Mad Max: Fury Road

        To wrap up my look into the Mad Max franchise, well there’s really no better supposed finale like Fury Road. There’s a 30 year period where George Miller broadened and made his films more commercially acceptable. I think with Beyond Thunderdome sort of gave us a glimpse of what his films would look like. Additionally, he had a hand with Babe and took control of its sequel. It’s even up for debate if Happy Feet is considered his best film. With Fury Road, nothing is held back with the level of carnage on display. 

1. Chase

        With marathoning each film for the month, it’s like all of them cover a type of film sub-genre. The first is a revenge film, second is an action film. The third one is more in the lines of a fantasy film with a children’s angle to it. With the recent one, it’s a return to form with hints of The Road Warrior. Knowing that, it’s amplified with today’s technology to be even more insane and easy to follow. 

        Just saying that, you would think that the action makes the overall story inessential. No, if it was just action exclusively then the whole film would just be boring for the casual viewer. So we follow Max as always, he’s haunted by the victims of the past that he didn’t save. A new group of vandals led by Immortan Joe capture Max and use him as a blood bag for his minions called War Boys. Joe calls on new character Imperator Furiosa to make a trade for the village, who in turn escapes leading through a series of chases. 

        As simple as the overall story, there’s nothing carried over from the prior films. Which makes all of the entries independent of each other. For one thing it’s great since there was a 30-year grace period with Fury Road where it can go in either direction. What’s even more interesting is that Max isn’t the one who has the main spotlight. Even though his name is on the title, he has very little screen time. I’ll talk about that in a moment. 

        It's kind of surprising just how the chases start and ends. There’s three of which I counted and they’re different in terms of the context of the story. I feel that since they’re all different, nothing is repeated with how they executed the chase. The first chase leads through massive dust storm that only Australia can create. And it just shows how much the action can go from a 10 to an 11. One thing as well is that it’s readable. There is no quick cuts like something where Michael Bay has a hand since with his action directions, it’s like way too much happening and you have no idea what’s even happening. 

        I’ll talk about Furiosa in the next tab, but I want to highlight the side characters that are given more screentime. With one of them called Nux. He was part of the War Boys, and you can say the odd one out since he’s a believer in what Joe preaches among his clan. Drawing heavily with Norse mythology where Nux wants to have a glorious death. How that ties in with the big picture of a story is that he doesn’t get that. He sees through that and joins Max and Furiosa in their escape from Joe. 

2. Furiosa

        Aside from Max sort of getting a back seat in his own movie, Furiosa steals the show. Just after the movie premiered when it was released on video, she’s featured in the front instead of Max. It just shows who’s movie the film belongs to. I think this is one of those instances where it’s sort of like a passing of the torch films. It became prevalent with other films in the 2010s like Creed and The Force Awakens where you have the new characters sort of inherit a franchise. 

        In this case, Max is trapped to be used as fuel for the War Boys whereas Furiosa leads Immortan Joe’s forces to chase her. She handles herself when she tries to fend off attackers. It makes the action even more exciting knowing that Max can’t do anything. More so that Furiosa also has live cargo as she is transporting Joe’s many wives to safety. Just that first chase shows just how much of a character she is, especially when we see her lead the chase through the storm. 

        Beyond the chase sequences, she’s an interesting character because it’s revealed that she was Joe’s best as far as tactics are concerned. Moreover, during the various conversations that she has with Max, she wants to go to a place called the Green Place. A sort of heaven where the Wives also talk about as well to get away from Joe. It’s reveal is not to surprising considering the world that the whole series takes place in. 

        With the revelation of Furiosa witnesses as well as Nux, it all ties into what I think is the overall theme of the movie. It’s the trauma and hope that makes the movie great when you peel out the layers out of this one. The first three are mostly about humanity, while you can say that the apocalypse angle can tie into trauma. With Max especially, since he lost his family, and he has guilt over the people he couldn’t save. 

        Lastly, it’s rare to have a breakout character in a sequel in a franchise. So much so that with how the movie’s structured, we would think that she would be a one-off character. Just her popularity made Warner Bros. and George Miller create a spin-off when she was younger. On one hand, I feel that it’s unnecessary and just her mystique in the film was fine enough. But I’m more than willing to give Miller the benefit of the doubt to make another worthy entry. 

3. Overall

        Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best Mad Max films and best action films of the 2010s. Nothing could come close to the level of carnage and character depth than this one. 

 

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

        We’re halfway through talking about the Mad Max franchise. This is where it’s often up for debate whether this was the series at its peak or at its lowest point. Specifically, it’s where the shift in setting and characters is met with praise or derision from casual fans or die hard followers. Beyond Thunderdome is an interesting entry.

