Our resident film reviewer is writer Harry Casey-Woodward who will be sharing his opinions on things he has watched…
Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015, cert 15, dir George Miller, 5/5
2015 was the year of sequels. We had Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Terminator all make comebacks. But the sequel I was most excited and worried about was the fourth Mad Max movie. I felt conflicted about the return of this futuristic Aussie hero because of my love for the original trilogy. I actually wondered if there was any need for a new film and whether director George Miller was simply wringing the udder of the cash cow.
For one thing, the plot of the new film didn’t sound radically different from those of the previous movies. In the scorching wastelands of post-apocalyptic Australia, loner Max teams up with another bunch of outnumbered misfits (this time women) fighting off armies of road barbarians.
Actually it’s the simplicity of the plot that saves this sequel. Fury Road acknowledges that the Mad Max films are nothing more than glorified road action movies and rather than trying to twist something more out of this formula, chooses to perform it very well. However, balanced with the motorised carnage audiences no doubt were there for, is a simple but surprisingly emotional story of a small band of mismatched, damaged characters searching for a place to call home.
This brings me onto the cast, whose abilities to fit into the Mad Max world I did doubt. How does Tom Hardy fare as the title character, filling the boots of Mel Gibson? Despite his anti-Semitism I have enjoyed Mel Gibson’s performances, especially as the tough, cool but emotionally distant Max. However, the more I see of Tom Hardy the more I respect him. He is utterly gripping as Max, perfectly conveying the silently heroic but emotionally broken loner.
I wondered whether Charlize Theron would be too pretty to play one-armed matriarch Furiosa, but she brings great attitude, nobility and vulnerability to the role (though I wonder why she got to keep her American accent). The actresses playing the girls Furiosa rescues are all captivating too, although I wonder if models like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are still too gorgeous to play citizens of such a harsh post-apocalyptic world. Nevertheless they are meant to be girls captured for their beauty by terrifying warlord Immortan Joe (played by Hugh Keays-Byrne who also played the villain in the first Max film).
I’ve always seen young Brit actor Nicholas Hoult as a pretty face, but he is transformed in this movie into the deranged but pathetic war boy Nux, whose obsession for glory in battle turns to sympathy for the women.
Apart from the great story and cast, the film looks good too. The action is not only intense and thrilling, but Miller uses special effects previously unavailable to him in the 80s to fully imagine his savage, epic vision.
Overall this film has everything: a magnificent blend of imagination, heart and relentless action. After such a long wait this is a worthy addition to such a great series, with plenty for old and new fans alike. In fact, it stands up so well on its own you don’t even need to see the old movies to have a good time. Best film of 2015? It gets my vote.
