Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Review

Never doubt George Miller. The man behind the greatest Australian saga ever is back with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which explores how the runaway character from Mad Max: Fury Road came to be. Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) is the star of the show here, but there’s just as much focus on Dementus, the villain of our story (played by Chris Hemsworth).

Much will be made of the fact that Furiosa has about 30 lines of dialogue throughout the whole film. She speaks infrequently, but that just kind of adds to the feel of her character. Since her youth, she’s had people speak for her, she’s had to be mute to stay hidden from Dementus and Immortan Joe. When she does speak, it carries weight beyond any other character’s dialogue in the film.

This might not be as action-packed as Fury Road, but the set pieces are just as hard-hitting and gargantuan when they do appear. Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth are joined by Lachy Hulme (Immortan Joe), Tom Burke (Praetorian Jack), Nathan Jones (Erectus), Josh Helman (Scrotus), Alyla Browne (Young Furiosa), and Charlee Fraser (Furiosa’s mother). They’re all brought together by a script from George Miller, Nick Lathouris, and Prateek Bando.

Furiosa starts off with an extended sequence of just how the titular character found her way out of the Green Place and into the arms of Dementus. It’s a thrilling sequence of motorbike chases, near-misses, and ends in absolute heartbreak. Dementus is the worst kind of villain, playing against Furiosa’s emotions, and the audience’s feelings. Hemsworth plays masterfully against type with an incredible display of charisma that makes your skin crawl at points. While the first quarter of the film doesn’t even feature Anya Taylor-Joy, her younger counterpart in Alyla Browne, does an admirable job. They look like they could be sisters at points with Browne capturing the anti-establishment feelings of the character perfectly.

Besides Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth though, the character that absolutely steals the show is Praetorian Jack. Tom Burke channels some truly badass action heroes here. He’s the central part of the biggest action set piece in the film involving a tanker truck, cranes, tight turns, a monster truck, and more. His relationship with Furiosa is muted, but poignant. She gets some breaks from him in her quest to get home and it blossoms into something really beautiful. In a movie chock full of absolutely evil, wretched, and violent men, he’s a shining beacon.

But What About The Effects? How Much CGI Are We Talking?

The fact that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has less action scenes, means that the ones that are there stick out a lot more. The blend of practical effects and CGI here is wonderful. If you were wary from watching the trailers (why are you taking that much stock in a trailer?), don’t be. The finished product looks smooth and captures the look of the Wasteland.

Look, George Miller knows how to shoot a chase scene involving a tanker truck. This time, however, we get that same frenetic action, but with some really needed elements of character development and story. This is Furiosa’s story. It’s how she became who she is in Fury Road. This is the Rogue One for the Mad Max series. It carries right into the events of that movie but adds much-needed details about Furiosa.

The push-pull dynamic between Dementus and Furiosa is at the center. It’s Dementus’ wild chase to get what he wants and can’t have. It’s Furiosa’s quest to return to the Green Place and keep the seed of life alive, metaphorically and literally. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a spectacle. It’s a vengeance-filled tale with explosive set pieces frenetically taking us through the evolution of Furiosa as a character. This is truly an exquisite time at the movies.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga releases in theaters on May 24th, 2024.

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