Todd Gaines’s review published on Letterboxd:
Mad Max Rockatansky, a former policeman turned post-apocalyptic Road Warrior, whose traveled Beyond Thunderdome, and is lucky to still be alive. Max has been down many roads, and seen many things. He's a tortured soul; haunted by way too many tragic life events. He could give up, but he doesn't. Instead, he helps a group of sex slaves escape the wrath of a big bad boss, and his goons. This isn't just any road; it's Fury Road. A long road full of twists and turns. A road that has one goal: redemption.
I'm a big Mad Max and Road Warrior fan. (I could care less about PG-13 Thunderdome) I admire the hell outta both of them. The no-budget awesomeness is impossible to match in today's CGI infested action movies. George Miller is a genius action filmmaker. You can tell by watching Fury Road that he still has it. I respect Mr. Miller for not depending on CGI. But, no matter how much I respect him, I still prefer the original two movies. Why? The reason is simple: what George Miller did with so little over 30 years ago is beyond comparison. However, that doesn't mean Fury Road is not enjoyable.
You don't recast Han Solo, and you would think Max would be impossible to recast as well. Mel Gibson is Max. But, the strangest thing occurred while watching this. Tom Hardy became Max, and he did it with ease. His look, jacket, way with words, how he drives, fights, and shoots a shotgun all scream badass motherfucker. Tom Hardy is the real deal. He's been at the edge of stardom for sometime, but he's now a bonafide superstar.
If you're going to make a Mad Max movie, you gotta have a bad motherfucker villain. How cool is it that Toecutter himself, has been reincarnated into Immortan Joe? Now this bad boy looks straight outta your worst nightmare. His hair, mask, how he breathes, and his God like status kinda makes you want to cheer him on to victory. I doubt there will be a more menacing baddie this year. I also liked the steroids for breakfast, Rictus Erectus. He carries a big gun, and makes wearing an oxygen tube in his nose, the fashion statement of the year. To counter the villains, we have Charlize Theron, as the bionic Imperator Furiosa, and a bunch of ladies that look like Victoria's Secret fashion models as the damsels in distress. (One is actually a VS model.) Ms. Theron is tough as nails, and can shoot like Dirty Harry. There's no doubt Fury Road has equal opportunity ass kicking. There's a great scene with Max, Furiosa, and a big ole gun. The other supporting player worth mentioning is Nicholas Hoult's Nux. I like Nux, but his character's journey is too predictable.
What does this movie offer the viewer? Well, we have non-stop action, right on key music, sharp editing, turbo charged semi-trucks, extreme Rockband, loads of Mother's milk, a man with large feet, a fat midget, motorcycles, porcupine dune buggies, immortal spray paint, crazy fuckin' stunts, endless car chases, explosions, brilliant night scenes, falling rocks, senior citizen ladies with tons of courage and bad teeth, a tree, water, and insane blood transfusions. The movie looks magnificent. It's cinematography to die for.
Fury Road is far from perfect. It should've used its R-rating more. I'm disappointed in the lack of R-rated material. Sure, we have action, but it could've used more blood and other fun stuff. The climax was a bummer to me. How the main problem was resolved left me scratching my head. I expected a larger than life ending, but I didn't get it. I love the final shot, but I'm still disappointed in the last 10 minutes.
Even with its faults, I highly doubt there will be a better big-budget action movie this year. I'm an old school-retro-throwback type of guy. Fury Road does enough to satisfy me, but I'm also left begging for more. This is a great start to a new chapter in the life of Max Rockatansky. I think the next movie will be even better. Do you like action? Do you like silent but deadly heroes? Do you like badder than bad baddies? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then take a ride down Fury Road.
