In 2015, we were graced with one of the most white knuckle, high octane bat shit action films to ever grace our screens: Mad Max: Fury Road. A momentous achievement in action filmmaking, Fury Road took the leather clad, Aussie setup of the original trilogy, pumped its corpse full of ketamine, and said “f*ck it, let’s nearly kill a bunch of stunt performers and drive our stars to the brink of desert insanity”. Yet the Mad Grandpa George Miller somehow made it work, creating a feature length chase sequence pumped full of stunts and visuals that haven’t really been topped since then. Fury Road is a one of a kind spectacle, but you may be surprised to hear it wasn’t exactly a box office success. Sure it secured a slew of Oscar noms and is now regarded as one of the best action films of all time, but it was only a moderate monetary success all things considered. So after that, an underperforming niche film a few years later, and oh yeah, George Miller suing Warner Brothers, it’s a miracle he was able to make another one of these.

You would’ve thought we learned our lesson about letting greatness flop the first time, but the theaters for this new film have been looking less like a War Boy party and more the deserted expanse of the wasteland. Which is a shame because not only is Furiosa a damn fine movie, it’s one of the best of 2024. Ripped straight from a post-apocalyptic heavy metal magazine, Furiosa does a ton to expand upon the world Fury Road presented us with, but don’t go into this thinking it’s trying to be Fury Road 2. Furiosa has its own vibe and approach that allows it to feel less attached at the hip to its predecessor. It’s a character driven, world opening odyssey of revenge that still manages to deliver on enthralling sequences as well as terrific performances and set pieces. That being said, those who were hoping this would be a Fury Road 2 may find themselves a tad disappointed. It’s a slower story that does reel back on the wall to wall nuttiness of the previous film, including a very noticeable lean on more digital effects this time around. Even still, I had an absolute blast with this one and it’s a damn crying shame this is not tracking at the box office. Hasn’t that greedy orange bastard won enough?

Spanning years before the events of Fury Road, we follow the titular character as she is stolen from her home by the charismatic warlord Dementus. With her mother killed and her homeland far away, Furiosa spends the next few years sharpening her edges and learning the ways of the wasteland so she can one day kill those who have caused her pain and finally return home.

Where Fury Road was essentially one long sequence expanded into a feature length run-time, Furiosa is an episodic, decade spanning journey that digs deeper into its central character, more akin to the previous trilogy. If you thought Max was mad, just wait until you see what Furiosa goes through. Her transformation from unwilling orphan to road warrior is filled with deception, false identities, alliances and maybe even a little love. This role is split between two performances, with Alyla Browne portraying Furiosa as a child, and Anya Taylor-Joy as an adult. I was actually kind of surprised to see how long it took before Anya took over the role, yet Browne does a solid job at instilling both heartache and vengeance into the character. When we finally do get Anya, she manages to achieve a ton through a mostly physical performance. Believe it or not, Anya has less lines than Tom Hardy did in Fury Road, yet we still manage to get a much more fleshed out character with enticing goals and feelings. The eyes are Anya’s money makers right here, and she puts them to work, telling the story through glares and glances without needing too many words. She does a solid job at portraying this badass that continues to suffer and lose things she cares about, yet manages to maintain hope and perseverance through it all. And if you’re like “Well, I wanna see a film about Madthew Max because the series is called Mad Max”, ask yourself this: Was Fury Road great because it had the character of Mad Max in it, or because George Miller is a fantastic director? I know my answer, and hint hint, it’s the same reason why I loved this.

But if we’re talking performances, we cannot pass up Chris Hemsworth doing a big weirdo schtick that was one of the biggest highlights of this film for me. As Dementus, warlord of the wasteland, Hemsworth sheds the veneer of action movie badass or goofy pretty boy for a performance that manages to be threatening, bumbling and hilarious. Honestly I think he has the most interesting character progression in the film, with his demeanor and appearance altering in some pretty fun ways. He starts out as a soft-speaking, almost messianic figure clad in white and ends up a semi-incompetent yet deadly maniac dyed in red and black. He has this failing upwards arc to him; not being the brightest yet he still finds a way to find some success through his charisma and ego. From the old Australian accent to his ramblings about hope and legacy, Hemsworth stole the show with possibly his best performance I’ve seen yet.

Like I alluded to before, this does not have the exact same vibe as Fury Road. Non-stop action only occasionally broken up by a few slower, character building moments. Its very linear narrative structure is swapped for something a bit more sweeping, a bit more patient, and a bit more diverse. I really enjoyed this change of pace, as it allowed Miller to show us more of this world he’s devised. We see more locations, different colonies of people and more warring factions outside of the Citadel. It makes the setting feel even more lived in, while still building upon previous characters and groups introduced in the previous film. Plus, we get to know these characters a bit more. Not just Furiosa and Dementus, but others like Furiosa’s mother and Furiosa’s mentor Praetorian Jack. Where Fury Road was more concept driven, this is much more narrative driven, which does mean it isn’t as breakneck as the former. 

