Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

[DeeCee]

The first 40 minutes are so nuts when the chase unfolds and it just keep throwing money shots after money shots, you're like "Damn" and then right away as you barely recover your breath from all that awesomeness overload it jumps right away into that jaw-dropping supermassive storm like "Holy shit it's already climaxing in the first act?! What will be left then for the next hour to top that!?"

Turn around and do it all over again.  But bigger.

[somebody85]

Oh boy I have a feeling I'm going to go against the general opinion here but I don't think it lived up near to the hype the reviews have created for it. I was planning on seeing this over the weekend anyway but got real excited when I saw 99% on RT and 91% on metacritic. Also an insane 9.1 average rating on RT. 

 

So it starts and the first action scene is Max trying to escape from a bunch of people. I notice there is like sped up camerawork that is like 1920s stop action. It's like the production crew took a giant hit of meth before editing what they shot. Like I see people complain about shaky cam which doesn't bother me and then I see this which was way worse. I thought, alright maybe it'll just be for one scene to set the tone. But no, it's during every action piece of the whole movie.

 

I was wondering at times did my theater get like a bad 2D cut or something? But then other scenes appeared normal so I guessed they must have wanted to shoot it like that.

 

I couldn't understand what ANYONE was saying a lot of times (especially Nicholas Hoults character) and I saw this on an excellent sound system. It doesn't help that a lot of the characters have a foreign accent and you have to try to hear them over loud engines and a blaring soundtrack. And when there's not, they are mumbling half the time.

 

There is no character development for Max, so I guess if you know the originals this is fine with you. But I hadn't seen those in forever and was told you didn't need to see them to enjoy this. There is very little character development happening what so ever with anyone.

 

I kind of had to guess the plot of the movie because it's hard to figure out what's even going on at times. I have no idea what any of the characters names were. The girls I could say were the blonde one, the really cute red head one, the asian one and the black one. Like seriously...I think the blonde was the same Victories Secret model from the 3rd Transformers?

 

I guess Charleze Therons character was a general or something for that big city and stole the girls who got pregnant who she needed to take back home where the greens were. The bad guy (I don't even know his name) is upset by this and chases after them with his giant army. What ensues is like "300" but in a car chase through a never ending desert. Max gets caught up in this for...I have no idea? Like why he was hooked into the vehicle of Nicholas Hoult during the beginning...no clue. I couldn't understand a lot of what that actors lines were and usually I'm pretty good at making them out. 

 

Like I can't believe people are comparing this to The Matrix or some of the best action movies ever. The closest thing it was, was 300. Right down to the guitar guy on the bad guys fleet. At least in 300 you could tell what was going on though.

 

If you can get over the frenetic way the action is shot, the set pieces are all really cool. Especially the sandstorm scene which was stunning. But after awhile this began to feel the same. You can only watch so many cars explode before it starts to get tedious. And it's like alright here comes another band of unknown people to try to take out the vehicle.

 

Yes the action is rated R and brutal which is great but wow critics compare the Transformers series to going through a blender? I've never experienced that sensation more then from watching this. 

 

Man I really had high expectations for this after seeing the general reviews. The last time I was let down after sky high ratings was from The Babadook, I really liked It Follows. Did Warner Bros pay off the reviewers or something?

 

I don't get it. Besides the sandstorm scene, none of it really stood out to me afterwards. With the way it was shot couldn't see what caused the big explosion at the end or why the big bad guy died (just that Charleze did it). But I did like the scene where they showed the ruined greens with the stick like figures and I also liked how they incorporated the guitar guy into the actual score. But people calling this a best picture nominee? Man I just didn't see it.

 

Have a feeling there is going to be a strong divide between general audiences or maybe I'm just in the minority. I thought this might have been another sleeper hit like Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl was after seeing the reviews...maybe Tomorrowland will be that.
 

5.5/10

Edited May 15, 2015 by somebody85

[Plain Old Tele]

I'm sorry you didn't like it -- nothing more frustrating than getting all amped up about something and then not feeling satisfied.

[Ozymandias]

Not quite a masterpiece to me, but in terms of action it simply leaves every other big budget action movie made in the dust and that is certainly more than enough.

 

A

[somebody85]

I'm sorry you didn't like it -- nothing more frustrating than getting all amped up about something and then not feeling satisfied.

 

Yeah dude, I'm glad you guys all like it so much. Maybe the way the action was shot didn't bother you or you could hear the dialogue better in your theaters. I also liked the scene that you have your avatar of in the first chase. The sandstorm was the highlight for me and the movie never rose above that. With that said, I doubt I'll see anything cooler then how awesome that scene was this summer. I didn't hate the movie, I just was kind of stunned with what it ended up being after having high expectations going in.

[Cedarpoint1111]

Great movie from start to end. I can honestly say it's like nothing I've ever seen before. There's some things I didn't understand... And that's okay! All that matters is the guitar guy was there making everyone hype lol.

[Jim Shorts]

Finally..a Bane origin story! 

