The Mad Max series has a special resonance for those of us who remember seeing the original MAD MAX at SF/6. At the time of that showing, very few Americans had seen it - let alone at a nice theater like the Welles (it was dumped into Drive-Ins and Grindhouses for a one-week run). It was like a grenade had been dropped into the theater - WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!! A great Marathon moment.

A little over a year later, ROAD WARRIOR was released stateside and the rest of America caught on to Mad Max. I wasn't quite as blown away by ROAD WARRIOR as most people, but then again, my mind had been "pre-blown away" by MAD MAX unlike most viewers. MAD MAX has shown twice more at the Marathon (SF/16,SF/26 – the undubbed Aussie Version) and ROAD WARRIOR once (SF/14). 

MAD MAX FURY ROAD is good. The action is astonishing, and at one point, I just couldn't believe how INSANE what I was seeing was. And, you gotta love a gang that brings along it's own guitar and drums accompaniment! The use of real stunts over CGI was refreshing, but I wish Miller had resisted the temptation to monkey with the editing in post with all the digital ramp zooms and jagged editing, and color saturation.

The plot is so thin it could have been written on a napkin. And, some of the dialogue is frankly embarrasing with Theron's "redemption" line being so drearily spot on, I was hoping it was supposed to be "ironic". Hardy is a fine actor, but, doesn't approach Mel Gibson's charisma in the role. And, Miller has sidelined Max to a virtual supporting role alongside Charlene Theron's ferocious Furiousa character.

With THE ROAD WARRIOR, Miller raised the stakes and brilliantly created a World Gone Wild with sublime action scenes - but, some of the central dramatic core was sacrificied. I like THUNDERDOME, but for it's slower, quieter second half with the lost children. It again restored the balance with drama over action. FURY ROAD is ROAD WARRIOR on steroids - bigger, faster, furiouser ( ;)). This time, there is virtually NO drama. I haven't seen THUNDERDOME since it's original release (30 years!), so I will have to re-visit it sometime. For now, FURY ROAD is a terrific action picture in a fine series - but, also, the least dramatically satisfying.

http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/fitted/340x180/Flame-Throwing-Guitar-Stunt-in-Mad-Max-Fury-Road-Is-Not-CGI.jpg

Loved the film for being real while being insane.
Nice seeing real action with CGI used to enhance a scene rather than being the entire show.
Story was there when needed and also emotion.
Ya gotta like a villain who carries his own soundtrack when he attacks.

I remember Mad Max at the marathon, did not go over that well. But odd thing is, despite our car culture Mad Max was a huge hit everywhere in the world except the US. I think the Italians made a couple of hundred ripoffs of it. In the days of VHS they were a staple of video store's sci fi sections.

Maybe it just did not play well in stuffy Cinema 1.  Cinema 2 dug it.  In the U.S. it was more of a drive-in movie coming in at the tail end of the muscle car movie.  The atrocious dubbing of the Australian accents did not help.

Fury Road is everything a throwback drive-in movie needs to be.  Sufficient story and lots of turbo-charged mayhem. The CGI enhances the practical effects, which is nice. If you want your first roller coaster ride for the summer season, this is it.   

My GEORGE MILLER interview: http://www.thekansan.com/article/20150507/NEWS/150509506

ed symkus wrote on May 23^rd, 2015 at 2:57pm:

My GEORGE MILLER interview: http://www.thekansan.com/article/20150507/NEWS/150509506

Thanks, Ed. I still wish Miller resisted the urge to appeal to the kiddies by using so much CGI in post, but, that's a minor quibble to a highly enjoyable ride of a movie.


Frank wrote on May 20^th, 2015 at 8:31am:

Maybe it just did not play well in stuffy Cinema 1.  Cinema 2 dug it.  In the U.S. it was more of a drive-in movie coming in at the tail end of the muscle car movie.  The atrocious dubbing of the Australian accents did not help.

Nope. MAD MAX played well in Cinema 1 as well. Maybe, it was Cinema 3 that found it missing the mark.  ;)


And, remember, when a print of THE TIME MACHINE failed to turn up at the 'thon a few years later, it was MAD MAX that was voted on by the audience to replace it on the schedule - enthusiastically, I might add.