1. Thunderdome

        One thing that must be stressed about these films is that you don’t have to watch them in order to understand what’s going on. Each film is self-contained with nothing carried over in terms of plot device or having an expansive story. With the third entry, we see that Max is still the loner in the Australian apocalypse. His car now being pulled by camels is stolen and he goes to get it back. 

        From there he reaches Bartertown, and it’s oppressive leader Aunty Entity who gives him a task to help him. After Max disobeys, he’s ordered to fight in Thunderdome. He fails to kill his opponent and is then exiled away. Compared with the prior entries, I feel that this one tries to do something different and tries to deconstruct Max. Like taking his away his car and his weapons, we see just how he tries to survive without the things he’s known for. 

        I feel that it works since for one thing it would be repetitive by doing The Road Warrior once again but this time run into a quasi-civilized place that is being oppressed. More so that we just see how Max adjusts when he’s thrown into the Thunderdome and fight with something on the spot. It’s a mixed bag since the series up until that point has that grittiness of being in the desert and we see just how the apocalypse changed the people. 

        I’m being a devil’s advocate since I read that the entry is a good one and the worst one. Having it be where it’s set makes sense since we see just how expansive and vast the apocalypse displaced everything. Especially in the moment where we see the kids in an oasis setting. While I’ll talk about them in a moment, this is the point where the series is at it’s most controversial. Mind you, the movie’s not poorly plotted in the least bit or any sense of stupidity lowers the film’s quality as well.  

        As I mentioned earlier, the film lacked that grittiness of being in the desert since that’s where the film and the series has that edge to it. It’s certainly hits that it’s a Hollywood film, and what I mean by that is that it opens with a song that was in the running for an award. A high-profile singer turned actress that is featured very prominent in the film’s poster. It’s the definition of being a sell out when the prior entries has that punk element to it. It’s one thing to rag on it for it’s creative choices, but it can be understandable for not being repetitive. 

2. Children

        I guess kids don’t belong in the Mad Max series. It’s almost head scratching why so many die-hard fans rail against having kids in a series that mostly featured near naked characters with leather barely covering their bodies. Just as Max passes out from exhaustion, he’s picked up from a clan made up of kids. And talk about a change of scenery since their hideout has an oasis. The kids believe that Max is a captain of a downed airplane that is meant to help them get out. 

        In some way, I think it helps that the film continues with that theme of humanity. More so, it’s about rebirth in an apocalypse. We see how the kids lean in on this legend that they created and see Max as an opportunity to go to that place. This is what makes Max an even more interesting part of that story because he doesn’t belong. He’s a product of the world he’s in and he only leads the kids in destroyed Sydney to rebuild. 

        It’s very reminiscent of the old western film The Searchers. Especially with how the film ends with the final shot of Max being a shadow, sort of like a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit in a grand design. With everything we see of Max, he still maintains he sense of heroics but still being a drifter in the desert. Nothing is lost when he’s with the children, especially in the moment when we see him try and rescue them from quicksand.

3. Overall

        Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a complicated film for the die hard fans of the franchise, but a worthy one in the series to at least diversify it’s setting. It’s the last entry of Mel Gibson playing Max Rockatansky. 

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

        It’s in unanimous agreement among fans of the Mad Max series that before Fury Road, The Road Warrior was the best in the franchise. Seeing it for the first time was a massive upgrade in terms of scope and budget. Warner Bros provided the financial backing and it’s hard to believe that this is George Miller’s second movie.  And this is where the ever-famous look of the series gets its start and would be copied in various mediums. 

1. In Search of Gas

        I was confused as to why the film started with a tv-esque aspect ratio. Seeing it played out made sense to anyone who hasn’t seen the first Mad Max, it gets everyone up to speed as to what’s going on with the world and to see a glimpse of Rockatansky before he went Mad. From there, we transition to the present and see Max doing what he does in a post-apocalyptic Australia, survive. 

        Story-wise it’s very simple since we follow Max getting involved with a group who’s been raided by marauders led by Lord Humungus. He goes to them since he’s running low on fuel. There’s at least one reason as to why he goes to them, then the situation becomes even more urgent. Since it was my first time watching it, we are also introduced to another new character named Gyro Captain.

        I thought it would follow the trope where the main character would have a wacky side character that would annoy the hero. Seemingly it turned out that way, but what I like is that he helps Max and his contribution to the story helps expand his character. If there’s one scene that I like in the whole movie is when it involves him. Specifically, when he sees the Marauders killing members of the traveling group. The music and Gyro’s facial expression of what’s happening is just the cherry on top.

