Mad Max: Fury Road

[Vger23]

Saw it today. It is as described, folks! A completely immersive, bizarre, non-stop assault on your senses. I was tense through the whole movie. I grew up on Mad Max, so I was incredibly skeptical...but this was just fantastic. I really is an action masterpiece. Simple storytelling and complicated, beautiful action sequences are the hallmark of the Mad Max films, and this one had that in spades.

I would go see it again right now if my family wouldn't disown me for doing so!

 

[JD]

Seriously!

Another one was the blinded old guy, rags tied across his bleeding eyes, thundering forward to kill the heroes with pistols shooting into the blue-tinged night.

Images like that and the many others will resonate for decades and inspire the next generation of George Millers and Tarantinos!


Edited to add: And let's not forget the hellish nightmare inside the sand storm with cars and people being whipped into the air and exploding in flames. It was breath taking and, at times, more like art!

Another image that I loved, was Splendid hanging out of the War Rig while it was going full speed, glaring at Immortan Joe.

I aboslutely loved every second of the movie. It was just such a great beautifully shot movie, with some mind blowing action scenes, and some amazing visuals. I know a lot of people have complained about Max not having a big role in the movie, but second two movies also had him stumbling into situations he really had no connection to. He's pretty much just our entry point into the different stories happening in the wasteland.

Does anybody know for sure which Bride was which? The only one I remember for sure is Splendid, who was the pregnant one,

Spoiler: Splendid's fate

and that was because they said her name several times before and after she died.

I saw their names and who played them several times in the cast lists before I saw it, but I haven't really been able to put the names to the right faces.

 

[DarthPipes]

Very good movie. Thin on plot but very impressive, non-stop engine. At two hours, it absolutely never wore out its welcome unlike so many films nowadays. Charlize Theron was great.

 

[Kytee]

This was fantastic!!
Some guys at work arranged for us to all go to the late show, I went in without really knowing anything other than the name. I'm really glad I did, the action was great fun and way over the top in a way that made me smile.
The visuals alone were enough to ensure that I will get this one on blu-ray. I loved the cobbled together vehicles and firearms, the desert storm was incredible to watch.
I liked that different town leaders had vehicles that felt thematically correct to their towns specialty.

It was interesting to read through this thread and hear about how they made efforts to incorporate feminist ideas and themes ; I think they did a good job, looking back I can see it for sure but while watching it felt natural to the story and suited the characters as we knew them. I did specifically notice that they were changing clothes as the movie went on, but I just thought it was a matter of practicality;

 

[JD]

I forgot to mention in my other post, that according to wikipedia, when they were developing Fury Road they ended up with enough story for three movies, and the second one, Furiosa, is already written. I remember hearing that in interviews too, so I'm pretty confident it's true.

Spoiler: The end of Fury Road

I'm curious if this means Max didn't actually leave The Citadel at the end, or if Furiosa has to track him back down?

 

[marillion]

Saw it today with my 14 year old son... Despite the R, I felt he would be ok with it just as my dad was OK with me seeing the Road Warrior with him when I was 12.

Visually stimulating and completely engaging, we both loved it.

Two questions... Where does it fit in the continuity of the Mad Max 'verse (Hopefully disregarding the abysmal Thunderdome?)

And... Did anyone else catch the literal nod to Mel Gibson toward the end when Max is holding Furiosa? That made me smile...

 

[davejames]

Just got back and I have to agree it was one crazy, cool, and badass action movie, that thankfully never threatened to become too exhausting or mindnumbing like the typical Michael Bay action fest. And the action sequences were probably the most inventive and original I've seen in a movie for quite a while.

It's probably not a movie I'll be putting in my Top 10 or considering a new scifi masterpiece or anything, since I didn't grow up on the original movies and don't get that same giddy thrill of revisiting this world that a lot of others here have probably gotten. But it WAS a very cool action flick.

 

[marillion]

Wow... Forget my question about continuity... I've been reading a few sites and the theorizing is making my head spin.. ouch!!!! Just enjoy the movie!!

 

[Smellmet]

I watched it last night, and was fully entertained by it. The cinematography, sets, costumes, vehicles, stunts, sound and FX are all absolutely top notch.

My only criticisms of the movie are the threadbare plot and the fact that Max plays second fiddle to Furiosa for big chunks of the movie - though Theron is admittedly excellent in the role, as is the always great Hardy. The rest is all superb though.

There's two massive chase sequences in the film that seem to take up a big portion of the running time and they serve up utter carnage, the way they are filmed, the almost overwhelming sound of metal smashing into each other at high speed, the very sparing use of CGI just gives them an intensity that few films can match. It really is an assault on the senses without ever descending into Micheal Bay territory. The vehicles they have designed for it are absolutely preposterous too, and are a feast for the eyes, which is unusual for modern CGI-filled blockbusters. The cinematography is absolutely stunning also, from huge sweeping desert vistas to creepy blue moonlit scenes, this is one of those rare films like The Matrix where you could literally press pause and frame the result on your wall. All these things gel so well you quickly forget about it's shortcomings.

