Mad Max - Fury Road

Plot: In post-apocolyptic Australia, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) takes her battle wagon off raiding duty and into the mountains looking for a utopia called Green Place. Meanwhile, Max (Tom Hardy) is captured by warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), who needs to catch Furiosa. The bad guys tie Max to the front of a jeep to use for replacement blood and as human shield. Because the enemy of my enemy is my friend, Max ends up working with Furiosa, who is secretly smuggling Immortan Joe's young wives to the Green Place. 

In the end, Furiosa and Max risk a final battle, and this wraps up the story. [imdb]    [photos]

Review: Cool. And Epic. The steam-punk cars and puffy tattoos and aerosol makeup look great. I loved the style and art direction. I liked having a film that was so fast moving that the vehicles almost never stopped.  

It is a simple story - understandable without a lot of dialog because fleeing girls chased by bad guys is an archetype, that is, oppressed women are trying to escape to a feminist utopia. It is more feminist than any action movie that I can think of, more in a league with Frozen. As readers of Depth of Processing know, 21st Century women characters rescue themselves without need of male heroes. Is the feminist message sincere or just pandering to get an audience? Answer: This is a Hollywood movie; the best you can expect is both. 

Max is really a side kick for Furiosa, who is the primary hero. It is unusual to have a side kick in the title role.  

Cast: Tom Hardy, who plays Max minimally and tough; Charlize Theron, who is tough and cool at once. 

Directed by: George Miller (This is the George Miller who made the first Mad Max -- not the other one.)

The Music: Cool music. I loved having the drums on the trucks. 

The Visuals: The best. It better win Oscars!

Rating: 3.5 stars: Fun with some good ideas. 

More: The trailers were so guy friendly that my wife wouldn't see the movie. This despite the feminist message and heroine. 

SPOILER -- Even More: I like the idea that the utopian Green Place turned out to be barren. Utopia always is. I liked that they needed to go back home, and try to work out their problems. And I liked that the friends that they made on the journey help Furiosa succeed. 

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