For anyone that follows the movie industry and knows how the film making process works, you know that most films based off of well-known IPs tend to be micromanaged to high hell by the studio executives. Sure, if it’s a franchise that is guaranteed a profit based off the name alone and is directed by someone with a reputation of making crowd pleasing blockbusters on budget and on time, they might get a pass. However, more times than not, it’s always the studio execs and producers that have the final say on the finished product, at the expense of the cast and crew that work on it.
All of that reason and more is why it’s a miracle that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga even exists in the first place. It’s a prequel of Mad Max: Fury Road, a movie, which despite all the praise it got and the Oscars it won, barley squeaked a profit and made George Miller go to war with Warner Bros to allow Furiosa along with another potential Mad Max: sequel to even happen. This isn’t a film that exists because it’s something that Warner Bros desperately wanted to greenlight. It’s a film that exists because George Miller fought his neck and teeth for to get made. And if the early box office results of Furiosa are anything to go by, George Miller was able to win the battle while Warner Bros will likely lose the war.
If this really is the beginning of the end of movie theaters as we know it, then I’m at least glad we are going out with bangs like like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. A glorious action packed spectacle that offers a further expansion of the Furiosa character, more depth into the insane world of Mad Max, telling a compelling origin story that stands strong in it’s own right, and makes for a perfect counterpart to it’s already perfect successor in Mad Max: Fury Road. It may not quite reach the height of Fury Road but oh man, is it fun to watch George Miler try to top himself the whole way through.
Premise: Snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers, young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) falls into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel, presided over by the Immortan Joe. As the two tyrants fight for dominance, Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) soon finds herself in a nonstop battle to make her way home.
The first thing you need to know right off the bat about Furiosa is that it’s a COMPLETELY different beast than Mad Max: Fury Road. While they may look and sound similar, both films present very different and unique ways to tell their story. Whereas Fury Road relied on it’s nonstop action and immersive visuals to tell it’s story, Furiosa has Miller taking another deliberate approach with a film that acts more as a character study about Furiosa, with a slower pace and focus on world building than it’s predecessor did. The film no doubt delivers enough action and explosions to those that crave those in their summer blockbuster but at heart, this is a character driven story about a fierce woman being caught in the middle of war with two distinct sides.
The film is divided into three separate acts (or five different chapters, at the film points out), all three of which are able to tell their own distinct story. We have the entire first act that puts the focus on Furiosa as a child (played WONDERFULLY by Alyla Browne) when she got taking away from her home by Dementus and the Biker Horde. We have the second act that shows Furiosa raised through a teenager to adulthood by Immortan Joe and the Citidial along with getting caught between their war against the Biker Horde. And then there’s the third act which has Furiosa seeing vengeance against Dementus for taking away everything she’s ever loved and transforms into the Furiosa that we all remember from Mad Max: Fury Road. All three acts are engaging, all three acts tell their story at their own paced, and all three acts has a payoff of some sort by the end of it. That is multilayered storytelling if I’ve ever seen it!
Even if some may balk at the fact that it’s a prequel and we already know ahead of time the outcomes of certain characters, there is still a complete story told her and a complete arc for our main heroine that is developed every step of the way. It allows the traits and events we already know will happen to Furiosa in a very organic way. These events help with the development of the character and don’t just feel like a checklist of things to happen because it’s a prequel (*cough* How Han Solo got his name in Solo: A Star Wars Story!). Not only does Furiosa not tarnish Mad Max: Fury Road in any way, it actually enhances that masterpiece, adding even more layers and details to it than ever before. When watching both films back-to-back alongside each other, it’s gonna feel natural and make both experiences feel like one complete picture.
The performances are about as pitch perfect as it comes. While I can give it all the credit in the world to Anya Taylor-Joy that is able to nail the fierce nature that Charlize Theron captured so well in Fury Road, a special shout out has to go to Alyla Browne. She’s able to carry the first act as well as a child actor possibly can, being as silent and stoic as you would likely expect a 10-year old Furiosa to be like. She does it so well you almost don’t mind waiting for Anya Taylor-Joy to show up because how captivating she is on screen. Of course, Anya Taylor-Joy is just as equally great as well, selling herself well as not just one of the best young actresses working today but also someone capable of holding an action role. She’s not on the level as Charlize Theron but I can definitely see her being on that level two decades from now if Hollywood is still able to make these action movies by then.
Other notable shoutouts go to the likes of Josh Helman’s Scrotus (who fans of the Mad Max (2015) video game should remember), Nathan Jones’s Erectus, and Tom Burke’s Prateorian Jack, all three of which are able to give convincing performances as either raging mad mans (mostly the first two) or one of the fearless but noble good men out there (mostly the third one). You also can’t forget Charlee Fraser’s spectacularly badass turn as Furiosa’s mommy. I won’t go much further than that but let’s just say you can more than understand why Furiosa became the badass that she is.
