The Pre-Apocalypse Primer: Was This Even Necessary?
Ah, the prequel. That cinematic endeavor born from either burning narrative necessity or, more likely, pure, unadulterated studio greed. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga steps into the daunting shadows of Fury Road, daring to answer the question: “How did Furiosa lose her arm and get so darn grumpy?” As if we needed to know. 😉 But here we are, strapping in for a journey through the irradiated past of one of the wasteland’s most iconic figures, hoping for Pure Cinematic Gold! but secretly bracing for something closer to a rusty muffler.
George Miller, the mad genius himself, is back at the helm, which, you know, is usually a good sign. He knows this wasteland better than a two-headed mutant knows a gas station. This time, we follow a young Furiosa, snatched from her idyllic (by wasteland standards) Green Place, and thrown into the brutal, dust-choked world dominated by warring factions, most notably the bizarre biker horde led by the utterly unhinged Warlord Dementus (a gleefully over-the-top Chris Hemsworth). It’s a classic origin story, packed with familiar names and places, but the real question is: does it justify its own existence?
Revving the Engine: The Good (and the Almost Good)
Let’s be honest, even a “meh” Mad Max film is still usually better than most other action flicks. And in Furiosa, George Miller still knows how to choreograph a chase scene. When the vehicles are actually moving, roaring across the endless desert, it’s a spectacle. The design of the vehicles, the sheer ingenuity of the brutal combat on wheels – that’s still Oscar-Worthy stuff. The desert looks… well, it looks like a desert, but a very expensive one, teeming with glorious, practical-effects-driven explosions and stunt work. Some of the action sequences are genuinely thrilling, pulling you in just enough before reminding you it’s not quite the same.
Anya Taylor-Joy steps into Charlize Theron’s formidable boots, and she does an admirable job. Her Furiosa is stoic, determined, and manages to convey a lot with very little dialogue. She’s got the ‘stare angrily into the distance’ look down pat, radiating a quiet fury that promises vengeance. And then there’s Chris Hemsworth as Dementus. He’s clearly having the time of his life, chewing more scenery than a war boy eats chrome paint. Is he over-the-top? Absolutely. Is it entertaining? Sometimes. He brings a chaotic energy to the screen, even if it feels like he’s in a slightly different, more cartoonish movie. He’s the Snark Villain we love to hate, even if he’s less menacing and more… shouty.
Hitting a Speed Bump: The Pain Points & The Bad Decisions
Here’s where the wheels start to wobble, and where Furiosa truly differentiates itself from its predecessor – and not always in a good way. Unlike Fury Road‘s relentless, ‘you blinked, you died’ pace, Furiosa hits the brakes. A lot. There are moments where you might find yourself wondering if the film got lost in the vast, empty expanse of its own runtime. It’s a journey, apparently, and sometimes journeys have boring bits that feel like a Slog through sand.
And speaking of vastness, while the practical effects are still impressive, the reliance on CGI, especially for younger Furiosa, just doesn’t have the grit and grime of the Mad Max world we know and love. It pulls you out of the experience, reminding you you’re watching a movie, not witnessing a post-apocalyptic fever dream. It lacks that raw, kinetic, almost spiritual urgency that made Fury Road a masterpiece.
Let’s be blunt: This isn’t Fury Road. It lacks that propulsive, adrenaline-fueled, WITNESS ME! energy. It feels more like a really well-made Mad Max fan film than the next groundbreaking installment. The lack of actual Mad Max in A Mad Max Saga is also an amusing, if slightly frustrating, fourth-wall-breaking point. And despite the grand journey, does it make you feel more for Furiosa? Perhaps. But it’s a cold, hard journey, much like the wasteland itself. You might admire her resilience, but the emotional gut punch isn’t quite there.
