The Maddest of the Mad

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2015)

After about a decade of will it/won't it production, we've finally been given another Mad Max movie. Is it a sequel or a reboot? Well, kind of both really. It's the same universe but everything feels fresher and updated. There are inconsistencies in the timeline regarding previous films but this isn't really anything new for the franchise. Everyone who had seen it before I did told me that I wouldn't have to see the previous films to 'get' it. But as soon as the revs of V8 engines start roaring when the film starts and Max immediately is thrust into a world of poop, I feel that the movie assumes you know who Max is and are familiar with his mythology. So if you haven't seen the original trilogy and want to watch Fury Road, I suggest you catch up first. If not for the sake of familiarising yourself with the Mad world of Max, then watch them simply for the fact that they are undeniably awesome. Wellthe first two, at least.
Yes, Miller has finally returned after his famous post-apocalypse world, after some oddly-varied projects (such as Babe: Pig in the City andum, two Happy Feet flicks) This time, however, Mel Gibson stays at home. His replacement Tom Hardy is one of my favourite actors of the current generation so I waited eagerly to see how he would fare as Max Rockatansky. After seeing the movie once in the cinema, I can say that he does a satisfactory job. Hardy wasn't great, but he wasn't bad either. At times he looked unsure of himself and didn't seem to nail down a consistent accent, instead bringing along a variation of his Bane and Jack Bondurant. And he often had a blank – sometimes comical – confused look on his face during the quieter scenes in Fury Road. Oh, well – not everyone's as charismatic as Mel. I think the best thing that can happen for Hardy in regards to the franchise is more sequels so we can adjust to him playing the iconic role.
It's hard to believe that this action film is directed by a 70 year old. It has a hyper-kinetic energy and thrillingly outlandish pace to it that never lets go until the credits starts rolling. Miller has steamrolled his way into the 21st century and he's put most of the other films within this genre to shame. If there's anyone who thinks that movies like The Dark Knight Rises and Fast and Furious 7 have brilliant action scenes Fury Road is an obligatory watch.
Fury Road isn't like made in the same style as the previous films. The colour palate is very vivid which make the action scenes (80% of which were practical, you know) look very bright, in contrast to the bleak look of most post-apocalypse films. It's also the first Mad Max movie to be shot digitally. But that's not as doom and gloom as it sounds – some of the shots in this (like a particularly outstanding one of the camera moves down to the ground from a horizontal position as a speeding car runs over it) would not have been achieved had the movie been made with film cameras.
After a quick opening chase (with a V8 Interceptor cameo), Max is captured and taken to the Citadel to become a bloodbag – A delightfully disgusting invention by Miller and co. which involves the 'bloodbag' being caged and strung up upside own, with his blood being squeezed out through a tube and being provided to a 'half- life' war boy called Nux, who is suffering from some sort of cancer inflicted by the harsh environment. The Citadel is run my now- favourite 'baddie' of the Mad Max universe Immortan Joe, a ruthless and hideous masked dictator who holds a tight grip over the natural resources (mainly water) that are available. In doing so he maintains a tight grip over the ill and diseased-ridden population of the Citadel, and has assured those who follow him with enter Valhalla, the Promised Land. During the course of Max's imprisonment, Furiosa (played by Charlize Theorn), a rig-driver-of- Joe's-turned-rogue-for-reasons-not-entirely-explained-but-then- again-not-really-nessecary kidnaps Immortan Joe's "wives", who are implied to be sex slaves. Long story short – they run, he chases, Nux follows (with Max strapped to the front of his car), Max escapes, teams up with Furiosa, and what follows is a glorious feature-length crash bang wallop vehicle chase. And that's the story in Balamory.