Eye-catching but empty

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2015)

In Apocalypseland, Max Rokatansky finds himself strapped to the front of a vehicle forming part of a convoy crossing the desert in pursuit of a bus which has hijacked the harem of some feudal overlord-type in a mask whose name I didn't catch (in fact, I didn't catch any name apart from Charlize Theron's character, Imperator Furiosa). Max escapes and, after some disagreement, ends up helping the "brides."
I was very excited about the original Mad Max, because I love post-apocalypse fiction. And the first film in the original series actually started by addressing the crumbling of civilisation, showing a bridge between familiarity and the new order. Hindsight shows that what creator/director George Miller really wanted to do was get, as soon as possible, to a place where Max is a lone proponent of traditional values in a world which appears to consist entirely of feral gangs, victims, and sand. Fair enough, but it's not post-Apocalypse, is it? It's an alternate reality. Fury Road is a continuation, not a reboot, in which an entire sub-civilisation has built up in a remarkably short period: Max, a cop before The Fall, is still a young man, but the feral youths here have their own mythology. And how come, in this bleak, arid world, has the petrol not all evaporated? How come people are happy to waste petrol and water, both of which have to be scarce resources? Max's world makes no sense within the context of its own origin: that's why the original series annoyed me, and this addition doesn't change that.
In terms of eye candy, it's certainly spectacular: there are some phenomenal stunts, the effects work is good, and the desert locations are dramatic. But the story – an extended chase for two hours - is no more than a hook to hang the visuals on, the characters are mostly uninteresting and undeveloped (not that it matters, because this film isn't about character at all) and Max is uncharismatic because Tom Hardy doesn't get to give an idea of what sort of person he actually is.
If you like the idea of spending time in the eye-catching interior of a biscuit tin and being violently shaken for a couple hours, then I suspect you're going to really enjoy this. As for me, it tickled my eyes, but I would have liked a bit of food for the brain, too. I have friends who rated it highly: I had hoped I would too, but I'm afraid I have to record overall disappointment. This is an empty, empty film, and I'm not in a hurry to see it again.