However, no other actor is able to steal the scenery her than Chris Hemsworth as the main antagonist Dementus. Hemsworth already proved himself worthy (no pun intended) of playing a fun bad guy in Bad Times At The El Royale (which you should see right now if you haven’t already) but he takes to a whole another level here. Able to fine that perfect balance of vile, unhinged charisma and being an intimating threat every step of the way. There’s even a good 10 to 15 minutes stretch that puts the full spotlight on him and you don’t care one bit because of how awesome of a presence he is here. It’s like Hemsworth took the criticism of Thor: Love and Thunder to hard and wanted to make his turn as Dementus that stands out greater than in any Marvel movie he has ever done. While the box office may not show that, this proves that he does not need the Disney scenery to pull off a great performance.
While Furiosa is not quite as action heavy as Fury Road, it still really delivers here. The set pieces, stunt work, cinematography, and just about ANYHING revolving around the action is Oscar caliber here. The car chase sequences are as every bit as intense and exciting as they were in Fury Road, taking you on this crazy ride as you find yourself biting your teeth in regards to the fate of the characters while also being gloriously entertained in the process. Even though he’s approaching 80 years old, it’s incredible how Miller continues to find new and exciting way of creating action sequences that will make you want to rewatch it over and over and over again.
It’s also quite cool how well this is respectful to not just the previous Mad Max films but also the Mad Max (2015) video game as well. As I said before, fans of the game will know that Scrotus was the main antagonist of that game and is actually the son of Immortan Joe, basically solidifying that game in this latest Mad Max canon. There’s some fun little easter eggs and nods to that game which will likely put in you in the mood to play it after seeing the more or play it for the first time if you haven’t already.
The score by Junkie XL, aka Tom Holkenborg, is as inspired and perfect in the moment as it was in Mad Max: Fury Road, the cinematography by Simon Duggan captures the look of the wasteland very well, the editing by Eliot Knapman and Margaret Sixel will certainly lands some awards come Oscar season, and even if the CGI and VFX work are admittedly more noticeable here than it was in Fury Road, they blend better with the practical effects when watching the film onscreen in theaters as oppose as to just watching the trailer on YouTube.
What keeps Furiosa from being as grand or impressive as Fury Road has to do with not feeling as air tight as that film was and having a bit more baggage to carry. There are times where the pacing can be a bit inconsistent, with a first act that feel slower with having to set the groundwork for the latter two acts and Furiosa’s revenge arc wrapping up a beat or two more quickly than it should have been. And even if it manages to avoid most of the trappings that prequels usually gain, there are some elements that don’t quite get as explored as they should, likely because we already know ahead of a time of the fate of certain characters. In this case, I would have like to see more interactions between Praetorian Jack and Furiosa. It’s hinted that Jack as the closest thing that Furiosa has ever had to a male love interest but in context of the film, comes across as just another man that she is forced to tag along with for the fate of her survival. (Spoiler alert: That would NOT be the last time!)
Even so, the fact that George Miller had to give everything to not just make Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as great as it is but even get it made at all is proof how much the world of Mad Max means to the man. Regardless if it’s with Mad Max or another character themselves, this world is able to make the best use out of Mr. Miller as a filmmaker outside of anything to do with animated penguins that’s NOT related to Madagascar. Even if you basically see these last two Mad Max films as a metaphor as to where films are heading now that theaters are losing money, at least the man is able to get the chance to show us all a great taste of his imagination. And man does it taste good!
I don’t know if we’ll get another Mad Max movie or not but even so, I will gladly put Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Mad Max: Fury Road greatly alongside one another. These films should be seen as a textbook example of how to make compelling action films. From the set pieces to the fight chorography to the stunt work to the visuals to the story to the characters to the themes to the soundtrack, these are both perfect examples of well-crafted films and the kind of ones I will always support at the bottom of my heart, even when they are not perfect. While I don’t think Furiosa is quite perfect, I will look for any excuse to take a look into George Miller’s Odyssey.
This is George Miller’s world and we are all living in it in ways we really couldn’t imagine!
Other comments:
- Yes, Mad Max does make a cameo in this! Yes, it’s about as blink-and-miss as you would imagine!
- And seriously, go play the Mad Max (2015) video game if you haven’t already! It rules!
- Also, special shoutout to Quarden Bayles as War Boy! I wish that young man the best of everything in the world! For what I’ve seen and heard about him, I hope he is given proper care and respect in his life, especially after the roles he played in this film and Three Thousand Years of Longing.
Adam's Blog 