Mad Max: Fury Road depicts a society living in the desert in which resources are scarce; including food, gasoline, and even water. Citadel, a huge fortress known to grow food and capture water from deep in the earth, is controlled by Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). The citizens of Citadel live below Immortan Joe and his “War Boys” without any access to the much needed resources. The War Boys, who will do anything to prove their worth, serve as soldiers of a sort, protecting the city and eager to fight with rebels.
The movie continues the Mad Max series which was first released in the 1979. It was followed by Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior in 1981, and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome in 1985. All four movies were directed by Greek-Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer George Miller. According to rumors, Tom Hardy is planned to star in at least three more Mad Max films. Fury Road earned a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), whom the series is named after, has been captured by the War Boys and is being used as a “blood bag”. Although initially seeming to be a bit crazy, Max proves to be a valuable asset. Tom Hardy does a great job of looking intimidating, yet having kind eyes as well.
Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) is an incredibly strong woman, taking on a dangerous escape from Citadel in her War Rig, with Immortan Joe’s War Boys following in close pursuit. With Furiosa and other strong female characters, this film highlights how powerful women can be. The quote “we are not things” resonates as a resounding message against misogynists. Even with a mechanical arm, she is able to fight against Max and other War Boys, proving that people with disabilities can do just as much as anyone else.
The War Boys are pale, bald men, often overeager to fight and please Immortan Joe. Some of them, like Nux (Nicholas Hoult), seem to have some illnesses, but are still dedicated to do Immortan Joe’s will. The Doof Warrior provides a bit of hilarity as he proceeds to play his guitar on a vehicle covered in speakers throughout the entire chase scene. Characters like Nux and Slit (Josh Helman), have a passion for capturing and receiving a prize from Immortan Joe that makes you uneasy as you realize their hunger for war.
If you enjoy action and car chase scenes, this movie is definitely full of content for you. Each and every car is detailed, unique, and full of creative weapons. The set and props departments did an amazing job creating the scenery and vehicles. But if you want a movie with a deep plot line, this isn’t it. The plot is pretty simple, but most action movies have straightforward storylines. It’s not that it is undeveloped; you definitely get attached to the characters, but it is rather rudimentary in its escape story.
Although I never saw the original Mad Max series, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Fury Road. It was a little bit hard to understand in the beginning, but as the film progressed, I really got into it and was definitely cheering for their success. The characters are unique, diverse, and developed enough to gain emotional attachments. I look forward to seeing the new movies come out and finding and watching the original movies. The trailer can be viewed here.
