Mad Max: Fury Road - REVIEW

Movies… Film... Cinema.

Some are great. Some, not so great.

Some films are downright terrible… but Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by George Miller, is one of the most impressive films I've ever seen. Releasing in 2015 with not much promotion, and ultimately to great fanfare, as well as critical praise, it’s grandiose cinematography of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, meshed with minute detail of this archaic world is the thing movie-lovers salivate for!

From the opening scene where we see a two-headed lizard scurry across the desert ground, we quickly understand what type of film we are in for. Oh, and a grizzly and unkempt Max Rockatansky eats that lizard by the way. Seriously.

Timing is everything, and in 2015 women-empowerment was at the forefront of America's social conscience. Understanding and, obviously, appreciating that notion as well, George Miller's female characters in this film are strong, smart and capable. Giving Hollywood-of-the-time, a firm leg to stand on in the discussion of equality.

When we think of strong female characters, we consider Sarah Conner, Joan of Arc, and Jackie Brown, just to name a few... But Furiosa, has just joined the chat. -In one scene in-particular, the gender roles are skewed the most when Max and Furiosa are on the run from "Immortan Joe" and his entire “half-life” army. As Max and Furiosa flee across the desert, their behemoth of a vehicle called ‘The War Rig’ gets stuck deep in the mud. With Immortan Joe and his bad guy partners catching up, Max gets the sniper rifle and with just one bullet left, he takes aim. A sure-handed Furiosa quickly relieves him of his weapon and takes the task of long distance scoping upon herself. She uses Max’s shoulder as a stand to balance herself and takes a perfect shot. The Bullet Farmer is now blind and can no longer "Sing!" – This scene screams ‘feminism’ and is a voice for strong, confident women that are simply ‘able’. Plus, this story is much more Furiosa's than it is Rockatansky's.

Overall, this film is outstanding, with visceral stunt work and their singular vision of an increasingly desperate future, but it is not without it's flaws. For example, the “night scenes”. I love the ballsy effort of the production staff but the night scenes in this film were obviously just filtered with a darker purple color over the entire shot. Not a knock, it's actually very resourceful and creative, but I’d expect a little more from a film with what I’m guessing is a large budget.

Finally, I give Mad Max: Fury Road 5 out of 5 stars! Visually, the film is shocking and breathe-taking. It’s raw visuals punch you in the face from the film’s start. With a stunt-team that would make the Academy reconsider, high-octane action and a firestorm timeline of events make this film a "must-see"!

**If you don’t agree with my analysis of the, check out Roger Ebert's!