Movie Review: Furiosa – A Mad Max Saga
One-liner: Spectacular action, surreal visuals, epic production design and gritty performances help overpower shortfalls in this plucky prequel.
The legend of Mad Max: Fury Road continues to haunt the digital ether as stories around Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s combative working relationship echo almost a decade after the visceral film exploded onto screen. Having captured lightning in a bottle, no one expected George Miller to return to the dust of the post-apocalyptic desert plains again.
That’s probably why Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is such a curious surprise. Having been at the forefront of Mad Max: Fury Road with Max on the periphery, Furiosa was literally the driving force behind the cataclysmic and epic road movie from George Miller. So, while one would have typically expected Theron to reprise the role, there’s some elasticity to the rewind with an origin story for the renegade warrior in this age of superhero reboots.
Taken from a young age, Furiosa’s hardy nature and rebellious streak are entrenched from the get-go. Having lost her childhood to Dr Dementus and his motley crew of bikers, Furiosa pivots between the mighty fortresses of the wasteland as she struggles to find her place in the wasteland world and overcome ongoing trauma.
The heavy reliance on visual effects and oversimplification of the wasteland makes it seem like Furiosa was adapted from a video game. Perhaps this is why it’s a bit more disconnected than Mad Max: Fury Road. The action elements have panache but are almost juvenile in terms of their untethered invention and imagination, lacking the grit and grounding of the predecessor.
Miller launched a revolutionary visual masterpiece with Mad Max: Fury Road, shooting the eye-popping action extravaganza largely in Namibia. Returning to the sand of Australia, where the Mel Gibson series and many outback westerns are set, does make it seem more in line with the spirit of Mad Max. Yet, as gritty as it remains… something has been lost in translation.
To match Mad Max: Fury Road was always going to be a miracle, especially when you’re rebooting a reboot while trying to retain the blistering essence of a landmark film such as Fury Road. This is probably why Miller decided to wait several years before even contemplating a follow-up with a prequel or sequel. As awe-inspiring and critically-acclaimed as Fury Road was, it’s also curious to note that it hasn’t had as big a splash across pop culture as you’d expect. Much like Theron’s casting echoes, the film is more concerned with admiration and artistic integrity than adoration.
“Right, speak now or forever hold your piss.”
To this end, Miller has stuck to his guns with a prequel that also plays by its own rules. Self-indulgent at times, Furiosa isn’t about fan service. It’s about resurrecting a modern classic and remaining true to the spirit of the series reboot so that there’s enough continuity, cohesion and resonance to endure. In this sense, Miller has largely succeeded on his mission to connect the dots.
Having seen the fall out of the Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy pairing, Furiosa has learned from Mad Max: Fury Road’s mistakes and commandeered two of the biggest stars on the planet to do its bidding. Anya Taylor-Joy is a young Furiosa, who may not be the best likeness or substitute for Charlize Theron but is watchable and up to the task. There to lean on his acting ability over his rugged looks is Chris Hemsworth in disguise as Dr Dementus thanks to convincing facial prosthetics and contacts.
Taylor-Joy is versatile enough to play a span of twenty years, taking the reins after a strong opening gambit from Alyla Browne who had to endure some hellish scenes. Picking up the story from Browne and bridging to Theron is no easy feat. Yet Taylor-Joy knows the spectacle needs to be harnessed, counterbalancing and grounding the film with a headstrong and self-determined performance.
Having to set normal amid a circus of supporting characters, Furiosa is our in while Hemsworth wrestles with the dastardly biker god, Dementus. There to contend with the dark charisma and might of Immortan Joe, Hemsworth leverages charm and complexity as a heroic sort of middle-man villain. Besides these Hollywood A-listers, it’s Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack who impresses most with Lachy Hulme filling in for the late Hugh Keays-Byrne as the iconic Immortan Joe.
Miller captures the energy and raw power of Mad Max: Fury Road, expanding the landscape to encompass more factions. While the focus isn’t on one epic car chase, the director brings invigorating action set pieces into play to echo and remind us what made Fury Road so powerful. Through slick action choreography, these moments bristle with a similar intensity, interspersed by more intermittent home base drama. While it doesn’t hold the same novelty, the pulsating rock ‘n roll art keeps you entertained and transfixed.
Unfortunately, being so heavily invested in CGI… there are many moments that stretch the limits of believability. Whether through design or execution, the video game undertone does undermine some of the gains as monster trucks and hang gliders enter the fray. While fleeting, these overcooked elements and shortcuts do steal away some of the visual splendour and detach from Miller’s steady efforts at world-building.
Furiosa is visually-compelling when it comes to storytelling as if lifted from the pages of a graphic novel. This could be testament to a storyboard that must surely resemble an artwork. In this light and with this “visual masterpiece” pressure, the dialogue just isn’t as important as the atmosphere, mood, performance, posture and visuals. To its credit, Furiosa is the kind of film you could easily follow without sound. Unfortunately, this does downgrade the importance of the dialogue, which sometimes just seems like it’s there to be there.
It was always going to be a near-impossible task to repeat Mad Max: Fury Road. While Furiosa pales in comparison, the fine ingredients and close resemblance is strong enough to overpower the shortfall. Being its own animal, Furiosa remains fresh, unpredictable and nightmarish enough to carry the red-stained torch deeper into the wasteland. While it underlines Theron’s Oscar-worthy performance, serves as a tribute to Keays-Byrne and scatters into video game territory, it’s difficult not to be entertained and transported.
The bottom line: Eye-popping
