Best action film I've seen in oh so long...oh so good!

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2016)

"Mad Max: Fury Road": This was my absolute, most anticipated film for the entire year. And to just get this immediately out of the way, this film did not in any single way whatsoever disappoint me. It has been days since I've seen the film and I'm still pumped about it. "Fury Road" is a masterpiece. That is exactly what it is and there is not another word that describes it any better. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word in terms of action, concept, writing, character, style, effects, acting, sheer filmmaking. I grew up knowing of the "Mad Max" franchise but I didn't really grow up with it other than the glimpses I had gotten and the few scenes I caught on television as a kid. Not until I got into my late teens that I caught the first Mad Max movie on TV one night and I liked it, but it wasn't until the second viewing a few years later that I fell in love with it. It was something that for some reason or another went over my head the first go around, but when it finally clicked I went straight into watching the second film "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior". At the time I was determined to not let the second film one go over my head like its predecessor, and I fell for "Road Warrior" right away. To me, the first two movies are some of the greatest action films of all time; although that is pretty commonly said about "Road Warrior", the original I think is pretty underrated. Now, "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" I honestly don't like much at all. There's really no hate that I have for "Thunderdome", but there not a whole lot for me to enjoy about it either. Mel Gibson is still good in the role and that's about it. Then when I came across the rumor of "Fury Road", at first I was a little skeptical but once I saw a trailer and some still images, any skepticism I previously had completely subsided and was replaced with excitement. If this film ended up being bad, you have no idea how depressed I would be. The fact that this actually somehow exceeded my expectations is beyond comprehension. "Thunderdome" wishes it could have been this. For a film being in production hell for 30 years, this was an unbelievable achievement in film history. Probably because it had a genius like George Miller behind it; creating the entire story solely out of storyboards alone. Which makes this film such a rich experience; it's as if I was watching a silent film at times. Every shot was completely stunning. Any time the movie took a breath, it was still so beautifully constructed that I could put the film on mute and still get an emotional response. Although I will say that the musical score was just as beautifully composed and added even more to the performances on screen. There is not a boring moment throughout any of the running time. There is not a dull character that comes into play. There is not a bad stunt or special effect thrown in during any of the action. It is as close to flawless as humanly possible. I will say that it was slightly sad not seeing Mel Gibson in the role anymore, but Tom Hardy nails everything about Max Rockatansky. That is the most negative comment I could say about the whole thing, and I don't even think that even comes close to counting as a knock against the movie, actually in a way is a compliment to a talented actor. He felt like the same character, but has naturally progressed into more of a primal being than before. For the first half of the film he doesn't even really speak, he grunts. This was awesome just to watch him sort of mumble and grunt to himself and some of the other characters. But I loved that the film still remembers the first "Mad Max", being haunted by the death of his family. It went into that territory just enough that it supplied me the character development for Max that felt satisfactory and justified the movie to remain as action packed without feeling as though there were no one worth routing. As much as this is Max's movie, it is equally Furiosa's too, played by Charlize Theron. Oh god she did fantastic in this; embodying exactly what Miller said to be, the "Female Road Warrior". In anyone else's hands, could have gone horribly wrong, but it doesn't. She is fierce while also heartbreaking. Furiosa deserves as much credit for making this film work as Max does, if not more so in some aspects. Lastly, I just want to go over the villain real quick. Entering the frame, it was as if seeing the next Darth Vader pop on screen. Immortan Joe holds such a presence that I thought I was gonna s**t my pants! So now that I have gone on and on about this movie, this is a must see for the summer. For the year. For the decade. A straight up "must see", period. I loved this movie. It's pretty obvious that most everyone who has seen this film loves it. I do not want this to be the next "Dredd" film. Or "Edge of Tomorrow" where it is an absolute great film that gets screwed in the box office and never gets another chance to expand its universe with a sequel. This is one of the greatest action films of all time right next to the first two Mad Max films in cinema history. Please go out and watch this. I am begging you, if I don't get a sequel to this then I am going to go on a killing rampage...I mean, I will be very sad. Seriously though, was fantastic and I hope to see more of Max's, and even Furiosa's, story in the future.