I also think that the 15 rating in the UK is a bit tight, I expected it to be more violent than it is and I think it could have easily been a 12, but at no point did I feel like it's deliberately being toned down like, say Terminator 3 for example.

Great movie, and a guaranteed Blu-Ray purchase.

 

[Aldo]

Wow... Forget my question about continuity... I've been reading a few sites and the theorizing is making my head spin.. ouch!!!! Just enjoy the movie!!

It's not really meant to fit into the continuity of the previous films. It takes the back story from the original film and kind of creates a new continuity.

 

[Eduardo]

For those that want a little more about this world, DC is releasing a 4-issue miniseries dealing with the backstories of the characters:

George Miller, Nico Lathouris and Mark Sexton are writing four prelude stories that follow leading characters Nux, Immortan Joe, Furiosa, and a two-part story about Mad Max. Nico Lathouris serves as a co-writer on the film while Mark Sexton serves as storyboard and concept artist for Mad Max: Fury Road. Interior artists working on these projects include Riccardo Burchielli, Leandro Fernandez, Tristan Jones and Mark Sexton, while covers will be illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards.

NUX & IMMORTAN JOE #1
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by RICCARDO BURCHIELLI and LEANDRO FERNANDEZ
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
One-shot • On sale MAY 20 • 40 pg, FC, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

In this first issue, witness the rise of Colonel Joe Moore, a war hero turned tyrannical warlord…The Immortan Joe!

And don’t miss the story of Nux, one of the Immortan’s “War Boys,” who knows only the chaos into which he was born.

FURIOSA #1
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by TRISTAN JONES
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
One-shot • On sale JUNE 17 • 40 pg, FC, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

High in the Citadel there exists a bio-dome of clean air and pure water, protected from the toxicity and anarchy of the Wasteland. Here the warlord Immortan Joe keeps his most prized possessions – his wives – imprisoned for his pleasure and his insistence that they bear him healthy male heirs.

Then, amid this cruel depravity, an unlikely rescuer emerges…the Immortan’s most lethal warrior: the Imperator Furiosa.

MAD MAX # 1
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by MARK SEXTON
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
On sale JULY 8 • 40 pg, FC, 1 of 2, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

Max. The warrior Max. Haunted by his past and fated to wander the brutal Wasteland in search of his better self. To do so, Max Rockatansky enters Gastown, the only source of guzzoline for thousands of miles. Here he finds the final piece that he needs to rebuild his Interceptor – the powerful Boss 351 engine. But in order to acquire the fabled V8 in a world where car parts are worth more than a man’s life, Max must survive a gladiatorial battle in a place called…Thunderdome Plus!

From the mind of George Miller, the creator of the Mad Max trilogy, the prelude series to the upcoming film Mad Max: Fury Road continues in its penultimate issue!

MAD MAX #2
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by MARK SEXTON
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
On sale AUGUST 5 • 40 pg, FC, 2 of 2, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

Left for dead and his V8 Interceptor stolen, Max Rockatansky sets out to retrieve it… heading straight into the bowels of the sunken city with nothing but his sawed-off shotgun. But the stakes are much higher than the fate of Max’s ride… an innocent girl, Glory, has also been kidnapped by the depraved Buzzards. By the time Max arrives, it may already be too late…

The tpb will be out in September.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

It's not really meant to fit into the continuity of the previous films. It takes the back story from the original film and kind of creates a new continuity.

Exactly. I saw it last night, and it was an amazing film! The very first scene establishes that this is not the same continuity in that we see Max's car stolen, and later destroyed. The same vehicle was destroyed in Mad Max 2, so unless he found another exact same car, I think of Fury Road as a semi-reboot. Miller has stated that it is not a sequel or a reboot, which is a clever way of saying "stop asking that question".

I got the impression from this film that the world didn't end in the same way as in the originals. It was made somewhat clear in MM2 that there were wars over oil that turned into a nuclear conflict. It was an extension of the real fears people had in the early 1980's. While gas scarcity is still a fear today, I got the impression that an environmental meltdown occurred, but nobody knows for sure. Gasoline certainly didn't seem like much of a scarcity in this movie, radiation is never mentioned, and the environment is much more of a hazard than in previous films.

While both the original films and this were set in a post-apocalyptic Australian desert, the originals were much more grounded in reality, showing an apocalypse that people could see actually happening. This film kicks into fantasy territory, with vehicle designs that are unrealistic and impractical, advanced technology like the mechanical hand, mutated creatures, and the guitar guy. Seriously, even if you have no interest in the movie, it is worth it just to see the guitar dude!

 

[davejames]

My only criticisms of the movie are the threadbare plot and the fact that Max plays second fiddle to Furiosa for big chunks of the movie - though Theron is admittedly excellent in the role, as is the always great Hardy. The rest is all superb though.

