Eye-Popping Entertainment

Rating: 9/10 (23 May 2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road is admittedly a pretty tricky film to analyze post-viewing. I will preface this review by saying this is one film to see on the absolute biggest screen possible. The action alone merits an eight-star rating. I will admit that most times I take the meticulous CG effects and practical wizardry of movies nowadays for granted, but it's worth saying that my jaw physically dropped during two or three of the film's action sequences. No doubt, it would be an understatement to say that George Miller has an eye for staging action. My only gripe, and it certainly doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the film, is that the movie is mostly lacking a compelling narrative hook. Before the inevitable comparison is made to 2013's Gravity, which was almost entirely propelled by the absolutely out-of-this-world action, I should say that the characters are much more interesting this time around. Charlize Theron is very good as Furiosa, even while her arc feels a bit forced. Nicholas Hoult is lots of fun as Nux, and Hugh Keays-Byrne plays a very solid villain. But, I must say it was Tom Hardy who really stole the show. I don't think I've every heard less lines from the supposed main character, but that's what really made him special. Otherwise, Junkie XL's score was absolutely electric, and it makes me very excited to see what he's got planned for Batman V Superman. The cinematography was very good, and perfectly captured the on-screen excitement without having to resort to the "gritty" hand-held style favored by lots of filmmakers nowadays.
So, while the story is not entirely serviceable, George Miller's confident and 100% competent direction elevated this from a fun but forgettable actioner to a potential Oscar candidate.