Mad Max Fury Road

Rating: 10/10 (14 May 2015)

Mad Max Fury Road finally hit the screens around the world and let me tell you, the thirty years gap was well worth the wait. The technical achievement is beyond anything we see these days because it combines the best of modern technology with good old school cinema. CGI is definitely used as little as possible while stunts and special effects are put forward in this slice of madness tainted of nightmarish visions inspired by paintings of Dali and Goya. The colors, sounds, costumes design and characters development are amazing and the film turns out to be something completely unique, a savvy mix of action, adventure and visual madness. Probably the only film after El Topo that has had such an impact on me. Huge fan of the original trilogy, this film manages to respect the old style but pumps up the adrenaline and push the pedal full throttle into 21st century. What surprised me was the fact that mastermind George Miller, now in his 70's has managed to direct a film of an incredible modernity while younger directors today are incapable of doing something as fresh or as original as this film. Clearly a modern masterpiece filled with so much depth and visual elements referencing; the stolen generation, the gender issue, themes of slavery , servitude, redemption and human greed. Shot like a huge chase across the gorgeously photographed Namibian desert, the cinematography from John Seale, who came out of retirement especially for this film, is beyond anything I have ever seen. Every shot is filled with so much elements, so rich of details, I think I just took the biggest slap of my life at the movies. I highly encourage the audience to watch it in IMAX 3D because this film seems to have been invented especially for this technology... I assure you, films like this come only once in a lifetime and I feel blessed to witness the rebirth of the lone 'Samurai' and anti hero Mad Max Rockatansky. One little regret, Mel Gibson would have been a better choice than Tom Hardy who does an OK job but lacks the charisma and the natural flashing madness so unique and perceptible in the eyes of mister Gibson. Thankfully Charlyze Theron is impressive with her shaved head and mechanical arm, inhabited by a rare determination and burning the screen with her raw intensity, she will surprises a lot of people. Thoroughly thought and built this film is simply the modern achievement we needed for the rebirth of the action/ adventure genre in all its glory. One can only hope Mad Max Fury Road will destroy everything at the box office this summer so Miller will start work on his Mad Max Furiosa....
When the V8 roars at the start, you will feel chills going down your spine and return to the state of a twelve year old witnessing the beginning of a new cult classic piece of cinema like we too rarely see these days... As a screen legend said once ... fasten your seat-belt...it's going to be a bumpy ride! and a mad one....