When "Mad Max: Road Fury" was out in theaters, it was praised as one of the best action movies that has come out in a the last few years. It was actually hailed as the best action movie of the year by some websites. After seeing the the movie recently, it's absolutely confusing how it was given any of it's adulation.
Before we start, let it be known that the criticism of "Mad Max" is no way a comparison to any other action movies that came out this year or a comparison to the Mad Max movies that came before this one. This movie was actually full of action, explosions, silly characters playing a guitar on the hood of a comical truck going 70 miles per hour, and all sorts of other random things that make "Mad Max" fun. But a fun movie doesn't make it a good movie.
Let's start with the main antagonist. In the beginning he looks like an old guy who is on his way out the door to begin with. So automatically it looks like he's not evil, just old and crazy. Then you notice that he is holding women hostage to bare his children. Ok, he is still very evil, but there was no visiual to see how bad he really was. He just looked like an old tyrant. Evil? Yes, but this is a premise that has been done before. This doesn't make him special on any level. he's just another villain in an action flick. The greats stand out and are remembered. Simon Phoenix (Demolition Man), Jaws (Jaws, duh), The T-1000 (Terminator 2), Detective Alonzo Harris (Training Day) are all examples of villains who stand out above the rest. This guy was nothing special at all.
image source "hollywoodreporter.com"
Furiosa is a really good character that has a really good story that was told in brief. Of all the things in this movie, this was easily the most perplexing thing in this movie. She was a bad @$$ and her story could have and should have been a great story to tell and an even better flashback. A lot of the chase scenes could have been shortened or even taken out to add how she ended up leaving her original community and also how she lost her arm. Instead we are given a few quick explanations. It was very disappointing.
While this movie didn't appeal to some, it has some very high highs, but had a very disappointing story. If you enjoy car chases and silly looking characters, you will enjoy this movie. But don't go in exepcting a well told story. It's more Michael Bay than Stephen Spielberg.
