“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” Movie Review – Signals AZ

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When Furiosa was released earlier this year, it massively underperformed at the box office thanks in part to apathy towards the theatrical experience, with many opting to pass on a night out in favor of at-home viewing. This led to a skewed perception of the film, with many watching it on smaller screens with less-than-optimal pictures and sound. As such, Furiosa may be one of the year’s best movies that many still haven’t seen as intended. This is a shame, because other than Dune Part Two, Furiosa was one of the best theatrical experiences of 2024, well worth a revisit on your biggest available screen now that it’s readily available on streaming.

Release Date: 05/24/2024 Runtime: 148 minutes Director: George Miller Rotten Tomatoes: 90% IMDb: 7.6/10 Where to Watch: Max, Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango, YouTube

Released 9 years after the adrenaline-fueled reboot Mad Max: Fury Road, this year’s prequel installment was originally intended to shoot back-to-back with the 2015 release, but production problems and tensions between cast and crew led to lengthy delays. Now, the titular character Furiosa (originally played by Charlize Theron) is portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy, a powerhouse in the acting scene since her emotionally charged performance in 2020’s The Queen’s Gambit.

Furiosa begins with much the same energy as Fury Road, giving audiences one of the best chase sequences in film history, as Furiosa’s Mothers flee across the desert from pursuing raiders on motorbikes, alternatively swapping out gas tanks and tires from their pursuers’ vehicles in order to keep moving. It’s a sequence that has as much momentum and emotional weight fueling it as many sequences in Fury Road and sets the stage with an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that is as memorable as it is engaging. Furiosa’s mother ends up murdered by the biker gang, and the young child quickly falls into the hands of the gang’s leader, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).

From there, the film eschews the usual formula for Mad Max films, breaking the narrative into chapters, and introducing unexpected structure to a franchise that has typically been about forward momentum and action. The plot is methodically paced out, as we follow Furiosa from child to adult, learning to survive the Australian wasteland with the help of various mentors. Oddly enough, Furiosa bucks the trend of modern filmmaking’s reliance on “deepfakes”—seen most prominently in Disney films like Rogue One and the recent Alien: Romulus—by impressively and effectively using digital effects to age the young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) into the likeness of Taylor-Joy as the film progresses.

Many staples of the Mad Max franchise return, including an extended highway action sequence aboard the customized “War Rig” tanker truck, which has been present in nearly every Mad Max film since 1981’s Road Warrior. These scenes, while repeating beats from previous films, introduce novel gimmicks that have not been seen before, and—while adding little to the narrative—serve to keep the audience on the edge of their seat as the story progresses.

It is, however, the introspective moments between characters, interspersed between the action sequences, that carry the real weight of the film, giving each actor time to shine and building on the thematic threads of questioning whether one can seek revenge while holding to their humanity. Anya Taylor-Joy absolutely dominates every second of screen time, bringing the trademark fury of Charlize Theron’s 2015 portrayal to her younger version of the character. Chris Hemsworth, in a rare reversal from his usual heroic characters, plays a bumbling, idiotic villain that, by the end of the film, leaves Furiosa—and the audience—questioning whether he is even deserving of revenge in the first place.

While not in the same caliber of filmmaking as 2015’s Fury Road—relying much more on digital effects than practical stunt work—it is nonetheless a well-crafted and extremely enjoyable ride through one of Hollywood’s most iconic post-apocalyptic landscapes, a brilliant showcase of its stars’ acting talent, and a high-octane reminder that Mad Max is a franchise that, thankfully, is here to stay.

About our Admit One Author

Isaac Frankel is a freelance writer and content creator specializing in reviews and analysis of cinema, interactive media, and mythological storytelling. He was raised in Prescott, AZ, wrote his first non-fiction book in 2013 after graduating from Tribeca Flashpoint College with a degree in Game & Interactive Media Design, and currently produces content for the YouTube channel: Off Screen.

More of his work and current projects can be found at www.isaacafrankel.com.

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