[Ezen Baklattan]

It's amazing that a studio gave a director the chance to go all out with his vision and not hold back one iota, especially with a $150m budget, but that's what makes Mad Max so fantastic. The action and setpieces just leave you straight-up amazed at whatever they're going to pull off next, and you can't help but lose yourself in the sheer chaos and danger that infests Max and Furiosa's world. George Miller has created a fucking roller coaster ride here, but one with a healthy sense of empathy and fear in our characters that you actually give a damn if they succeed in their journey or not, and Miller's impressive and subtle world building certainly helps out.

 

Not quite my favorite movie of the year so far, but damned if I don't want to rush out and see it again.

[Jessie]

Beautifully shot, great relentless pace and a great score however as good as the action scenes are, I feel they have been very over hyped. Car chases in the sand look gorgeous though. I love the imagination that went into this, so much fucked up shit going on at times. Hardy has a great voice however he is lacking charisma in this and Theron steals the show.

 

Despite what reviews have claimed, I don't think this is the greatest action movie of all time or even the decade lol, they went a little overboard there. Nicholas Nolte was great too.

 

A-

Edited May 15, 2015 by jessie

[DeeCee]

Hardy seemed to have a different accent in the voiceover at the beginning compared to the actual film.  The voiceover had a more of an Australian accent.

[kaijukurt]

What a lovely day indeed.

This film is filled to the brim with imaginative carnage and destructive glee.

A+

Edited May 15, 2015 by kaijukurt

[jb007]

Excellent movie. The action scenes are fantastic, though it is reminiscent of the Road Warrior. Charlize Theron is excellent. Tom Hardy is good, though he is no Mel Gibson. The score is perfect for an action movie. Immortan Joe is a very weak villain unlike Mad Max and The Road Warrior.

George Miller gets it done very well even after all these decades.

B+ (Below the original Mad Max and The Road Warrior)

Edited May 16, 2015 by jb007

[Goffe]

So it starts and the first action scene is Max trying to escape from a bunch of people. I notice there is like sped up camerawork that is like 1920s stop action. It's like the production crew took a giant hit of meth before editing what they shot. Like I see people complain about shaky cam which doesn't bother me and then I see this which was way worse. I thought, alright maybe it'll just be for one scene to set the tone. But no, it's during every action piece of the whole movie.

I forgot to mention that in my review. Not the biggest fan of the gimmick. It distracts me just as much as shaky cam does.

[RobinHood26]

Quite a lot to take in, it's madness to the Max haha from the introduction studio logo credits you know it's on.

Visually stunning, but as awesome as it was and as much as I enjoy the simple story with a lack of dialogue it felt like it was missing just a sprinkle of something more emontial for me.

When Nicolas Hoult crashed I wanted to see that exlplostion. So my review is, this movie has one explosion too little hahah

B (86)

Edited May 15, 2015 by Jay Hollywood

[dashrendar44]

I forgot to mention that in my review. Not the biggest fan of the gimmick. It distracts me just as much as shaky cam does.

 

It's something Miller has done since the first Mad Max. The speed-ramping adds to the hectic and crazyness of the chases like a Buster Keaton slapstick. It's pretty much one of Mad Max's cinematography staples along the low daredevil travelling shots around the cars and it wouldn't be a proper Mad Max without those at some points.

[Plain Old Tele]

I got the overt humor the first time around, but there's a lot of really funny stuff played absolutely straight (and straight out of a Keaton silent movie too)... Max just deadpanning at all the craziness.

[dashrendar44]

I got the overt humor the first time around, but there's a lot of really funny stuff played absolutely straight (and straight out of a Keaton silent movie too)... Max just deadpanning at all the craziness.

 

"First my blood now my car!"

 

That line was so goofy like something they ADR afterwards on the footage but it contributed to the sheer absurdity at display

 

Hardy is a riot when he's trapped with a muzzle in front of the car like "GET ME OUTTA MADNESS!" screaming in his eyes. That's how crazy it is, a borderline crazy man already that just can't believe what he's witnessing, flabbergasted just like us but with a deadspan sense that reads like "Oh well...keep on moving".

Edited May 15, 2015 by MADash Rendar

[Jessie]

I got the overt humor the first time around, but there's a lot of really funny stuff played absolutely straight (and straight out of a Keaton silent movie too)... Max just deadpanning at all the craziness.

A chuckled with pure joy every time I saw that flaming rock band beating away during the onslaught that was taking place like they were having the time of their lives.

[Plain Old Tele]

"First my blood now my car!"

 

That line was so goofy like something they ADR afterwards on the footage but it contributed to the sheer absurdity at display

 

Hardy is a riot when he's trapped with a muzzle in front of the car like "GET ME OUTTA MADNESS!" screaming in his eyes. That's how crazy it is, a borderline crazy man already that just can't believe what he's witnessing, flabbergasted just like us but with a deadspan sense that reads like "Oh well...keep on moving".

 

"That's my blood/car/jacket!"

[Goffe]

It's something Miller has done since the first Mad Max. 

the old MM films must have achieved the effect better, more seamless, because I don't remember being annoyed and/or distracted by it in them.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Mad Goffe