Yet, that doesn’t mean there aren’t fantastic action sequences to behold. We kick off the film with a simple yet fun sniper chase through the sandy dunes, giving fuel to Furiosa’s origins and also showing the capabilities of the woman that raised her, which does rub off on her as she grows older. Then there’s the inaugural ride of a new war rig, which is perhaps the best sequence in the whole film. With barely any dialogue to slow it down, Miller flexes his action chops and delivers on a thrilling chase that seems to just keep going, but in a good way. It’s the closest this film really feels to Fury Road, yet there’s still new ideas on display here, like the addition of flying marauders with flamethrowers. Thankfully the other scenes surrounding these standout moments never drag the film down; on the contrary they can be just as engaging. Without spoiling too much, the climax doesn’t end with a big chase or huge explosions, but a face to face confrontation that aims to give Furiosa everything she desires, only to realize it may not give her the catharsis she hoped for. So no, this film isn’t boring, but I would prepare yourself for something different from Fury Road.

One of the biggest points of contention for this film before it even came out was the noticeable uptick in digital effects. Contrary to popular belief, Fury Road wasn’t this all-practical monolith that contained no CGI. There’s plenty actually, from sandstorms to even some of the explosions. Yet in Furiosa it’s way more noticeable, especially in the environments. While a lot of this was filmed in the desert, there’s still some noticeable instances of CGI in buildings, ragdolls flying off of cars and even the sky. This was no doubt done to temper costs and up the safety of the stuntmen, yet it does sacrifice some of Fury Road’s authenticity. And I’ll admit, some of the CGI can look spotty at times, but there’s also a part of me that kind of enjoys it. Miller definitely aimed to have this film’s aesthetic differ from Fury Road, not only in the visuals but also in the camera work and staging. It often gives this film a warped kind of look to it, but I think that fits the style of the film. It reminds me of heavy metal magazines and even comic books, all while reflecting the chaotic nature of the wasteland itself. My big issues with CGI usually comes from when it still tries to base itself in reality, which often makes it look fake. There’s definitely some instances of it here, but overall I see it as part of the visual package. Colors pop a lot more than just the oranges we remember from Fury Road, with the highly saturated shades leaning towards a much more punk vibe, reminding me of a lot of other properties like Tank Girl.

The visuals are only a minor concern for me most of the time, though my main critiques of this film come from some of its narrative choices. Some side plots and details tend to get swept under the rug as the film goes on, either not reaching a reasonable conclusion or having some details left out. For instance, Furiosa goes from a hopeful future bride of Immortan Joe to a mechanic that hides her identity and gender in the Citadel, to one of Joe’s top lieutenants proudly flaunting her true self. While we see some of this progression, there’s no real acknowledgement or ramifications to be seen. Then there’s instances like a whole 40 day war that is quickly zoomed past in a montage, while other elements like Furiosa trying to return home and drawing a star map on her arm get forgotten by the end. There’s a lot of ideas at work here, yet some don’t remain consistent throughout, meaning the plot can feel a bit scatterbrained at times with you thinking “Oh, we aren’t doing that thing anymore? Okay then.”. 

Even with these issues, there is no reason for a film so explicitly designed to be a summer box office smash to be bombing like it is now. Furiosa doesn’t try to replicate the magic of Fury Road to a T, but rather it sets out to form its own identity through a more character driven story and a similar yet more off-the-wall visual style. The action still hits hard and still had me wondering how they were able to pull off some of the stunts that it did. It manages to be vicious, heavy metal and a tiny bit messy in all the best ways. If you’re clamoring for a carbon copy of Fury Road, you may find some of the visuals and narrative beats to be a bit of a letdown. Even still, this is an absolute blast that absolutely needs to be experienced in theaters. It’s rare I push so much for a big studio blockbuster, but George Miller is getting old and doesn’t have a ton of this madness left in him. If it’s between more of this or more Happy Feet, well I’ll melt the ice caps with nuclear radiation myself if I have to.

RATING

DARK DEMENTUS

The wasteland makes us all a little mad, but for those moments where you’re so pissed you literally change your color scheme and name, you’ll need an equal mad cocktail. The Dark Dementus, named after the warlord’s final form, is a smokey and spicey cocktail packing a bit of a tart punch alongside an ever so slight bitterness. For an easy dye job, I love utilizing a little bit of black sanding sugar to not only give the drink its dark complexion, but also add a bit of sweetness as well. For extra crazy fun, consider smoking the glass before hand and save one of your lime husks to make a flaming lime boat and give the drink the look of a tank of guzzoline ready to burst!

INGREDIENTS

• 1oz mezcal
• 1/2oz aperol
• 1/2oz ancho reyes liqueur
• 3/4oz lime juice
• 1-2tsp black sanding sugar
• Smoking woodchips
• Garnish: Lime boat
• Garnish: Crouton or sugar cube
• Garnish: overproof rum (or other high proof spirit)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill a rocks glass with smoke using your preferred method, then set aside.
2. In a shaker, combine ingredients and shake with ice.
3. Strain into prepared glass over large ice cube.
4. Place the lime boat in the glass, along with a crouton or sugar cube that is doused in overproof rum.
5. Carefully light the crouton on fire. Blow out before consuming.