By SETH HYNES
Mad Max: Fury Road (MA15+)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Mad Max: Fury Road is a masterpiece: action as high art.
In the lawless post-apocalyptic wasteland of the near future, the steely Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) joins forces with disturbed rover Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) to find a fabled oasis and rescue the wives of a ruthless warlord.
Like a relic from the action genre’s hardcore ’70s-’80s heyday, this visceral thrill-ride will be hard to top, this year or any year.
Most current action movies wish they had characters this complex and dynamic, atmosphere this vivid and visual style so stark and yet so vibrant. The film’s tone is gloriously over-the-top yet carries gripping pathos and profound, raw emotion.
Fury Road is practically one long chase sequence, but it’s impeccably paced. Director George Miller (who made the first three Mad Max films) knows where to put his peaks and troughs in the chaos, so the action never wears you out.
The action is also remarkably inventive and organic, with the barest minimum of CGI and real cars wrecking each other in stunts beautiful to behold.
Refreshingly, Fury Road also features numerous strong female characters who kick ass but aren’t idealised or sexualised. Max is the stoic protagonist, but Furiosa is the indomitable leader.
Exceptionally written, powerfully acted and surging with great action, Mad Max: Fury Road is a crowning entry in both its franchise and genre.
