“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” Review – A Leaner Mad Max Story, But Still A High-Octane Thrill Ride

When “Fury Road” was released in 2015, it made massive waves across the theatrical landscape, being hailed as an action-packed cinematic masterpiece for its time that not only revitalised the Mad Max franchise but also the action film genre in general. This was only possible through the twistedly creative mind of director George Miller, who not only managed to grip us with impressive visual and solid stunt and action sequences, but also some stellar acting direction from A-list actors such as Tom Hardy (Max) and Charlize Theron (Furiosa).

Now, George Miller is back at it again with a prequel film, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” focusing on one of the main characters of the 2015 film. Compared to its predecessor, this film is leaner in terms of bombastic spectacle, but is far meaner when it comes to creating an epic backstory for a character who could’ve easily been left alone as a supporting character. It follows the story of Furiosa and how she transforms from a simple child who is abducted and looks for a way back home, to a strong imperator seeking blood. With that in mind, will this film breathe new life into an old franchise, or will it wither away just like “The Green Place?”

We know the film takes place in an apocalyptic Australia, but the story begins in the Green Place of Many Mothers, the last surviving areas where flora and fauna naturally grow in this dying world. There, we meet the young Furiosa, one of the last people who remembers what it was like to grow up in the Green Place. Though she is young, she is keenly aware that the survival of this verdant oasis is tenuous at best amidst the Australian wasteland. And when her home is eventually attacked, she realises that she and her people’s survival in secrecy depends on the deaths of the outsiders.

Furiosa keeps her childhood home hidden, but it costs her her freedom when the sadistic warlord Dementus kidnaps her. There, we see how the wasteland turns innocent people into monstrous versions of themselves, all in the name of survival. Though she is naturally distrustful when it comes to outsiders, we see how Furiosa’s priorities and goals shift from protecting her homeland to protecting herself, to taking revenge on the mad man who stole her previous life from her. To say this is a complex character would be a total understatement, something that would have fallen flat if it weren’t for Alyla Browne and Anya Taylor-Joy’s stellar performances. The film hinges on them and their performances, and even though they are silent for a significant portion of the film, the pair’s acting is so nuanced that no word to describe it can do it justice — it’s simply something you must experience in order to understand.

Of course, this compelling character is matched by Dementus, an equally gripping antagonist played by Chris Hemsworth in his arguably best performance yet. Dementus is an interesting character, as he too had a very interesting character arc, even though most of it happened predominantly off screen. We see him slowly devolve from a charismatic leader in charge of a sadistic tribe of bandits to a mad, hollow man who loses it all as he does everything in his power to defeat his rivals and make it through the apocalypse. His performance is also something you should experience, but to simplify: he is a depraved villain that is easy to hate, but you’ll find that he’s also rather comedic and very likeable all the way to the end, despite his actions, which leeaves us wanting more – once again due in large part to Hemsworth’s performance.

In the face of all the terrible things the wasteland can do to people, there are a few kind-hearted souls outside of the Green Place, namely Praetorian Jack (played by Tom Burke), the commander of the Citadel’s military forces who later becomes Furiosa’s mentor and trusted ally. One of the major gripes I had with “Mad Max: Fury Road” was how easily Furiosa trusted Max, but with the introduction of Praetorian Jack, that opinion has shifted in a positive direction. Keen-eyed viewers who have watched the first film would note that there is an obvious similarity between these three characters, as Praetorian Jack is initially cautious towards the stowaway but later allies with Furiosa, something Furiosa did with Max when he became a stowaway in the 2015 film. Not only that, Praetorian Jack also has some beef with Max, which I find poetically satisfying.

The film is sort of a mixed bag of positives and negatives when compared to the first film. For one, it’s obviously much slower than the first, as it primarily focuses on Furiosa’s origin story, which is alright, but it becomes draggy around the second act, something you would definitely feel thanks to its 2-hour and 28-minute runtime. The film also has some narration that is extremely jarring and unnecessary, which is a blatant and frankly insulting way of saying that the filmmakers do not respect the intelligence of the viewers.

And one thing that irks me the most is the ending, which could have been epic if it wasn’t so ambiguous. The film gives us a few different “endings” that are very different, but also happen canonically, and then they give us the “true ending,” which adds another layer of confusion. And it manages to rub salt in the wound by adding the narration as a means of trying to justify the multiverse of endings, essentially. I understand that there could be no ending that could satisfy everyone, but in the attempt to please everyone, the film sort of ends flat on its face. Though it does manage to loop back neatly to the first film by then, which is a small plus, but a welcomed one at this point.

Conversely, there are a few things I believe this prequel does better than its predecessors, and that is illustrating the passage of time. “Mad Max: Fury Road” was an intense thrill ride that never ended, which was great, but it had a lot of trouble transitioning to calmer moments. In order to move the story forward, the filmmakers used several cuts to black, which was jarring and irksome in its own right. “Furiosa,”  on the other hand, is much smarter in how it conveyes the passage of time, whether it be through time-lapses or perfectly executed cuts. Furiosa’s story unravels much like a book, with acts or chapters that show her transformation into a formidable road warrior.

Overall, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a great cinematic rollercoaster. It can be forgiven for not having the same bombastic bravado as the first film, as it focuses more on telling the compelling origin story of one of the most badass warriors of this wicked wasteland. However, the film is ultimately dragged down by a slow-paced second act and a frustrating conclusion, which manages to piss a few people off. If you can ignore these glaring negatives, then it’s still a great film to watch for the fun of it all.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” opens in cinemas nationwide today.