It’s been thirty years since George Miller made his visit to Mad Max’s apocalyptic tundra, and with “Fury Road,” it’s almost as if he never left. The newest “Mad Max” is a spectacle of pure raw filmmaking, while also brilliantly carving out a new chapter in the world of Mad Max. In a time where most post apocalyptic films are more dread soaked than anything, Mad Max storms the gates once again as the hero of the end of the world that we need, and the man who unwittingly plays a huge role in a massive war, once again. “Fury Road” is an accomplishment on the part of Miller from beginning to end, exploring a world where Mad Max is a hero whose entire persona is carved out by his character and less by the person playing him. This makes it very easy for Tom Hardy to take on the role that Mel Gibson once made iconic.
Hardy is a brilliant replacement, garnering the same fury and quick wit of the original character, while also embodying the underlying psychotic tick that Mel Gibson perfected with his take on the character. Max is at the bottom of his barrel when we meet him in “Fury Road.” He’s lost hope, he’s at wits end on how to continue pressing in the desert landscape, and he’s haunted by the memories of all the souls he lost in his life. Events spiral out of control when he’s kidnapped by the evil Immortan Joe, who runs the evil Citadel deep in the desert. He’s used as a blood donor against his will for Joe’s army of war boys, and bears witness to the Citadel’s horrific grasp on humanity as it controls the water supply.
While held hostage, he’s led in to the middle of a conflict involving a powerful female warrior named Imperator Furiosa, who has seized a group of captive women and decide to break them free. In the efforts to save his own life, he finds a larger cause at hand, and soon enough Mad Max is back battling evil. Miller obviously cares deeply about the world he’s created, building a harrowing and brutally terrifying wasteland that is uninhabitable. Miller hasn’t lost his ability to introduce colorful and brutally memorable heroes and villains, opening up a wide gallery of villains that follow and serve the skull faced Immortan Joe, including the War Boy minions, and a guitar playing flame thrower named the Doof Warrior. While “Fury Road” is a return to form for the character of Max Rockatansky, the film’s true hero is Imperator Furiosa, as boldly played by Charlize Theron.
She’s a tough and ballsy savior who devotes her life to saving enslaved young women, and eventually garners sympathy from Max, who finds her cause inspiring enough to take on an entire empire. Furiosa is one of the banner female heroes of the year, written as a riveting and enigmatic avenger who practically steals the movie away from the titular Max. “Fury Road” is one of the best films of 2015, as it treads the classic formula from Miller without feeling derivative or convoluted. “Fury Road” is undoubtedly an official “Mad Max” anthology entry, but one that also stands on its own level, upping the level of sophistication and character focus this time around. Miller knows Mad Max better than anyone, and busts the door wide open for more of the character and his myriad colorful and deadly characters.
Featured on the Blu-Ray is “Maximum Fury: Filming Fury Road” a thirty minute look at the incredible special effects of the film, as well as the challenged the production team and cast endured, Miller’s process, and the development of aspects like storyboards, and the script, right down to the wonderful chase sequences. “Fury on Four Wheels” is a twenty three minute look at the machines and vehicles of the post-apocalypse and how they were designed and conceptualized. Production Designer Colin Gibson and co. explain how the vehicles were altered to convey character and personality. “The Road Warriors: Max and Furiosa” is an eleven minute interview with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, both of whom discuss their characters, and praise George Miller endlessly for his accomplished filmmaking and ability to work within the harsh elements.
“The Tools of the Wasteland” is a fourteen minute look at the production design, and the meticulous details of Miller’s world, from steering wheels, and tools, right down to small touches on the costumes, and the guitars. “The Five Wives: So Shiny, So Chrome” is an eleven minute exploration of the actresses (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, et al.) that plays the film’s five wives, and how they approached each individual role. There are four minutes of Deleted Scenes without the final FX, including “I Am a Milker,” “Turn Every Grain of Sand” and “Let’s Do It.” Finally there’s “Crash & Smash,” a four minute compilation of pre-production tests, BTS video and raw video footage.