an epic modern masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2015)

What are action movies today? They are a sea of CG, PG-13s just for the label, Marvel super heroes, and Michael Bay jokes. But every so often there is something like this. and while this is an existing franchise this moves shows us what a modern action movie should be. One of the draws of the original Mad Max trilogy is the real stuntwork during the action scenes. There really is something special about watching an actual stunt and knowing it was done for real. Mad Max Fury Road actually is real stuntwork like it's predecessors- but not only that it is far more ambitious in every action scene. Just about every move someone makes or a crash during an action scene here really is a spectacle. The theatrical trailer is just a small taste of what happens. And I estimate that 50-75% of this movie is pure action- yet it somehow doesn't grow old. But this is not a CG free film. However CG was only used to remove stuff like rigging and wires- which makes the action even more spectacular. Another spectacle this movie has to offer is the production design. Just looking at the vehicles and how most of them are pieces of different vehicles is just incredible- and they all were real. And at last there's the story. This movie sort of is a remake of the original Mad Max and The Road Warrior but at the same time is it's own original film. Not only that but there's the aspect of the characters- and despite the massive amounts of action, every major character is completely developed, and even the supporting cast is very memorable for different reasons. In actuality the story keeps the action from getting old and the two parts actually are almost the same thing. This movie is almost a month old at the time I'm writing this review and this is one of my top 10 favorite movies. This may not be the case for most people, but the use of action as visual storytelling really left an impression on me and I wish more action movies will follow in its footsteps. It really is impressive that 30 years after the last Mad Max movie and after 14 years of delay that George Miller brought back his signature series with a completely new vision. I look forward to the sequels that come. This is a really simple summary and it does not do the movie the justice it deserves. Mad Max Fury Road is a movie that cannot be summarized in words. It can only be experienced.