Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Dir: George Miller

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne

Narratively stronger than its predecessor, the latest entry in the Mad Max Saga may be one of the all time great prequels but does not quite match the relentlessness that made ‘Fury Road’ so iconic.

It is very rare that a cinematic event comes along and takes me by surprise, one such event was back in 2015 with the release of ‘Mad Max Fury Road’. Being a huge fan of George Miller‘s original trilogy of films, culminating in Mel Gibson‘s battle-hardened Max facing off against Tina Turner‘s Auntie Entity back in 1985’s ‘Beyond Thunderdome’, I was more than sceptical when it was announced the long dormant franchise would be making a return. After 30 years of development and financial issues between Miller and Warner Bros., the self entitled mastermind of the Mad Max universe was able to deliver not just the best film in the franchise but one of the greatest action films of all time. It may have been almost 10 years ago but I still remember being blown away by the breakneck action experience that was ‘Fury Road’ like it was yesterday.

Following the film’s stratospheric critical success, winning six Academy Awards as well as garnering a legacy as one of the best films of the 21st century, there was always going to be talk of a sequel, but unfortunately due to further financial disputes between creator and distributor, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it has taken nine years for Miller’s vision to get here. There were question marks surrounding Miller in the lead up to ‘Fury Road‘s release, with the Australian being deemed too old at the ripe old-age of 70. He was also returning to a franchise that had been untouched for three decades, with the cinematic landscape and Miller’s own personal filmography drastically changing. Would the man who gave us family films ‘Babe’ and ‘Happy Feet’ be able to recapture the dystopian mayhem that put the mad in Mad Max all those years ago? The answer – a resounding yes.

Another nine years down the line, a now 79-year old Miller not only once again has question marks surrounding his age but is also challenged with living up to the unprecedented heights of his previous outing across ‘The Wasteland’. ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’, is the fifth film in the franchise and the first to have the titular character completely absent, a bold narrative move by Miller and co-writer Nico Lathouris, one that most likely led to the title warranting a subheading. One of the most lauded elements of ‘Fury Road’ was the narrative and emotional focus on Charlize Theron‘s driven and capable femme fatale, Furiosa, so it came as no surprise upon its announcement in 2023, that the latest instalment in the franchise would be a prequel exploring Furiosa’s past.

Set years after the global catastrophe that reduced the planet to an almost uninhabitable wasteland, we are introduced to a young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) as she picks peaches in the Green Place of Many Mothers, one of the last remaining areas of abundance in radioactive Australia. After being discovered and captured by some nearby raiders, Furiosa is taken to the raider’s biker encampment, ruled over by tyrannical warlord, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). After being forced to witness her mother’s murder, Dementus adopts Furiosa as his own daughter, during which time Furiosa plans her escape back home.

Seeking the Green Place for himself, Dementus is informed by an injured war boy that there is food and water at the nearby wasteland settlement known as The Citadel, ruled by ‘Fury Road’ antagonist Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). After failing in taking over The Citadel, Dementus exchanges Furiosa in return for rulership of the Gas Town settlement as well as regular supplies of food and water. After several years rising through the ranks under the guise of a war boy, a now adult Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) sets out on her quest for revenge against Dementus and to finally to return to the Green Place, with the help of War Rig driver and her lover Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), who teaches Furiosa the ways of the wasteland and its settlements.

Once again, George Miller has proven his doubters wrong with yet another sensational entry in a decade-spanning saga that continues to never miss a beat. There has been a large marketing campaign by Warner Bros. to promote the film, building up immense hype, particularly following its 7 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film festival recently. Unfortunately, due to the current market and the time elapsed between movies, it is looking unlikely that ‘Furiosa’ will break even at the box office, leaving the franchise’s future up in the air, but this does not detract from the cinematic spectacle achieved here.

Unlike its predecessor, which was largely a two-hour car chase across the wasteland, ‘Furiosa’ allows its audience to breathe thanks to its more narratively focused set up. There is still plenty of action on show here, including some delightful aerial combat to add to the already ingeniously crafted catalogue of vehicular dog fights across the franchise, however, it is these moments of respite where the tension and characters are able to build, providing levels of lore and emotional depth never before explored in the series. The previous ‘Mad Max’ films are all stand alone features, almost serving as fables being told around a campfire depicting Max Rockatansky’s many adventurous endeavours. However, with ‘Furiosa’, Miller is able to build upon a world he had already established nine years ago, with a handful of characters returning, setting us up for the events to follow on the Fury Road.

The more daringly expansive narrative is brought to fruition by some excellent central performances. Unfortunately due to the time between films, Theron was unable to reprise her role as Furiosa but Alyla Browne and Anya Taylor-Joy excel in the starring role despite very limited dialogue. At two-and-a-half hours, I was quite surprised how late into the movie Taylor-Joy first appeared on screen and even now I am not quite sure as to when exactly the switch to her from Browne occurs. Not only does Taylor-Joy recapture the character left behind by Theron years ago but more impressively it is further matched by Browne, who is tasked with leading the blockbuster for the good part of an hour. With the limited dialogue, both actresses have to convey Furiosa’s revenge driven arc through their body language, largely their eyes, making the eventual transition between the two completely seamless.

At the opposite end of the acting spectrum is Chris Hemsworth, fully embracing a rare villainous role as the cult-like leader Dementus. Donning a large prosthetic nose that puts Bradley Cooper‘s Leonard Bernstein to shame and sporting an Australian accent even thicker than his own, Hemsworth clearly has a blast chewing the scenery and can be added to the list of great ‘Mad Max’ villains.

It feels unfair to compare any film directly to its predecessor, but given the strength of the series’ prior instalment, it is inevitable. There are definite strengths narratively on show in ‘Furiosa’, with its five-chaptered premise delivering a riveting tale of feminism and vengeance, however, this strength also serves as its greatest weakness. Despite being improved with this latest instalment, the absence of a plot-heavy narrative is what made ‘Fury Road’ so iconic. The non-stop adrenaline rush of following Max and Furiosa in the War Rig is, and always will be one of the most heart-pounding cinematic events I have ever experienced, standing proudly alone in the over-saturated action genre. My feeling towards ‘Furiosa’ almost mirrors that of ‘The Raid 2’ in 2014, an excellent film in its own right and improves immensely on the first instalment in many ways, but I will always have a greater fondness for the stripped back, no-holds-barred approach of the ‘The Raid’.

With ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ George Miller has once again delivered one of the strongest and most enjoyable action movies of the decade despite not quite meeting the insanely high standards set by ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ nine years ago. Hopefully the global box-office turns around on this one, so we can be treated to more ‘Wasteland’ adventures in the future.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now showing in UK Cinemas

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