Thursday 21 May 2015

Mad Max: Fury Road - The scoop and digest

30 years after Beyond Thunderdrome (and Tina Turner), Director George Miller finally overcomes 'development hell' and reboots his own post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Mel Gibson's time has passed.  The road warrior has a new face.

Plot details and/or spoilers will be baron and desolate.

What a lovely day for:

Tom Hardy - Max
Charlize Theron - Imperator Furiosa
Nicholas Hoult - Nux
Hugh Keays-Byrne - Immortan Joe

In a world shy of hope and dominated by despair, ex cop Max is haunted by visions of failing to protect his family.

Our man is captured by the War Boys and designate him as blood donor to treat poorly geezer Nux.

Leading an army of hundreds and thousands, tyrannical dictator Immortan Joe rules the Citadel roost while his five wives (specially selected for breeding), are 'employed' to pass on the warlord gene.

Furiosa is ordered to collect fuel but her and armoured shithouse War Rig takes a slight detour with expectant mothers.

Joe is naturally pissed and sets out to retrieve stolen property.

Muzzled like Hannibal Lecter, poor old Max rides on the hood of Nux's vehicle who continues to supply the red stuff.

Don't worry, he's not a vampire.

An explosive battle ensues and after waking from the devastation of a sandstorm, he and Furiosa lock horns.

After a brief scuffle, Max attempts to steal the Rig.

Kill switch eh? Clever girl.

I guess there's enough room for Furiosa and the power of five after all.

Joe and co's pursuit is temporarily thwarted by a recently collapsed canyon, as detonated by a biker gang.

However, monster trucks can climb such obstacles...

Still peeved at not receiving gasoline, the biker gang target revenge but are dealt with accordingly.

Nux scrambles aboard the Rig and shielding Furiosa, one of Joe's heavily pregnant wives is tagged and subsequently flattened by husband's vehicle.

Furiosa speaks of a childhood memory, where she was born.  Lush and verdant - a 'Green' place.

They pass a swamp, inhabited by crow-like creatures on stilts.

During a meeting with members of Furiosa's former clan, she is horrified to learn that birthplace is anything but caw blimey...

In a moment of clarity, Max convinces them to floor it back to the Citadel.

Sounds like a cracking idea, but there may be trouble in reverse.

Is he insane in the membrane? Apparently not.

Max fights with Joe's son Rictus and Furiosa attaches a chain to spinning wheels, ripping Joe's face off.

Nux commits suicide by destroying the Rig and Rictus is killed in the process.

Arriving at the Citadel, the production of Joe's body is met with jubilation.

Furiosa is apparently welcomed by young War Dogs and Max melts into the crowd.

Adrenaline-pumping exhilaration gives us little opportunity to breathe.

It would be easy to let metronomic CGI handle stunts and effects, but as the vast majority are practical - I heap kudos.

Crew cut and slapped with warpaint, Theron is a near revelation and hits all the right notes as spunky survivalist.

As head honcho, Hardy lacks charisma and even seems disinterested.

Maybe I missed a brilliant performance?

Hoult is neither likable or irritating, so I guess watchable.

Did we need mutants straight from The Hills Have Eyes?

Bollocks!

Returning from 1979 original, Keays-Byrne is transformed from Toecutter to oxygen reliant Joe, whose mask may draw comparisons to Bane.

While set-pieces are often spectacular, this isn't The Raid 2.

Although rumoured, Gibson not making a cameo appearance is disappointing.

Set to exhaustive repeat, this is basically a 2 hour chase sequence - which is perhaps the slight problem.

So far from perfect, but nobody can grumble about the ingenuity of action and gyroscopic cinematography.

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