Monday, June 22, 2015

Mad Max Returns

Max Rockatansky
My wife had zero interest in seeing Mad Max: Fury Road and so I ventured the late show last night.  I wasn't really sure if I was going to like the new Mad Max sans Mel, but once the movie started, I was taken into the familiar post apocalyptic world and took Tom Hardy in as Max withing the first few minutes of the picture.  The story is as good as the best of the original three, Road Warrior, the second one.

It doesn't take long before this savage road picture gets rolling.  The odd band of good guys are thrown together in a life and death struggle, the bad guys are just as evil as prior Road Warrior installments, and everyone is absolutely fearless.

George Miller could've taken the movie over the top, but thankfully he seemed to reign it in a little.  I'm glad he didn't try to take us beyond Thunder Dome.  This time he told us a good story - to the edge and back again.  It's a gritty, bazaar world - but nothing that seemed to reach further beyond the better of it's prequels. Fury Road runs through the same mad world.  It isn't a retelling of the Mad Max saga, it's merely a different gauntlet of fire and death.  I enjoyed the ride.

Nux
The Mad Max movies have always introduced unusual, likeable mad characters, and this one delivered as well. Nux, played my Nicholas Hoult is my favorite character to emerge from this movie. I won't spoil it for you, but this fanatical fellow was fun to watch - not quite knowing what to expect of him as the plot progressed. Good stuff.

Miller delivered the goods this time around and it was well worth the price of admission.