocity. Mr. Miller... You are that someone, and I couldn't be more excited for the future state of action filmmaking. As for right now, though, we can enjoy this modern classic, in all of its relentless, mad glory.