The fifth ‘Mad Max’ movie from Australian filmmaker George Miller takes place fifteen years before the events of 2015’s “Fury Road.” Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a stunning performance as the younger version of Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa in the origins story. The movie is a visual feast filled with breathtaking stunts, terrific performances, and a haunting score by Tom Holkenborg. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a high-octane masterpiece that fuels the mind, body, and soul.
George Miller didn’t invent the dystopian action film; he perfected it. When 1979’s “Mad Max” hit the U.S. with a then-unknown Mel Gibson, it became a cult classic thanks to the intense stunts, souped-up police cruisers, biker gangs, and a leather-clad hero looking for justice outside the law. It was Australia’s answer to Roger Corman.
From its raw and intense beginnings, the ‘Mad Max’ series has evolved into a finely tuned franchise under George Miller’s masterful direction. The heart-pounding action, once characterized by extreme closeups and sped-up sequences, now shares the stage with richly developed characters who retain their humanity. While the wasteland may not mirror our world, the themes of loss, love, vengeance, and morality resonate deeply.
In a desert reminiscent of an Australian version of Arrakis, the precious spice resource has been replaced by fuel. In this world, the one who controls the gas holds dominion over the wasteland. The scarcity of this vital liquid, necessary to power the future’s internal combustion engines, is a constant driving force in Miller’s franchise. Gastown, a refinery and one of the three outposts in the wasteland serves as the central hub of “Furiosa.”
An hour passes before Anya Taylor-Joy steps into the titular role. Alya Brown plays Furiosa as a child as the film begins in the Green Place of Many Mothers, a hidden oasis in the middle of the desert where life thrives.
When the Green Place is discovered by a couple of biker scouts serving a warlord named Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), little Furiosa attempts to sabotage the pair before they can report back to their villainous and charming leader. Hemsworth is terrific in the role, bringing the right amount of charm and treachery to Dementus, as Jason Momoa did in “Fast X,” playing Dante Reyes. Hemsworth isn’t as flamboyant as Momoa but wears a teddy bear around his waist.
Charlee Fraser (“Anyone But You’) plays Furiosa’s mother, a warrior in her own right, who attempts to rescue her daughter from Dementus’ henchmen in a thrilling sequence involving motorbikes and a sniper rifle.
If you’ve seen “Fury Road” you know what to expect. Furiosa becomes a prisoner-turned-imperator serving Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme taking over the role of Hugh Keays-Byrne, who passed away in 2020), the leader of the fanatical War Boys who runs The Citadel from the top of a mountain. His followers, known as The Wretched, are kept alive by the frightening leader who furnishes them with water from his aquifer. To pump the water, he needs petrol from Gastown to run the machines, which he receives in exchange for food and water.
Taylor-Joy as teenage Furiosa brings an emotional intensity to the role captured by Miller’s closeups of her glassy stare. The doe-eyed heroine doesn’t say much, but we know exactly what she’s thinking thanks to Taylor-Joy’s expressive performance.
Miller’s prequel exquisitely sets up the events of “Fury Road” as we watch Furiosa become the character Charlize Theron plays in the 2015 film. How did she become a fierce warrior who drives the War Rig? What motivated her to bail as one of Immortan Joe’s top lieutenants to save his tribe of sex slaves known as “The Five Wives”? Those questions are answered, leaving no stone unturned.
“Furiosa” is peppered with colorful characters, including Rictus Erectus (Nathan Jones) and Scrotus (Josh Helman), the sons of Immortan Joe who stepped out of a “Toxic Avenger” film. George Shevstov plays The History Man, a prisoner who serves Dementus by filling the warlord’s head with stories of the world before civilization collapsed, while Angus Sampson (“Insidious”) takes on the role of the Organic Mechanic, a pseudo-doctor who becomes Immortan Joe’s physician.
The most refreshing aspect of Miller’s film is casting Tom Burke as antihero Praetorian Jack, who becomes Furiosa’s mentor. The English actor is known for dramatic performances in films that include Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” and David Fincher’s “Mank.” In the middle of Miller’s fueled-up frenzy, Jack brings benevolence to the story, making Burke the perfect choice for the role. As he drives the War Rig with Furiosa riding shotgun and later walks down a deserted highway, the Mad Max-like character recalls Miller’s breakout “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.” Burke left me longing for a Praetorian Jack origins story.
Divided into five chapters (“The Pole of Inaccessibility,” “Lessons from the Wasteland,” “The Stowaway,” “Homeward,” and “Beyond Vengeance”), as the action gravitates from The Citadel and Gastown to Bullet Farm, the setting for one of the film’s best action sequences, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a cinematic achievement that defies comparison to the Oscar-winning “Fury Road.” This is a different kind of beast that holds its own. Imagine if James Cameron’s “Aliens” had been released before Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” Would it change your perception of either film?
The Western-like showdown between Furiosa and Dementus is worth the 2h 28m runtime. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth make formidable adversaries. As polar opposites, their characters fit into the hero-vs.-villain archetype.
By the way, keep your eye out for a V8 Interceptor.
(4 stars)
Now showing in theaters
Cinematic achievement.
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