A full 30 years after the release of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome , George Miller revisits post-apocalyptic Australia with Mad Max:Fury Road , a reboot that sees Tom Hardy replace Mel Gibson. Fury Road not a direct sequel to Thunderdome instead, it takes place at a time not previously specified in the series' chronology.
In the film, Mad Max (Tom Hardy) makes an uneasy alliance with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) while on the run from Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and his cult to the War Boys. Max and Furiosa flee with Immortan Joe's harem in a twin-engined armored tanker truck and are chased through the desert by hordes of crazed War Boys who run anything they can get their hands on.
It's Mad Max:Fury Road worth seeing? Read our spoiler-free review for geeks below to find out.
Mad Max:Fury Road It's not like other action movies. Because George Miller does something very different from the norm..
While most Hollywood action movies seem to be vying for the biggest, most epic and most carefree movie, Fury Road He is content to do his thing. Over and over again in this review, I'll talk about how this movie stands apart from most other action movies:the plot is more precise and focused, the characters are deeper and more human, and it's not a mess of digital effects. layered on top of each other.
In recent years, Hollywood has shown that an action movie can be about anything. Many recent blockbusters are convoluted stories of heroes searching for one major plot device after another in a series of exotic locales.
It's refreshing that the plot of Fury Road it's the opposite:a very focused story dealing with a single major incident. This isn't a story about saving the world, it's about fighting for survival in a little corner in the middle of nowhere. Immortan Joe has several hundred disciples, not thousands or millions. His territory spans tens of miles, rather than an entire planet.
By redialing the scope of the plot, Miller's film actually becomes more epic than something like Avengers:Age of Ultron. , where the planet is kept Every twist, turn, collision and explosion has meaning. Entire cities are not wasted to motivate a secondary character.
Mad Max:Fury Road It really raises the bar with the strength of the characters in the movie. While the film is extremely light on dialogue, the entire cast steps up their non-verbal acting to compensate.
Apart from the opening monologue, Max never strings more than three sentences together. I doubt he has 50 total lines in the movie. The other characters are barely louder. When someone speaks, it has a purpose and is always important. One of the film's few minor flaws is that what little dialogue there is can be hard to hear over the background noise.
Although Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are central to the show as Max and Imperator Furiosa, it's the supporting characters that make the movie. Nicholas Hoult takes his A-game to the lovable, psychotic War Boy Nux. Hugh Keays-Byrne - who played Toecutter in the original Mad Max - Master every scene you're in as a cult leader, Immortan Joe. Even Immortan Joe's five wives, who in most movies would be reduced to mere interchangeable caricatures, have their own distinct personalities and motivations.
Every character, even the titular Max, has moments of strength and weakness throughout the film. No character is above needing help. Miller's characters aren't just plot devices designed to drag you between explosions:Michael Bay, I'm looking at you, they feel like real people and you really care if they escape or not.
The Internet's initial reaction to Fury Road's The large cast of characters, both male and female, has been...interesting. Men's rights activists were quick to dismiss the film as feminist propaganda, while feminist commentators have countered that it is certainly not a feminist film. It's a little disheartening to see how divisive it can be to have female characters that aren't just action movie tropes, but then we probably shouldn't be surprised. Your hatred of Apple/Android/Windows is irrelevant. Give up your hatred of Apple/Android/Windows It's irrelevant, give up feeling upset that someone is buying something that nobody cares about, so why do we get angry? Read more.
One of the best things about Fury Road This is how the film embraces its post-apocalyptic future. After a nuclear war, the human race has been reduced to fighting for survival in a desert wasteland. The key to success is the most important resources in the world:water, gasoline and bullets. The future in Mad Max universe is not a robotic utopia What happens when robots can do all the jobs? What happens when robots can do all the jobs? Robots are getting smarter fast, what happens when they can do every job better and cheaper than humans? Read more . Instead, War has taken society back to its earliest roots. .
This is not to say that Fury Road It is devoid of technology. While many tools are rudimentary or improvised, humanity remains as dependent on technology as ever.
