"Perfect In Every Way!"

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2016)

When it comes to George Miller's rip roaring, pedal to the metal action powerhouse Mad Max: Fury Road, the question truly is whether or not it's the greatest single action film ever made. Miller, who of course directed the original Mad Max trilogy that helped launch Mel Gibson's career into orbit, picks up right where he left off by creating a barren, unforgiving desert wasteland, inhabited by a variety of gangs and tribes in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world. The movie begins with our hero, Max (Tom Hardy in a brilliant, likely career-changing role), looking out over the desert, thinking about his former life as a cop, and how he's haunted by the souls of those he wasn't able to save. Without warning, Max jumps in his rig and speeds off into the sand, only to be chased by a pack of shirtless, skin-headed marauders, or "War Boys." Max is captured and brought to the Citadel, where the larger than life, scary as hell "Immortan Joe" looms over his clifftop perch to deliver a booming message to thousands of peasants. He's sending crews out for supplies, bullets, and so forth, and he wants to see them off in style (apparently). This is where we meet Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who is leading one of the convoys in her imposing "War Rig." But as the journey begins, Immortan Joe discovers that Furiosa has taken something from him that she does not plan to return, and all hell breaks loose. Before long, Max and Furiosa become reluctant partners as they struggle to survive a full- throttle, fuel-injected game of cat and mouse. To call Mad Max: Fury Road an action picture isn't even really doing it justice. Consider the most intense action film you've ever seen. Now multiply it times 10. I'm serious. I love me a good action flick, but I've never seen anything like this. Of course there are some effects that are undoubtedly CGI, but from what I've read about the production of the film, a surprising number of the unreal, heart-pounding action scenes were actually performed by actors and stuntmen. Take for example the scene in which Immortan Joe's posse has just about caught up to Furiosa. Leading the pack is a knucklehead war boy named Nux, who we're led to believe is dying of a fairly common but deadly blood disease. In order for Nux to do this without getting sick, he needs a "blood bag" or, in this case, Max, chained to the front of Nux's rig with a blood line literally intertwined through the chain links. Furiosa sees a sandstorm up ahead, and heads straight for it. The buildup to this scene, and the way the action unfolds on the screen as the chase rockets into the storm, are film making at its finest. Action cinema does not get better than this. Now, it would be one thing if we were simply lured in by groundbreaking action sets and scenes. But where this film really delivers is the emotional connection it creates between the viewer and the protagonists. There is a cautious but healthy respect between Max and Furiosa, especially as they each come through when the other needs them most. By the end, we believe in their bond, and perhaps our throats even tighten up a little when our two heroes acknowledge each other with the simplest of gestures. The cinematography is also of the highest order. We get a real sense of place and scope of the environment the story takes place in. Ariel shots that gradually pan downward upon a frenetic chase scene are extremely effective, especially aided by a thundering soundtrack that in some cases is literally part of the action. Make no mistake; Mad Max: Fury Road is that rarest of rare treats, a landmark film that will undoubtedly set the bar for the action genre for years to come. To put it simply: "perfect in every way!"