Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines, because it’s time once more to return to the mad, motor fuelled and macabre wasteland of Mad Max. Only this time round it isn’t Max who is the focus but another equally, arguably more interesting character under the spotlight; Furiosa. Serving as a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga feels very much akin to the other films in the series. This is mainly due to the fact that once again it’s George Miller at the wheel, with his signature style stamped all over the film.
At the same time certain aspects of Furiosa feel decidedly different from Fury Road, and that is where the film succeeds in standing on its own two feet, while simultaneously remaining faithful to the what made Fury Road so good in the first place. This is most clearly seen through the pacing of Furiosa. It’ only half an hour longer than Fury Road but it feels significantly longer. This is not a criticism on the film’s part. On the contrary, this is part of what makes it such a good piece of cinema.
Fury Road is a brilliant film but it’s fair to say that it is more focused on action than story. This isn’t to say the story and characters aren’t interesting. Furiosa in particular is extremely investing with a compelling character arc. However, because so much of Fury Road is high octane action, the film serves more as an introduction to Furiosa. Likewise Max, although slightly reimagined, is a pre established character. This allows the film to dive straight into the action and deliver a no holds barred adrenaline fuelled dystopian adventure.
Apart from the occasional breaks in the action to allow for some character and development, Fury Road is pretty much a non stop chase film. Interestingly Furiosa does the complete opposite. The film is incredibly story and character driven, punctuated now and again by intense, edge of your seat action. It’s a gear shift for sure but one that ultimately works in Furiosa’s favour. While Miller could have done a film more akin to Fury Road with yet more relentless action, his choice to change the pace is a far more interesting, and frankly braver decision. Not to mention that Fury Road sort of already replicated the style of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior anyway.
Furiosa is also an origin story so it makes sense for the film to be longer as there is more ground to cover. Especially as it starts off with her from quite a young age when she is taken from her home. In fact it is a good hour into the film before Anya Taylor-Joy even makes an appearance. That said, by no means does the film drag. It has the same intensity and pervading dread that Miller put into his other Mad Max entries ( apart from Beyond Thunderdome obviously).
The opening to Furiosa is prime example of this, where we see Furiosa kidnapped by members of Dementus’ gang and her mother’s pursuit and desperate attempt to rescue her back. While Fury Road grabs your attention from the get go with its faced past introduction of Tom Hardy as Max, Furiosa also pulls you in immediately as we see a night time bike chase over the Australian desert.
The film is pretty strong throughout but the opening is particularly well done. Like the beginning of Dune: Part Two it beautifully builds up the tension, making for a watch that is immensely satisfying but also excruciatingly painful. Also similarly to Dune it is a masterclass in filmmaking. The cinematography, sound work, editing, score and acting all coming together seamlessly. It all complements each other so well, making for an immersive and sensory viewing experience.
There are so many little touches that Miller makes that add so much to the scenes, really bringing the rich world and the crazed characters who inhabit it to life. Little things like the fact that many of the characters, although from large gangs, look similar but not the same. Be it their clothes, their hair, the vehicles they drive. Each one is slightly different to show the variety of colourful characters present. So much so that even some of the less important henchman characters have unique names, making them feel more fleshed out and well rounded.
On a larger scale this applies to the Wasteland itself. Furiosa is a bigger beast and places such as Bullet Farm and Gastown that are merely mentioned or shown briefly in Fury Road, play a more significant role in this prequel. It almost feels like an attempt, and quite rightly so, to repair the mistake that was Beyond Thunderdome. A film that attempted to expand the Mad Max Universe but sadly missed the mark.
Furiosa on the other hand, successfully expands the Mad Max lore, delivering us a rich and detailed world that Miller was probably unable to do in the past, due to budget restraints and more limited technology. There are a lot of characters and moving parts but it doesn’t feel overly conflated, mainly due to the fact that the the majority of the attention is focused on three main characters: Furiosa, Dementus and Praetorian Jack.
It was quite a safe bet that Anya Taylor-Joy would play a fantastic Furiosa, and she certainly lives up to her reputation. Joy has stated in a number of interviews that the film was incredibly challenging because her character has very few actual lines. For the majority of her on screen time she is silent, conveying her emotions through her facial expressions, in particular the eyes. It’s testament to her skill as an actor that she expresses so much with so little dialogue.
It’s a very subdued performance, until it’s necessary for the character to have an appropriate outburst. This is a deliberate decision that Miller makes with Furiosa, as the whole reason she is able to survive is by hiding in the shadows and remaining inconspicuous. We see this develop more and more as the film goes on, which effectively grounds her character in reality. This is hugely important as aspects of the wasteland world and some of the kooky characters that inhabit it, are admittedly very over the the top.
Dementus is a demented character, as his name very clearly suggests. Played by Chris Hemsworth, this cult esque leader is equally entertaining as he is terrifying. Like most of the other characters that inhabit the wasteland, Dementus is deranged, the extent of which becomes more apparent as the film unfolds. It’s not that his character is reasonable or lucid at the start but almost as if the character believes himself to be. At the start he is clearly in control of his gang and exerts dominance but there is an interesting shift when he meets Immortan Joe. There is the hint that this character is unwinding slightly and that thread is pulled on more and more as the film goes on until Dementus’ unhindgedness fully comes out.
Hemsworth plays the character superbly. He’s convincing in his performance but also plays it with a level of theatricality, which is to be expected in a George Miller flick. He has only played a villain a handful of times but has always done a great job. This is his best yet and probably one of his best performances in general. His voice has a nasally quality to it that makes the character even more quirky and unusual.
Praetorian Jack is an interesting addition. He’s technically part of Immortan Joe’s tribe but seems a lot more rational than the war boys surrounding him. He also has a unusual moral code, partly explained due to the fact that he comes from a military family. It also hints that one of his ancestors might have been part of the MFP, the police force Max is part of in the original film. Like Joy, Tom Burke gives a very understated performance as Jack, but handles it deftly and his relationship with her is fascinating to watch.
One of the best parts of the film is an action sequence when Jack and Furiosa arrive at the Bullet Farm and all hell breaks loose. Not only does it perfectly showcase Jack and Furiosa’s dynamic as they work together to take down Dementus’ gang, but it’s also just another classic example of an action sequence superbly executed.
Despite Furiosa being a very good film it isn’t entirely devoid of issues. The CGI, although not nearly as overused or bad as people have been claiming online, is slightly distracting. It does in a few instances take you out of the film and although the de aging is fairly minimal, it’s still noticeable in those moments. Especially considering how little of it was used in Fury Road. The action scenes still pack a punch though and what is done practically is immensely impressive and cinematic. The fact that Joy does a lot of her own stunts and driving really adds to the film, and the stunt team themselves showcase their incredible talents, which Miller captures expertly.
The only other real criticism is the final showdown between Furiosa and Dementus. It is appropriately Mad Max and how you would expected Miller to execute it. However, that is where it is slightly disappointing, as it would have been nice to see something a little more unexpected.
Overall though Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a very strong addition to the Mad Max Universe. What it loses in terms of action, it gains with story and although there are less frenetic set pieces than Fury Road, the handful it does provide pack a real punch. The world is rich and expansive with colourful characters and crazy concoctions, brought to life by the stellar cast on show. In a time where there are so many prequels, sequels and spin offs, George Miller proves that with the right elements it can be warranted. Furiosa stands on its own two feet as a very good film, probably aided by the fact that he wrote the screenplay before Fury Road. Take note J.K Cash Grab.
© [Daniel Ashby] and [Ashby Reel], [2024]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Daniel Ashby] and [Ashby Reel] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content
Ashby Reel 