Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - Film directed by George Miller

 
★★★★★

5 word summary:

Magnificent post-apocalyptic car chase

5 sentence review:

Having not seen the originals, and trying to avoid spoilers, I was not sure what to expect, however Mad Max: Fury Road takes place in an unexplained desolate Australia, where those with the best cars and largest water supplies rule.

We are gifted with interesting characters, all of whom seem to be able to be the star of the film themselves because they are so interesting and rounded - it is even argued that Max pales next to his female co-stars.

I have read (on the IMDb trivia page) that Miller wanted to keep the world as colourful as possible, to counteract the traditional bleak-looking post-apocalyptic worlds that dominate cinema, and this is a spectacular choice.

Max’s world is breath-taking, filmed in Namibian, the cinematographer has made full use of the vast expanses of uninterpreted land and sky, as well as enhancing this with a non-naturalistic colour palate to emphasise some scenes.

The film doesn’t fall down on plot, but it can be described simply as a car chase, and you wouldn’t be far wrong; however the reasoning behind the car chase, and the events that occur during it, mean that this film never feels boring.

5 good things:

1. Feminism!

2. Cinematography

3. Casting

4. Prop design (cool cars)

5. Action sequences

5 bad thing:

1. ‘Witness me’ (there were tears)

2. Things weren’t fully explained   

3. Some Australian accents were suspicious

4. Max looked like Bane for a significant portion of the film

5. The sequel isn’t out yet