‘Furiosa’ continues wild ride of ‘Mad Max’ series
Hollywood film history is full of prequels and sequels. Director George Miller has managed to do both with his “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” Such a unique spot in a franchise creates the scenario that it helps to have some knowledge of the past but even newcomers will be able to enjoy the violence-charged production.
The film picks up in the post-Apocalyptic world introduced in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with Mel Gibson playing the road warrior. Because the world has become a wasteland, humanity has fallen into chaos. Tribes travel the Australian plans looking for food, water and the next kill.
Miller brought the franchise back to life in 2015 with “Mad Max: Fury Road” that introduced the vengeance-seeking Furiosa as played by Charlize Theron. Her backstory is told in the new movie from Miller with Anya Taylor-Joy taking over the role. This prequel/sequel reveals everything from why she is such a talented warrior to the reason she sports a mechanical arm.
Her story starts as a youngster – with Alyla Browne beautifully handling the role – when Furiosa is taken from the Green Place of Many Mothers. The 2015 film covered only three days but this offering spans countless years as Furiosa goes from child captive to adult warrior. It starts when she becomes the captive of warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). She later becomes a bargaining toll at one of the desert Wasteland strongholds, the Citadel, presided over by the Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). While the two tyrants fight for dominance, Furiosa continues her quest to honor her mother’s last wish of returning home.
In many ways, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a version of “Dune” on steroids. Both feature bleak and arid worlds where tyrants rise and fall over a coveted commodity. Whether it be spice or gasoline, the rareness makes the items a spark for conflict.
Where “Furiosa” departs from “Dune” is its savage appreciation of violence. Miller’s world features countless ways for people to brutally die and the director is not shy in terms of showing it. It is the endless violence to survive that drives the film like a full tank of gas.
Miller’s film boils down to the characters of Furiosa and Dementus. He sets her life in motion and becomes the focus of her efforts to survive this hellish world.
Casting Taylor-Joy was a brilliant movie by Miller. He found an actress whose appearance is close enough to Theron that the connection between the films is strong. Taylor-Joy has such a distinct look that she sells this brutal world with her eyes instead of a lot of unnecessary dialogue.
Taylor-Joy does get out performed by Browne as the young Furiosa. From the moment Dementus makes her watch the violent death of her mother, there is no escaping the hate and anger in the eyes of the youngster. Browne handles that with the expertise of a veteran.
Hemsworth dives into the role with the same comedic fury he brought to playing Thor in all the Marvel movies. He fills the screen with a brutal presence but at the same time gives this very dark film the lighter moments it desperately needs. He comes close to going over the top, but this is a film where everything has been distorted and stretched to fit this world.
Miller’s willingness to take leaps with people, places and things does create a few holes in the story. Most of the movie takes place at one of three major outposts that produce gas, water or ammunition. The main thrust of the film is this is a world where resources are scarce, but one outpost can grow an abundance of food while another makes enough ammunition for an army. There is no explanation how this can happen.
These are minor points that get overshadowed by the never-ending action. Miller starts the movie in third gear and just keeps shifting to a faster speed with each moment. As with all of the “Mad Max” offerings, the biggest moments are the chase sequences across the desert. Miller never holds back as each mile is filled with massive death scenes and even bigger crashes. Just when it seems the vehicles and action can get no bigger, Miller changes gears and the film gets even bigger.
The best thing to remember is to buckle up as it is a wild ride.
Movie review
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Grade: B
Cast: Ana Taylor-Joy,Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alya Browne.
Director: George Miller
Rated: R for violence, violent images
Running time: 148 minutes.
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