Yeah as great as Furiosa was, and as much as I liked the heavier focus on women than we usually see in action movies, it did seem a bit odd to me that Max doesn't do much but tag along and act as some extra muscle for Furiosa and her mission.

For being such a supposedly "iconic" character, I was kinda hoping to see him do a lot more somehow.

 

[JD]

For those that want a little more about this world, DC is releasing a 4-issue miniseries dealing with the backstories of the characters:

George Miller, Nico Lathouris and Mark Sexton are writing four prelude stories that follow leading characters Nux, Immortan Joe, Furiosa, and a two-part story about Mad Max. Nico Lathouris serves as a co-writer on the film while Mark Sexton serves as storyboard and concept artist for Mad Max: Fury Road. Interior artists working on these projects include Riccardo Burchielli, Leandro Fernandez, Tristan Jones and Mark Sexton, while covers will be illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards.

NUX & IMMORTAN JOE #1
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by RICCARDO BURCHIELLI and LEANDRO FERNANDEZ
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
One-shot • On sale MAY 20 • 40 pg, FC, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

In this first issue, witness the rise of Colonel Joe Moore, a war hero turned tyrannical warlord…The Immortan Joe!

And don’t miss the story of Nux, one of the Immortan’s “War Boys,” who knows only the chaos into which he was born.

MAD MAX # 1
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by MARK SEXTON
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
On sale JULY 8 • 40 pg, FC, 1 of 2, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

Max. The warrior Max. Haunted by his past and fated to wander the brutal Wasteland in search of his better self. To do so, Max Rockatansky enters Gastown, the only source of guzzoline for thousands of miles. Here he finds the final piece that he needs to rebuild his Interceptor – the powerful Boss 351 engine. But in order to acquire the fabled V8 in a world where car parts are worth more than a man’s life, Max must survive a gladiatorial battle in a place called…Thunderdome Plus!

From the mind of George Miller, the creator of the Mad Max trilogy, the prelude series to the upcoming film Mad Max: Fury Road continues in its penultimate issue!

MAD MAX #2
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by MARK SEXTON
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
On sale AUGUST 5 • 40 pg, FC, 2 of 2, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS

Left for dead and his V8 Interceptor stolen, Max Rockatansky sets out to retrieve it… heading straight into the bowels of the sunken city with nothing but his sawed-off shotgun. But the stakes are much higher than the fate of Max’s ride… an innocent girl, Glory, has also been kidnapped by the depraved Buzzards. By the time Max arrives, it may already be too late…

The tpb will be out in September.

I heard about those a couple months ago, and I'm really looking forward to them. Miller and co. came up with a lot of detailed backstory that didn't make into the movie itself, so I'm hoping we'll get to see some of that in the comics.

There are a couple of other books for Fury Road too.
Mad Max: Fury Road: Inspired Artists
The Art of Max Max. I'm hoping we might get some more of backstory stuff here too.

 

[Smellmet]

For being such a supposedly "iconic" character, I was kinda hoping to see him do a lot more somehow.

That's my problem, he is supposed to be the main character surely? I still ended up loving the film though, it's an absolute riot.

 

[slappy]

The thing that impressed me most about this film was it's refreshing lack of safe-ness. Everything nowadays is so sanitized, neutered, and lacking in teeth of any kind. Especially the higher the budget and the bigger the property. It was nice to see a filmmaker take a property that's this well-known and dare to get raw and in your face for once. It appealed to alot of demographics, but it didn't pander to any of them. No forced romance. The women were vulnerable but tough and just as important as the men. Not because it was a box that needed checking, just because that's how it was.

 

[JD]

I have to admit, I'm still a little shocked that they didn't try to shove in some kind of a romance between Furiosa and Max. There was definitely a respect there, and possibly even the beginnings of a friendship, but that was as far as it went.

One other thing I forgot to mention in my post-movie post, was that I loved how pretty much every main character got a moment to shine. I have to admit, I expected the Brides to pretty much just be eye candy who sat in the back of the War Rig's cab and looked pretty, but I thought they actually did a pretty good job of giving each of them a moment in the spotlight, and making them feel like real characters rather than just set dressing.

 

[Aldo]

For being such a supposedly "iconic" character, I was kinda hoping to see him do a lot more somehow.

That's my problem, he is supposed to be the main character surely? I still ended up loving the film though, it's an absolute riot.

Max is a western archetype. He's the lonely cowboy who wonders into town, gets involved in whatever dispute is happening, and then leaves before the credits roll.

Looking at him in this way, I have no problem with his role in the film. I do think he got to do a fair bit though.

 

[JD]

I just saw this poster for the first time on the movie's wikipedia page. I love it, it's almost kind of retro.

 

[Aldo]

I might have to pick that poster up. Most of what I have is the usual photoshopped messes.