by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Are you prepared to return to the Wasteland in the steady hands of Dr. George Miller? Shortly after the big success of Mad Max: Fury Road, discussions began with regards to Miller’s return to this crazed post-apocalyptic world he created. A prequel was announced for the beloved character of Furiosa (who Charlize Theron brought to life so impressively, and fans fell in love with), and Anya Taylor-Joy was cast as our titular heroine. After almost nine years, we finally are getting the return to the Wasteland with the epic two-and-a-half-hour revenge tale, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
How does Furiosa stand up next to Fury Road? They are honestly two very different films to begin with. Fury Road is almost all action and takes place over the course of a brief period. Furiosa is a 15-year expansive epic that balances action, world building, and a top tier revenge plot. The film relies on CGI a lot more openly than Fury Road, but it is still expertly directed by Miller, who just knows how to stage and follow action to maximize its effects. There are a few key sequences, and each offers something different and unique. The CGI makes for a different atmosphere altogether than any other entry in the franchise, but it provides the film with a comic book type of aura, which feels like it is ripped from a graphic novel. This also captures the folklore and mythological approach to its story and creates the right vibe for it. Being bigger in scale of space and time does not mean Miller misses out on capturing the deeply personal elements of the film.
How about the storytelling approach that Miller takes this time around? Not everything is spelled out, but he does spend more time developing character and mythology. But that does not stop his impressive skill of making the audience care about characters with limited details explicitly explained about them. Furiosa is still impressively well structured, and the characters are rich and lively. There are certainly moments in the first hour of the film that are a bit overly drawn out, but it does provide some important heavy lifting in the character connection department. The story has plenty of layers, but the themes of revenge, forgiveness, and hope add rich layers to the film. By the end, this film is satisfying, especially for a story that happens to be a prequel (even if it goes a little too far with its connection leading into Fury Road’s narrative).
Does the cast live up to their predecessors? Taylor-Joy just might be a better Furiosa than Theron… and that feels crazy to say. Her intensity and emoting with limited dialogue are top notch acting. She is alluring to the audience in an impressive way. But the true king of the film is Chris Hemsworth, who eats up every single scene he is in as the psychotic and bombastic warlord, Dementus. He is thoroughly entertaining, but he also adds surprising nuance and depth to the grand antagonist. Alyla Browne is challenged with anchoring this film for the first hour as a young Furiosa, and she knocks it out of the park. She has depth and nuance in mostly silence, which is hard for an actor to accomplish no matter what their age is. We have a phenom right here. Tom Burke is a fantastic supporting piece as Jack, who makes such an impact with Furiosa and the audience in limited time. Kudos to Lachy Hulme for filling in perfectly as Immortan Joe (rest in peace, Hugh Keays-Byrne). The rest of the supporting cast kills it in creating this wildly diverse group of characters.
What pieces don’t fit in quite so nicely for Furiosa? There are a few elements which are a bit distracting or disappointing, but not enough to adversely affect the experience too much. The runtime is big at more than 30 minutes longer than any other Mad Max film, and there are times where it could have easily been a bit tighter. The reliance on CGI environments is a huge part of this production and is just a bit of a step down from the other more practical entries in the franchise. Then there is the music. Tom Holkenborg created one of the most unique and impressive scores of all time for Fury Road… and his Furiosa score just feels like the same greatest hits album.
Is Furiosa the film that will reach the high hopes of those looking forward to it? It is an incredibly ambitious film (even more so than Fury Road in many ways), and it hits those heights in many ways. It’s is a glorious example of mythical storytelling that leverages the impressive magic of cinema. I have minor complaints, and some things might bother others more than me, but one thing to remember is that amidst the brutality, violence, and blood, it is a WEIRD film. This kind of crazed world might not be for everyone (the box office is showing that it might not hit with most), but it should be seen on the biggest screen that can be found. Most importantly IN A THEATER.
Rating: Loved It
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd