FURY ROAD!

Well it has been 30 years since a Mad Max film has been released. It has been even longer since a good Mad Max movie has been released. Thunder Dome had very few great moments. The Road Warrior and the original Mad Max hold special places of awesomeness in my twisted little brain. Now we are given Mad Max: Fury Road. I finally had time to go see it.

It

Did

Not

Disappoint!

Is that the gryo-copter pilot (from Road Warrior) skull?

We are treated to the post nuclear wasteland again. Here we are treated to a quick into the nameless wasteland stranger (Max) who is quickly set upon and captured by a vehicular band of bald quasi-albinos. He is : captured, drug to a some distant citadel of doom, has his sweet ride taken, beaten, shaved and has involuntarily become an hood mounted organ and tissue donor (or “blood bag”) for a War Boy named Nux.

 

Now we jump to the leader of this band of loons and this citadel. He is Immortan Joe dude with some serious health and anger issues. He is your typical rules by power and fear. His followers are his fanatical War Boys who will do whatever is asked to garner the attention and praise of Immortan Joe. Hell they think that he will lead them to Valhalla when they die for him or his cause.

 

Imperator Furiosa is one of Joe’s higher ups and she is off to deliver goods to the various locations in the wasteland. This is where the movie starts the insanity. See Furiosa is hauling more than just water and gasoline. She has secreted away Joe’s private breeding stock. Now Immortan Joe wants them back. Max eventually gets free and is thrust into helping Furiosa and her flock escape Immortan Joe and his War Boys. This begins the longest , and best, car chase I have ever watched in the movies!

There is a bit more but that is really it. This is basically two hours of a car chase, and it couldn’t be more awesome! Once the action starts  it really never lets go. It is like an entire movie built out  of the insane chases from all the other Mad Max movies, but better! There are lulls, but they are few and really short. They are just short enough to get a deep breath….and then off we go again. The pace slows down for the occasional 5-7 minutes before throwing the throttle to full again.

How I envision my last day of work would turn out

Rest? Rest? Why do you need to rest during the film? Well your sense of sight and hearing definitely need it. You are bombarded with action, explosions, crashes, fire, screams, carnage, gun play, fisticuffs, stunts, and metal (twisted and musical). It is just bonkers, but in a good way!

Best wasteland job ever
or
Slipknot in the distant future

There is just a ton of great stuff for me to gush over in this movie. The level of detail. The look of the world and the characters. The tumors, growth and scars on the War Boys. The human dairy. The dual engine war rig. War Boy lancers. Being “shiny and chrome.” A flamethrower dual guitar combo atop a mobile stereo/ drum kit. The terminology and vocabulary of the wasteland (blood bag, gazoleen,  aqua cola, etc.). The improvised weapons and gear used in the wasteland. Steering wheels that house human skulls in the center. A tattooed version of the organ donor registration card. The wheel and fiery skull symbol of Immortan Joe. Chastity belts of doom. Brutal looking prosthetic arm. Wrist  crossbows in a third Max movie! Cirque du Solei combat tactics. Mobile auto repair. Bone and metal skull gear shifts. A handbag full of seeds and hope. Hedge clippers!? Did that guy really attack with hedge clippers? There was character development in here too. Who’d have thunk it? Rictus Erectus, the son of Immortan Joe! Imperator Furiosa is a bad ass and seems to have  a bigger role than Max does. If anything though, the best part of this movie was the practical effects. Holy crap was is awesome to see real stunt work and not just a ton of computer generated effects! Damn I miss that kind of action!

Mad Max Fury Road best movie of the summer 2015? I am going to say yes! Yes I am moving it above Avengers 2 and Furious 8. It is that damn entertaining!