Nik Lackey’s review published on Letterboxd:
This, is cinema. This is genuinely one of the most intense and thrilling rides for a movie I have ever seen, and no matter how many times I watch it, that sentiment stays the same. George Miller made his long awaited return to the Mad Max franchise with an absolutely killer delivery on the franchise we have already known. The title character, Max is no longer played by the great Mel Gibson, instead, Tom Hardy is brought into the mix, and delivers wonderfully. The action in this movie brings all the previous films to shame, and delivers a chase sequence that runs the entirety of the film. This has not only gone down as my favorite Mad Max feature now, but it has also gone down as one of my favorite action films in general. If you’re a fan of this type of genre work, then this is the end all be all of action in cinema.
Tom Hardy famously delivers a performance in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015) where he does not deliver much line reading, but proves he is a great physical actor. He has moments of humor throughout, especially when he is tied to the front of the car. His physical performance proves that he is not only an excellent dramatic actor, but a great action star as well. This role never needed more than a good action man in the front of it all, and Mel Gibson proved that. As a replacement for a character who was so iconic, Tom Hardy really did the role well. I am very hopeful to see Hardy step back into the role of Max, hopefully for two more films so we can get more wild rides to come.
Oscar winning actress, Charlize Theron also stars in this intense film as Furiosa. Sherry brings a level of calm and stability to the screen, in a movie where you think there would be none. Her approach to the Furiosa character is much different than you would think for Theron, but she nails it either way. With a shaved head and a dirty look, this one armed badass races across the desert in desperation. We see clear motivations for her, and we understand the purpose of her mission. At a point in the film, she ends up taking control of the film from Max, and that’s is genuinely okay. Charlize Theron delivers on every level for this film, and makes one of the most compelling protagonists of the twenty first century.
George Miller delivered one of the greatest action trilogy’s to date in the Mad Max trilogy. The first film was a good start, but did even come close to how good the sequel was. The third film was an odd duck to say the least, but he really brought the heat for this fourth installment. It took thirty years for Miller to finally get around to ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015), since the last film, ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome’ (1985). The wait was worth it, and I’m glad we didn’t have to wait another thirty years to get another one. Miller had some strange movies in between those thirty years. He made films like, ‘The Witches Of Eastwick’ (1987), ‘Lorenzo’s Oil’ (1992), ‘Happy Feet’ (2006), and ‘Happy Feet Two’ (2011). Just a strange filmography to say the least, and it’s a blessing he went back to the Mad Max world.
This is a movie made by people who adore the action genre, and it is made for those who truly love the action drama. This is a full film of explosions, car chases… lots of car chasing, fist fights, gun fights, and creativity all around. Different characters show up and just deliver on so many levels of appearance and humor, while still not being a cheesy action flick. The practical effects in this film are wild and mesmerizing, and it is clear how this had a lot of time out into it. You can sense where much of the film was practical. There are hardly any moments throughout this movie where you get a chance to breathe, but when you do, Miller still keeps you on your toes. This is truly one of the best action movies to ever be released, and I cannot wait to see what else will be released from George Miller.
The costume design throughout this movie is ridiculous and over the top, and I love it. Each character has their own unique and performative costume that is designed to them. Even the young chasers are unique in their own right, and this delivers for an even more exciting watch. Immortan Joe, the main heavy of the film, takes on an appearance like no other, with a wild look that only a maniac could come up with. His crew of goons all stand resolute in their costume discussions, and relate back a lot to ‘Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior’ (1981). Max himself does not have a very complex look, until he obtains the signature jacket. The Bullet Farmer, and The People Eater all have their own wildly unique looks to themselves, where when we watch the film, there is always something to look at. This is one creative picture, and the visuals come up as something truly amazing.
For an over the top action movie, that could be considered gross more than anything, it is incredible how the Academy Awards recognized this film. With a whopping ten nominations at the 2016 Academy Awards, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015) took home an incredible six. Typically a film like this does not get recognized in this way, and what a treat to the fans when this happened. Of course the Oscar’s that were gifted to this film were Editing, Costume, Makeup, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, and of course, Production design. ‘Spotlight’ (2015) beat out ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015) for the coveted best picture Oscar, but at the end of the day, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015) truly had a big win, and a big win for the fans of action as well. A well deserved awards season for one of the best films of the last few decades.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, what are you doing? This is the end all, be all of action cinema. I got lucky enough to see this movie for the first time in the cinema hall, and I will never forget that. This is definitely a film to go see on the big screen, with a massive sound system, because there is so much to see and so much to hear throughout this whole movie. The action is top notch, and the visuals are incredible. This is not an actors movie, even though the acting is excellent, this is for the action junkies out there. If you haven’t gotten around to this yet, what better time then to get ready for ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ (2024).
