How do you even make such a film? It’s not just about the performances, cinematography, or world-building; it’s about the energy that makes all the difference. Action films are forever cinema, but something about George Miller’s universe makes me want to revisit it repeatedly.
Miller’s universe has never really been about Max. It was always Furiosa’s journey, and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” only doubled down on it even more. We have a few things to unpack, but before that, here’s a spoiler alert!
From the moment it starts, we’re introduced to a young Furiosa, played by Ayla Browne, who is remarkable in her role and commands attention even with the fewest dialogues she has.
There’s a hidden world in the wastelands, obviously! Called ‘The Green Place’ in this universe and even though we don’t really see much of it, the one character we engage with for the initial chapters of the film, Mary Jo Bassa (Furiosa’s mother, played by Charlee Fraser) races across the dunes of the wasteland all the way to the bikerdom to ensure no one who knows the whereabouts of the green place, which the savages of the biker horde refer to as ‘the place of abundance’, should ever stay alive. Furiosa is abducted from the green place, and Mary dies while protecting her. Alyla sets the tone for the film the moment she is forced to watch her mother die in front of her by the film’s antagonist, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Her eyes do the job marvelously as she looks at everything with the perspective of hate, which makes Anya take over as they do a time jump.
There’s a good amount of savagery and power display done by Dementus and Immortal Joe as we are introduced to the latter by the Citadel. Dementus takes over Gastown as a sign to avoid a war. Brilliant strategy, I’d say. There are very cool action sequences we run through in the meantime.
By the time we’re on the road with Anya, much of the world has evolved. Dementus is a little old, and Furiosa is still disguised. There’s a sequence where they build the infamous war rig and drive it through the wasteland when her face is revealed for the first time. She and Jack (Tom Burke), The Praetorians, team up for future endeavors.
There’s a lot of world-building happening simultaneously. Over the course of five chapters, we are introduced to the Bikerdom, Gastown, Bullet Farm, The Citadel, and The Green Place. The film works well as a solo rather than dividing it into chapters, as it doesn’t really feel as if the chapters were required as such.
The sequence at the bullet farm was crazy good. I was hooked and not a moment passed when I wanted it to end. Every point that felt like an end took a crazy twist. And also, Dementus is a madman! The way he eliminates his opponents is a traumatic visual. I wasn’t happy when the film didn’t show much of a showdown between Furiosa and Dementus. Even more than Joe, Dementus was her real arch-nemesis. But it also makes sense that, with such a cold ending, her arc for redemption in Fury Road can begin. So, even though I’m unhappy with the ending showdown being so cold, I’m happy how she is lost in hate due to the cold win and how she runs for redemption with the brides.
Overall, everyone gives staggering performances. Lazzy Hulme is as amazing as Crazy Joe. Chris Hemsworth is a maniac. Although there wasn’t much of a showdown at the end, I still loved the film.
Furiosa is shown as both ruthless and deeply human, breaking down at times, making her the purest and most relatable character in the wasteland. Anya Taylor Joy’s Furiosa might be her best performance so far. Alyla Browne is perfect as young Furiosa.
Nathan Jones as Rictus Erectus and Josh Helman as Scabrous Scrotus were awesome side characters, and all scavengers added a touch to the film that made me feel that they weren’t mere side characters.
The film perfectly balances hope, hate, and redemption, giving Furiosa a complete arc. The movie features a fascinating seed plotline, which adds a great layer towards the end, which is also why I loved the ending.
This is definitely among the best action films I’ve ever seen. It is not on the level of Fury Road, but the energy is still there. I love how every character and weapon feels like they’re dominating the scene while they’re fighting. Even a car doing a drift or merely being driven on sand dunes is powerful and energetic. The concept of changing oil tanks is awesome. The sniper sequences are very exciting, and the sound effects are top-notch. It’s worth watching in a theater with premium audio settings like Dolby Atmos and on an IMAX screen for the best experience. The visuals aren’t just made for a big screen, they’re IMAX level gigantic. It feels as if we, as audiences, are having a laugh at the puny wastelanders from our high seats of Valhalla!
Watch this film on the biggest screen possible
While I didn’t love the music much, I think it’s interesting that if someone watches the movies in chronological order, they will notice the slow build-up of music from this film to the full metal score in “Fury Road” by Tom Holkenborg, also known as Junkie XL. Even when I say this, I still wish they had more metal. It felt a bit incomplete without it.
The story for Furiosa is even better than Fury Road’s, and it most certainly should be considered a two-parter film. They complement each other so well. By the end, when Anya starts speaking, it feels as if Theron is voicing it.
George Miller did a tremendous job directing this massive film. People often look at masterpieces and say things like, “Even the person who made it can’t make it again. It’s THAT good!”
Well, Miller’s definitely giggling now after doing it twice! I’d be very interested to see more of the world, but it should not be about Furiosa. I feel her arc is complete. Just tell someone else’s story now.
The stunt team and everyone involved in the action deserve a bow. Incredible job! This is the energy I want to see more of in films.
Overall, “Furiosa” is one of the best films I’ve seen this year, alongside “Dune 2” and “Amar Singh Chamkila.” The addition of the history man was great, and I loved learning the origin of Furiosa’s metal hand. For this crazy film, I’d most definitely give it a 4.5/5.
