Summary
- George Miller proves he’s still a master of action scenes and car chases with the adrenaline-fueled
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
, setting the stage for more
Mad Max
movies. - Alyla Browne shines as young Furiosa, but Anya Taylor-Joy is woefully miscast as the adult Furiosa, compromising the second half of the film.
- Chris Hemsworth is gleefully excellent as Dementus, and the makeup and production design is immaculate.
George Miller returns to his post-apocalyptic wasteland of despots, desperation, and bloody vengeance in a roaring prequel that doesn’t try to replicate its magnificent predecessor. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a vastly different animal than the non-stop, practical effects adrenaline rush of Fury Road. A more conventional, chapter-driven narrative frames an epic battle over limited resources as grotesque villains clamor for action-packed supremacy. What’s missing? Star Anya Taylor-Joy is nearly mute in a surprisingly downbeat performance. She’s the film’s weakest link,with almost no dialogue and much less screen time than expected. This may have worked for Tom Hardy and Mel Gibson in past entries, but not here.
A thrilling motorcycle chase sets the stage for an odyssey that will take many years. Mary Jo Bassa (Charlee Fraser) pursues the biker horde that have kidnapped her precious daughter. A young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) isn’t a meek captive. She does everything possible to stop their advance. Furiosa and her mother have a secret to protect at all costs. The scavengers cannot discover the location of their thriving community.
Dementus — Chris Hemsworth with perhaps the best prosthetic nose in cinema history and a teddy bear strapped to his crotch — doesn’t know what to make of his scrappy little prisoner. The girl has all of her teeth, flawless skin, and no signs of radiation poisoning, but refuses to utter a single word. Where did she come from? Dementus ruminates while nibbling on human blood sausage. It must be a place of abundance, as hilariously explained by the History Man (George Shevtsov) to the filthy, snarling gang of disfigured bikers.
Alyla Browne Steals the Show as Young Furiosa
3.5/5
A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
Release Date May 24, 2024
Runtime 2h 28m
Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures
Pros
- George Miller continues to create some of the best car chases and action scenes in film history.
- The production and art design is incredible, with great makeup art.
- Chris Hemsworth is wonderfully over-the-top and Alyla Browne is great as a young Furiosa.
Cons
- Anya Taylor-Joy is extremely miscast here, and the second half of the film suffers as a result.
The quest to find Furiosa’s origin leads to thoughts of a bigger prize for the loquacious murderer. The wasteland runs on fuel. Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), his moronic sons (Nathan Jones, Josh Helman), and an army of exploding war boys hold the wasteland’s greatest asset. Dementus schemes to take control of Gas Town. He can then attack the Citadel and seize Immortan Joe’s stronghold of water, virgins, and breast milk.
Miller (director of the Mad Max movies, The Witches of Eastwick, Happy Feet) is clearly world-building for future installments. He explores the cruel cunning of wasteland politics with Game of Thrones-styled machinations. Immortan Joe is literally the king in a high castle. Dementus cannot physically reach him without being destroyed. He must take what Immortan Joe deems valuable to force a negotiated settlement. But Dementus is not the only warlord vying for Joe’s big chair.
In Miller’s disturbing dystopia, loyalty must be bought or enforced through terror. Those who resist face torture and a horrific death as punishment. Furiosa learns this lesson repeatedly at a great cost. It hardens her resolve and steely determination. She understands what motivates her oppressors. Alyla Browne is phenomenal here as the young Furiosa. You see how each experience makes an impression on her and leads to who she becomes. In fact, while it would be extremely different, this may have been a better film if it stuck with Browne the entire time and didn’t flash forward.
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Incredible Production and Art Design
Furiosa has an impressive production design that’s critical to the plot’s exposition. Colin Gibson, who won an Oscar for Fury Road, needs to clear more space on the shelf. The film establishes the economic inner workings of the wasteland’s dreadful settlements through incredible sets and art direction.
Scenes of mechanics building insane vehicles in construction yards, workers at the bullet farm, and Gas Town’s intricate defenses all contrast the lush greenery of the Citadel’s gardens and the pristine softness of the virgins’ vault. We see the infrastructure vital to humanity’s remnants. Dementus and Immortan Joe aren’t fighting for mere survival scraps. They are bullies in a hellish playground of tangible wealth and prosperity.
Watch the Trailer for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Below:
George Miller Still Reigns as the King of Car Chases
Warner Bros.
Costume designer Jenny Beavan (The King’s Speech, Cruella) also ramps up her Oscar-winning game from Fury Road. Dementus and Immortan Joe are standouts, but even the cannibal mobs who burrow underground have eye-popping wasteland fashion. The background characters aren’t just a generic sea of tattered rags, chains, and leather. You can actually recognize the bit players. This is no easy feat when some scenes have dozens of extras involved. Beavan’s creativity is boundless and also warrants awards contention.
Miller’s mastery of action scene dynamics continues to astound. There are chases aplenty. Each one is visually unique with its own storyline. Praetorian Jack’s (Tom Burke) efforts delivering Immortan Joe’s fuel and bullets will kick your ass and break a foot doing it. The war boys fend off vicious assaults from all angles, while Jack’s behemoth tanker shreds Dementus’ bikers like human confetti churning out of a grinder. Miller’s camera placement and editing choices are pure pulse-pounding genius. You never know what’s going to happen or who’s going to bite the dust next.
Related Mad Max Timeline Explained: Where Does Furiosa Fit? The Mad Max franchise has produced four films so far. But where does the new movie, Furiosa, fit in the timeline?
Game of Thrones Machinations
Sigh…now comes a big negative aspect that really undercuts the film’s amazing achievements. Browne, fantastic as the young Furiosa, feels more present and pertinent to the story. Taylor-Joy, a capable actress, adds nothing and is sadly inconsequential in a role that should have been a career highlight. She doesn’t show up as the adult Furiosa until the second half of the film. Her character barely speaks. There’s a reason for her silence, but that logic fades as the plot progresses.
Furiosa’s involved in huge set pieces, but is masked and wears black face paint during the most visceral action. That’s a stunt double hanging precariously under the war rig. Miller must have cut her dialogue and scenes after realizing she didn’t have Charlize Theron’s formidable presence. Taylor-Joy never owns Furiosa in a believable way. She’s miscast here. Thankfully, Hemsworth’s gleeful and over-the-top turn as Dementus makes up for the lack of gravitas.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a production of Kennedy Miller Mitchell and Village Roadshow Pictures. It will be released theatrically on May 24th from Warner Bros.
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