Step 1: Describe Mad Max: Fury Road in three words: Holy freaking hell! This is one of those rare cases in which a trailer, which completely blows your socks off, is actually only a taste of what you’re going to experience in the theater. This incredible cinematic masterpiece takes you on a high-octane acid trip that gloriously assaults your senses… and yes, if you could just imagine some of the smells, even that sense, too. Mad Max: Fury Road is probably one the best action movies you’ll ever see… EVER.
Step 2: Keep the story tight. Although the title suggests something different, Fury Road is really Imperator Furiosa’s story. In the post-apocalyptic wasteland nightmare she finds herself living in, Furiosa (brilliantly played by Charlize Theron) has one mission: to return to her “green” home after years toiling as a truck-driving flunky to a megalomaniac named Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne, who, if you are a Mad Max connoisseur, is the same actor who played the wacked-out evil dude in the original Mad Max). They reside in a lush place called The Citadel, two tall rock formations that overlook hordes of starving, thirsty desert denizens who just wait for Joe to shower them with water, aka “aqua-cola,” every so often. Furiosa has had enough of Joe and in her quest to escape, decides to rescue his five baby-making “wives,” too. So, they secretly pile into Furiosa’s rig and on a planned trek to get more “guzz-o-line,” they run. And then they are pursued, in one spectacular chase sequence after another (more on that in a bit).
Step 3: Live up to your name. Now that we know how Furiosa feels about things, where does Mad Max fit in? The iconic reluctant hero, played with quiet ferociousness by Tom Hardy, has been captured by Joe’s men and finds himself an unwitting participant in said chase, eventually helping Furiosa and the girls. Hardy’s Max is a slight change to the character Mel Gibson indelibly implanted in our brains 30 plus years ago, but Max is still a man of few words, loves his car and gets pissed off when you steal it. Hardy aptly shows us this tortured soul, haunted by his past, who truly never wants to get involved but always ends up doing so anyway, grunting in protest.
Paired with Hardy’s subtle performance is Theron’s powerful one. Her Furiosa has seen some shit go down, and all she wants now is peace and as she puts it, “redemption.” As this intense warrior queen, wearing black grease that make her beautiful eyes pop, Theron just pours the determination, kindness –and weariness — into this incredibly kickass character. These two excellent actors only elevate the already superb proceedings.
Step 4: Go along on said acid trip. The supporting cast also does a fine job portraying what it would be like living in this very desolate, dying and strange world. Director George Miller just loves the weird, and in a post-apocalyptic setting, where, famine, dehydration, disease and desperation run rampant, he can paint just about any milieu he wants. There are ghoulish crow people on stilts, a severely deformed Citadel lookout and other characters with names like The Doof Warrior, The People Eater and The Bullet Farmer. There are also these creepy little bald-headed children, painted in white, who grow up to be aggressive young men known as War Boys, who battle at Immortan Joe’s request and scream “VALHALLA” a lot.
Nicholas Hoult plays one these boys, a brainwashed soldier who finally gets a clearer understanding of the world outside the Citadel when he encounters Furiosa and Joe’s wives. Those lovelies are portrayed by Zoe Kravitz, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee and Courtney Eaton, who thankfully bring much-needed beauty to the otherwise bleak surroundings. My favorite, however, is Immortan Joe’s stereo car. Its sole purpose is to provide a running soundtrack as they rush into the chase, with guys playing drums in the back and a horribly disfigured dude in a skull mask in front, wailing on a guitar that spews fire. It cracked me up every time it was on screen.
Step 5: Bow down to George Miller. This Australian auteur has never been properly given his due. Sure, the Oscar win for Happy Feet counts but not like this. It’s time to honor Miller; Fury Road is an unparalleled marvel in filmmaking. Future action directors should learn from this 70-year-old that it’s possible to create action without a ton of CGI. From mind-blowing frenetic action, complete with some unbelievable stunts, to the bleak, orange tones of the desert wasteland, to the weird oddities described above, Miller finally realizes the Mad Max world he’s been living in for these many years. Along with all those elements, you add a score from Junkie XL that sends shock waves and chills through the theater. Then there are the themes in Fury Road: Hope vs. fear, finding redemption, searching for a new normal that doesn’t include despots with boils on their back. And finally, Miller makes a feminist movie to break the bank, never cow towing to any stereotypes but creating these fierce, beautiful women who clearly should be running the show.
Step 6: Time to stop gushing. Okay, I’ll end my Mad Max: Fury Road love fest, but heed this advice: Don’t wait for it to come out on Blu-ray or on some streaming platform. See it in the theaters NOW because Fury Road embodies everything you love about going to the movies.