Mad Max: Fury Road - Thoughts

Having recently watched the 1979 classic, I thought it would be near impossible for the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road to come close. I would go as far as saying that my expectation was that they’d botch it up, cause heck, the original Mad Max was a masterpiece. Interestingly, I was in for a surprise yet again; and if you’ve read my Mad Max review, you’d see that exceeding expectations is a commonality between these movies.

  

The first departure from the current trend was that Fury Road isn’t a reboot; rather it just serves as a continuation of the various adventures of the Max character. Intact is much of the original glory, while keeping true to various aspects of the previous installments in the series. Kicking things off with a brief intro, Max is portrayed more as a troubled man living with the demons from his past, versus an outright hero. The antagonist is a maniacal warlord, in an almost godlike setting, which quite reminded me of the Stargate movie. Pacing is pretty much non-stop, and frantic, with the bulk of the movie being one long non-stop chase. In keeping with the creativity of the original, clans, battle tactics, and characters, are truly unique, with the attackers on the poles being striking. The special effects are impressive, with special mention to the sequence in the sandstorm. The war brigade is fascinating, with a traveling music troupe as part of the crew, which just screams opulence and craziness. It quickly reminded me of the war chants and craziness of the Persian warlords of the past. Where it departs from the original, is its large scale, massive action, and hero dynamics; by virtue of being a blockbuster, it has a fictional feel. The uncanny coincidence between Max's wife, and Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron is intriguing. Technically, picture detail was fabulous, with incredible clarity.  In closing, though not a classic like the original, it’s certainly worth the watch. So if you haven’t, consider checking it out, as its still playing in most theaters.

Having seen both movies under an hour apart, one on DVD and the next in the theater, perhaps the similarity and successes shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the creator and director of the original, George Miller, was at the helm of the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road. No wonder the creativity and continuity is intact, with an output that is in line with the legend that is now Mad Max.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (Newer, Bigger, and just as Crazy as Mad Max ought to be)