The radiation from the bombs makes cancer an ever-present risk. Many of the War Boys show visible tumors. To prolong their lives, they perform raw blood transfusions and connect with healthy prisoners. Nanotechnology:This is not how nanotechnology is changing the future of medicine. How nanotechnology is changing the future of medicine. The potential of nanotechnology is unprecedented. The true Universal Assemblers will usher in a profound change in the human condition. Of course, there is still a long way to go. Read more . The most important members of society, Immortan Joe, his son Rictus Erectus and some other pillars of the community, constantly wear oxygen masks to limit their exposure to radiation..
Vehicles are a big part of society in Mad Max universe. The wasteland is too vast and empty to traverse without one. You can die from running out of gas just as easily as from running out of water. Thus cars are treated with reverence..
No two vehicles in the movie are identical. Each one has been personalized to a greater or lesser extent by its owners. Ruffles are considered a sacred symbol. While we've previously joked that Apple is trying to become a religion Apple starts a religion, Microsoft cancels Windows 10, and more... [Tech News Digest] Apple starts a religion, Microsoft cancels Windows 10, and more... [Tech News Digest] Apple goes religious, Microsoft breaks Windows, Google takes a day off, Facebook cuts friends, vowels get dropped, and MakeUseOf announces new offshoots. Read More , Fury Road gives an interesting insight into how people will treat technology with reverence when their lives depend on it .
Technology is constantly changing the way movies are made. Virtual Reality Is About To Change Cinema Forever:This Is How Virtual Reality Is About To Change Cinema Forever:Here Is How Virtual Reality Is A New Way To Communicate With The Viewer, And Many People With Backgrounds in traditional cinema they find exciting possibilities. Read more . Over the last decade, we've seen a move away from gimmicks and practical effects to computer generated imagery (CGI). There are even apps you can use to add digital effects to your smartphone videos. Be Like JJ Abrams With Action Movie FX Free App Be Like JJ Abrams With Action Movie FX Free App Action Movie FX lets you shoot a scene with your iPhone or iPad, Then have pre-recorded special effects overlaid on the screen to create your own mini blockbuster. Read more.
When done subtly, CGI can work well. However, when a movie relies on it for everything, it can be a huge distraction. Try and watch any movie that relies heavily on digital effects from the early 2000s (you can get some ideas here 42 Of The Best Geek Movies Of All Time:How Many Have You Seen? 42 Of The Greatest Movies Geek of All Time:How Many Have You Seen It? Geeks are people too. I'm one, probably you are, and we're a growing army that can no longer be ignored. Not even by Hollywood. Geek Movies FTW! Read more) and you'll see what I mean, the CGI just doesn't hold up. On the other hand, watching a classic movie like Ben Hur , which was based on a great stunt team, and you'll find that the film, while dated, is much more immersive.
Fury Road reverse this trend Nearly every effect you see on screen was virtually done and captured on camera. Sample. Explosions and collisions look and feel real - because they are.
Going to the effort of creating amazing practical effects would be wasted if the action wasn't good, but for that matter Mad Max:Fury Road does not disappoint.
The production team spent 120 days in the Namibian desert filming the action sequences with a crew of over 150 stunts and a huge convoy of vehicles. Through advances in camera technology, Miller was able to produce ridiculous stunts and explosions, while mostly avoiding reliance on digital effects.
High-end consumer DSLR cameras were used as emergency cameras to capture high-quality action sequences. This would have been impossible even five years ago. Every action scene is incredible, and more importantly, thanks to Miller's skill as a director, even the most intense periods are easy to follow. The scenes are just as fast and epic as Michael Bay creates it. , without descending into a visual mess.
When a director returns to the franchise that made them famous fans, he often gets overexcited only to be disappointed. Will the web's unreasonable expectations ruin Star Wars:The Force Awakens? Read more . This is not the case with Mad Max:Fury Road . In the 30 years since Miller explored post-apocalyptic Australia, he has developed as both a director and a storyteller.
Mad Max:Fury Road It is without a doubt one of the best action movies released in the last decade.. Seeing a cast of great characters traverse the desert in an epic, explosion-filled car chase is an incredible way to spend two hours.
MakeUseOf Fees Mad Max:Fury Road 5 stars out of 5 .
