Mad Max: Fury Road is the masterpiece I'd hoped it would be

Rating: 10/10 (30 May 2015)

I just finished watching, and wow...
This ain't your mother's Mad Max. And anyone who says it's The Road Warrior 'rehashed' is a moron. At no point during the movie did I even feel like I was watching a Mad Max movie. This is a new beast that stands on its own. It's still a post-apocalyptic world, but with Hardy at the helm and with the new story, it feels like a brand new franchise. The action starts early, and it barely lets up for two freakin' hours. And what a lovely two hours it is.
Charlize Theron is great, and really, she's the star. Hardy does a great job as Max, but he has like 20 lines in the whole movie (I might be exaggerating). But it doesn't matter - it feels right. Hardy is exactly what he's supposed to be, and he's awesome. And just because he doesn't have a ton of dialogue doesn't mean he isn't always present and kicking ass. He is.
The movie is more about empowering women than anything else. And that's a good thing. It's not about greedy marauders after fuel like the previous Mad Max films, it's a human story. And it sucks you in enough for you to care.
The comradery is awesome, there's a smidgen of a love story, and a bad guy switches sides and you'll love his character. The direction and cinematography are outstanding, and some scenes, including ones of destruction, are just plain gorgeous. You'll laugh, you'll wince, you'll get teary-eyed. It's f*cking epic.
Simply put, 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is an action movie masterpiece, and George Miller is a genius. I don't see how anyone can be disappointed with this movie.