reviews of Mad Max: Fury Road are over the top

Saw it. Miller is just a great director. He established more depth of character with the fewest words spoken of any director I can think of. He’s a great visual story teller. This is very effective story telling, really. And, a little bent. This is a very dark and in some respects disturbing post-apocalyptic world. The action scenes are like no other movie ever (I mean that). And Theron is fantastic in it. There are some flaws—I don’t think Hardy’s version of Max is as good as Gibson’s. But, whatever.

Warning though. If you didn’t like The Road Warrior you will not like this. This is the Road Warrior on steroids and acid both.

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wv wrote:

I saw it. Yup – Road Warrior on steroids and acid.

Its awesome to look at. Fast and furious — much like the GSOT
in the Viking playoff game.

Long, long chase scenes. With no humor. Not like Indiana Jones
chase scenes.

If Salvadore Dali took some speed, and made a movie, it might look
like this one.

w
v

Personally, my only complaint (and it’s minor, really) is that I don’t like Hardy’s Max as much as Miller’s Max.

Miller’s Max was a burned out, cynical loner who knew he had more skill and resources than anyone he faced. In the end he doesn’t even help the refinery people because he cares…he does so because he has no choice. His signature line is “I am the best chance you’ve got.” He’s always bargaining. Contracts are big in that movie.

The Gyro Captain: Look, we had a deal. I show you the gas, and you let me go, right?
Max: The arrangement was I wouldn’t kill you.
The Gyro Captain: After all I’ve done for you…
Max: I reckon you got a bargain, didn’t you?

Hardy’s Max is more of a burned out homeless guy. A homeless guy who talks to himself. He changes in the course of the film and identifies with Furioso out of sheer sympathy, and a chance for redemption by helping.

I am not complaining about that part.

I just personally liked the Miller Max better because this Max is too victimized and even comic. More Buster Keaton. For example his moments of high action effectiveness (like with the tank/car in the night…”that’s not his blood”…) come out of nowhere.

..

wv wrote:

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

I saw it. Yup – Road Warrior on steroids and acid.

Its awesome to look at. Fast and furious — much like the GSOT
in the Viking playoff game.

Long, long chase scenes. With no humor. Not like Indiana Jones
chase scenes.

If Salvadore Dali took some speed, and made a movie, it might look
like this one.

w
v

Personally, my only complaint (and it’s minor, really) is that I don’t like Hardy’s Max as much as Miller’s Max.

Miller’s Max was a burned out, cynical loner who knew he had more skill and resources than anyone he faced. In the end he doesn’t even help the refinery people because he cares…he does so because he has no choice. His signature line is “I am the best chance you’ve got.” He’s always bargaining. Contracts are big in that movie.

The Gyro Captain: Look, we had a deal. I show you the gas, and you let me go, right?
Max: The arrangement was I wouldn’t kill you.
The Gyro Captain: After all I’ve done for you…
Max: I reckon you got a bargain, didn’t you?

Hardy’s Max is more of a burned out homeless guy. A homeless guy who talks to himself. He changes in the course of the film and identifies with Furioso out of sheer sympathy, and a chance for redemption by helping.

I am not complaining about that part.

I just personally liked the Miller Max better because this Max is too victimized and even comic. More Buster Keaton. For example his moments of high action effectiveness (like with the tank/car in the night…”that’s not his blood”…) come out of nowhere.

I thought the clunkiest scenes were the two
(I think there were two?) where one of the characters
expressly used the word “redemption.”

The writing in those scenes lacked subtlety, nuance.

As far as the difference in the two Max’s — I agree
with you about the first Max, but I really dont have
any idea who this Max was. Other than the ‘haunted by guilt’
aspect, i really didnt pick up on any character development at all.
There just wasn’t much there.

I am guessing the Next Max movie will be the opposite — lots
of character development and a lot less car crashing.

w
v

Well he goes from being the haunted loner who is willing to just drive off and leave them there to the guy who talks them into their (to avoid spoilers) endgame strategy. He does it because he identifies with the pain of someone else.

Also remember he gives blood twice, for 2 different reasons. The second one shows he has changed.

So they was some character development IMO.

I just don’t particularly care for this Max v. the old Max, yet at the same time it’s a very minor complaint.

wv wrote:

I have no clue what was going on with the blood in the tube,
when he’s strapped to the car, early on. WTF was going on there?
I had thought his blood was maybe running the vehicle,
but the person i saw the movie with said no.

Early on the citadel’s doctor (or in the film, bio mechanic) says “I have a war boy running on empty.” Nux is sick and dying. He gets a transfusion from Max, who is his “blood bag.” When it’s time to fight, he insists on going, because he believes his only way to eternal life is to die fighting and enter Valhalla. That’s how Joe inspires his war boys—he promises them they can enter Valhalla, “shiny and chrome,” if they die fighting for him (that’s why they spray paint their teeth–to be “shiny and chrome” when they die.) His partner says you’re too sick to do war, so Nux says I’ll take my blood bag with me. That’s why Max is strapped to the car and is hooked up to Nux–to keep the transfusion going.