Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Film Review
Miller's latest adventure is a kinetic and captivating spectacle that doesn't quite measure up to the peerless intensity of Mad Max: Fury Road.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga follows young Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) who has been snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers as she falls into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel, presided over by the Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). As the two tyrants fight for dominance, Furiosa soon finds herself in a nonstop battle to make her way home.
After a 9-year hiatus from the Mad Max films, legendary director George Miller has released the fifth film in the acclaimed franchise. This film is a prequel to 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road and centers on the character of Furiosa.
The Mad Max series is renowned for its post-apocalyptic, dystopian action featuring extensive practical stunt work, with Miller's signature focus on V8 engines, heavy vehicles, and rock music.
The film reunites many of its Oscar-winning crew members from Mad Max: Fury Road, including costume designer Jenny Beavan, who created evocative dystopian wardrobes, Margaret Sixel with her impeccable film editing, composer Junkie XL providing a hard-hitting and memorable score, and cinematographer Simon Duggan capturing the wasteland setting in a distinctive style.
Screenwriters Nico Lathouris and George Miller himself craft a straightforward revenge and redemption plot, while the solid cast features standout performances from Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth.
I had the opportunity to watch this film in IMAX, and it was a thrilling experience from start to finish. The impactful action sequences, incredible visual design, and top-notch sound design and musical score cemented this franchise's reputation for technical prowess. I am a huge sucker for V8 engines and this film delivers on that promise.
Beyond the visceral spectacle, the film also delivered a compelling character-driven narrative, exploring the protagonist and antagonist's motivations with a deft touch. As a prequel set 15-20 years before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road, it expanded the lore of the Wasteland and the collapse of the human civilization. The performances of the co-leads were also great, with Chris Hemsworth really standing out.
The performances:
Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa): She delivers a strong performance as the young Furiosa, effortlessly capturing the character's physicality and mannerisms while conveying a wealth of emotion through her facial expressions and minimal dialogue.
Anya showcases Furiosa's journey from an inexperienced but resilient young woman to the tough, compassionate leader. Unlike the typical "strong female character" archetypes, this nuanced approach allows Furiosa to be a more relatable and sympathetic protagonist, one that the audience can't help but root for as she battles the brutal Wasteland, suffering both emotionally and physically, facing numerous obstacles and losses.
Chris Hemsworth (Dementus): He delivers a scene-stealing performance as the antagonist Dementus, showcasing incredible range and acting chops. You can see he fully embraces the role, creating a complex villain balanced with charisma, charm, and unhinged sadistic insanity. His portrayal is quite different from the Immortan Joe character from the last Mad Max: Fury Road film. Dementus has his own well-executed arc of manipulation and deception as he works to take over the Citadel.
Hemsworth's commitment to the role, from the prosthetic nose and bushy beard to the brutal and uncompromising nature of the character, makes this one of the standout performances of the year and a strong contender for best supporting role.
Tom Burke (Praetorian Jack): He portrays the war rig commander and forms a compelling mentor-mentee relationship with the Furiosa and their strong chemistry enriches the Fury Road prequel's world as Furiosa's resilience grows under Jack's guidance.
Alyla Browne (Young Furiosa): She impressed as the child and teenage versions of the character and is significantly present at the beginning of the film.
Where it lacks:
While the 2.5-hour runtime of this Fury Road prequel allows for deeper character exploration, the pacing does suffer at times, with a slow start taking 30-40 minutes to truly engage the audience.
The rushed treatment of the impending Wasteland war may disappoint some viewers. In addition, the occasional over-reliance on noticeable CGI sequences undermine the franchise's celebrated practical action filmmaking.
Moreover, the prequel's focus on filling in Furiosa's backstory may diminish the mystique that made the character so captivating in the original film. Though offering valuable insights, the lengthy runtime and occasional narrative missteps prevent this prequel from fully capturing the same magic as its predecessor Mad Max: Fury Road.