Movie: Furiosa A Mad Max Saga
Production Companies: Kennedy Miller Mitchell, Domain Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures
Director: George Miller
Producers: Doug Mitchell, George Miller
Scriptwriters: George Miller, Nico Lathouris
Main Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
Release Date: May 24th 2024 (UK)
Running Time: 148 minutes
Certificate: 15
Introduction
And welcome back George Miller! Whilst he had the near herculean task of trying to make a prequel to one of the greatest action films ever made, Mad Max: Fury Road, he mostly succeeded with a pretty damn good film in the form of Furiosa A Mad Max Saga. Furiosa more than lives up to the high standards of action in Fury Road as well as having some great performances from both Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth. And as a word of warning, this film has a lot of a personal driven narrative given it follows Furiosa in all the events leading up to Fury Road. With SPOILERS in mind, let’s get into my review of the film now.
Synopsis
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga follows the titular character, played by Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne in her childhood, as she is abducted from her home and taken prisoner by the warlord Dementus (Hemsworth). Whilst forcibly accompanying Dementus on his conquest of the apocalyptic Australia, she is traded to Immortan Joe in exchange for resources. However, upon discovering her fate under Immortan Joe she disguises herself as a man to work on Joe’s war rigs. However, she is once again thrown back into the chaotic war between Joe and Dementus during one fateful attack which will change her forever, both physically and in her burgeoning relationship with rig driver Praetorian Jack (Burke).
Analysis
The Action Scenes in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
There’s no better place to start with the analysis of Furiosa than discussing the action scenes within the film which are as incredible as ever. And yes, they inevitably fall slightly short of Fury Road’s standards but it’s so difficult to measure up to perfection. Look at the first scene on the war rig as Dementus’s crew attacks. Here Miller cleverly uses Jack in the cabin of the rig as the centre of the sequence by having him signal for more Warboys and giving Furiosa orders as the camera moves and cuts dynamically between the calmness of the cabin and the insanely choreographed action outside. Naturally, there’s explosions which put Michael Bay to shame and the worst driving ever seen since Nikita Mazepin stepped into an F1 car. But there’s just something so visually pleasing about watching cars and motorcycles exploding in the deserts of apocalyptic Australia.
Also, don’t discount the importance of Furiosa here as she gets trapped under the rig and needs to cut herself lest the entire rig stop. Here, Miller uses plenty of close ups and a static camera to emphasise how Furiosa has become trapped and is in a very perilous situation with Dementus’s men closing in. Also, how could we forget about Dementus’s first attack on a rig which is all shot via long shots but you can still see how beautiful the choreographed action is via the speed the rig is going. Honestly, bring on the next Mad Max film….
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Performance in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Now a big question heading into Furiosa was could Anya Taylor-Joy match Charlize Theron’s performance in Fury Road? Well she didn’t fall out with any of her co-stars so the answer is no…. We’re kidding of course because Taylor-Joy brings the same level of badass feminism to the role which Theron did. To name but one scene look at the scene where Furiosa cuts her arm off to avoid detection from Dementus. Despite her arm having the map to find her home on it, she cuts it off to prolong her own survival. Also, just look at the many great action scenes which more than prove Taylor-Joy can match Theron’s performance.
And there’s that great unreliable narrator scene at the end of the film where we never truly know if Furiosa did kill Dementus (but we all definitely know she did) Also, props to Chris Hemsworth who despite being a bit wooden at points is a very fun watch as Dementus once again proving that if you’re a former Marvel actor you’ll be perfect as a d***head villain.
Summary
To summarise Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, this is an excellent film which serves as a near perfect prequel to the carnage of Fury Road. There’s still the same incredibly high level of quality action scenes and a great performance from Anya Taylor-Joy. However, it naturally does fall short of the incredible Fury Road which is understandable however this is still a must watch film for any fans of the Mad Max franchise.
Overall Rating: 8/10 – Very Good
Target Audience: 15+
Content Warning: Mild Sex and Nudity, Severe Violence and Gore, Mild Profanity, Severe Frightening and Intense Scenes
Recommendation: Yes
