Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Director: George Miller
Writers: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy

Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult

In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland.

For me, Mad Max: Fury Road unofficially kicks off summer blockbuster season. The Avengers: Age of Ultron was a let-down, a mechanical and very forgettable, by-the-numbers set up for the mega-franchise. The children can have the latest Disney Marvel movie as us adults will enjoy Mad Max: Fury Road which is brutally energetic and a crazy and ghoulish rush of mayhem. From being truly grim, gleefully graphic, and rather gruesome, this is everything I wanted in an R rated blockbuster!

Mad Max: Fury Road… is brutally energetic and a crazy and ghoulish rush of mayhem.

The production of Mad Max: Fury Road is elaborate and captivating. With every bit of grit, the viewer truly senses the grim reality of a Dystopian future. I did want a little more back-story from the plot, but it made up for developing the setting, mood, and atmosphere of this world. Many remakes make you yearn for the original which makes people miss the original while putting up with the new movie. To my shock, Mad Max: Fury Road leaves the old 1980’s movie on the side of the road. It completes the task of immersing viewers into here with near perfection. George Miller hired the right people to do this one.

Equally impressive in Mad Max: Fury Road were the masterfully executed car chase sequences. Many of the chase scenes are chaotic and thrilling putting viewers in the seat of the vehicle. In contrast, I also liked the quieter moments and how the “slower scenes” (by comparison) were in no hurry to take us to the next action sequence. With this and Furious 7, can the Academy honor stunt work? You’ll have a great list of nominations and we have a James Bond movie opening this year, too! I would watch a two-hour documentary on how they made Mad Max: Fury Road. The filmmakers accomplish so much in the middle of the desert.

I also liked the performances in Mad Max: Fury Road and how the characters enhanced the movie-going experience. Tom Hardy handled himself well as Max yet I wanted to see more of him. I really dug Hugh Keays-Byrne as King Immortan Joe. However, Charlize Theron was ravishing and This isn’t Black Widow caught up in a romance. She dominates the screen as Imperator Furiosa yet isn’t overwhelming and could be considered a co-lead to Mr. Hardy. In fact, Mad Max: Fury Road is naturally feminist at heart as the female characters are stronger than the men on screen. After all in this society, the toughest have survived.

While watching Mad Max: Fury Road, I unexpectedly realized the confidence I have that Warner Brothers can bring an authentic, dark feel to their DC Universe brand. If they hire the producers and directors of Mad Max: Fury Road, they will resemble this. I am excited to see this again and wonder what the next Mad Max will look like. However, fans of dark comic book movies can only dream of what the DC characters coming to life with because of hard working, talented filmmakers. Warner Brothers, make your DC movies like George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

I rate Mad Max: Fury Road an 8.5 out of 10.