        The action sequences are so well done and a massive upgrade. Something about the practical stunts and just the kinetic energy is something that the series prides itself on, and in this sequel it’s something to admire. I think the way the camera shots show us in either point of view or what I call motorcycle shots makes the action even more intense. It’s an artform that I feel is lost nowadays. The best moments is when the crashes happen. Gone are the moments when the eyes pop out, but just the impact and deaths in between make the action more satisfying. 

2. Humanity

        Aside from the post-apocalyptic setting and the car chase set pieces, I think the film and the series revolve around the concept of humanity. In a world where everything has gone up, humanity is what’s lacking in that setting. More so, that we see Max being stoic and weather beaten while also being heroic. It’s sort of what makes him interesting since he’s looking out only for himself but is pulled into something when he’s just a loner. 

        He's the Australian version of Clint Eastwood’s character in the classic Dollars trilogy of Western films. Well, the film can be looked at as a modern western film, just replace the horses with cars and well, there is a character with a mohawk but that’s not the point. We see just how much he helps the civilians by even devising a plan to escape Lord Humungus and his clan. 

        I think the use of the feral kid in the film even helps amplify the theme. We assume that he’s silent and he’ll speak when the story pivots to that direction. Instead, he’s just a child that has a dangerous boomerang. In all seriousness, the sweet moment when Max plays the music box to the child that he hands it over to the boy. His smile and joy while listening to the music makes him happy and seemingly moves him away from being feral. 

3. Overall

        Mad Max 2 is one of the best sequels I’ve seen and from the original Mel Gibson films of the series. 

Mad Max Review

        New year and new films to talk about. In case you haven’t been following the format for January, I’ve been reviewing movie franchises. Some I talked about are classics and just garbage fires with how varying the quality of the films were or just getting progressively worse. I decided to talk about a good franchise for once. So it made sense to talk about the Mad Max series. I’ve only ever watched Fury Road and the spin off is coming out later this year. With all that, here’s what I think about the first Mad Max.

1. Max Rockatansky

        I feel that watching Fury Road first way back in my college years warped my expectations for the first entry. With how just bonkers and thought provoking the recent entry was, I had set the bar really high. Of course, for the first entry is extremely tame, considering what came after with its sequels. It’s not a detriment of the film, far from it. More so that I’ve only seen snippets without any context or where the character is story wise. 

        As the movie starts, we’re dropped into a dystopian version of Australia where oil is nearly gone. If there’s one tidbit where I at least appreciate for the movie’s sake is that it never tells the audience what year it takes place in. Sometimes the variation of the phrase “In the not-too-distant future…” works since it makes the scenario and the situation more believable without it being an inevitable punchline when the year passes by. 

        We see that all hell is broken loose as a biker gang led by the Nightrider terrorizes the road and the pitstop towns. The police force is severely undermanned but is led by Max. Considered the best cop in the force, his life is turned upside down when the bikers take everything from him. When I say or type that, I mean that they kill his partner and family. In one way, the plot is very simple where you know what’s going on. 

        For being just an hour and 30 minutes, it didn’t drag in the least bit. Some people might be turned off that there isn’t much in terms of action. To me, it’s like a combination of a biker movie of the past, a western and a vigilante film of the 70s. Well, it did come out during the late 70s, but I don’t consider it exploitive since there aren’t any gruesome deaths. There are but editing makes more impactful I think. 

        As far as action is concerned, I really like how close it feels. Like when the bikers attack a civilian, some of the camera angles are inside of the car to put us in the literal passenger seat. The driving or chase scenes aren’t entirely drawn out when we follow Max. Director George Miller expertly uses the editing to make the sudden impact of the biker’s colliding with a vehicle or attacking a victim more heightened. The best moment is when Max is chasing the biker leader and we see the quick cuts to the villain’s eyes bulge out before colliding with a truck. Utter brilliance for a film made less than half a million. 

        So let’s talk about the character before he went Mad. Max is an interesting character since he doesn’t start off as deranged or slowly losing his sanity. He’s mostly the straight man in a world that has gone to hell. The moments when we see him with his partners and family show that he has integrity. More so that it complements the world. What I saw is that everyone still lives in a normal world, albeit one where any sense of normalcy is all but non-existent. It’s like Max is trying to live a regular life but not taking into consideration that it can be taken away. 

        World wise, it’s very tame since most the film takes place within the countryside of Australia. I think what enhances it is that it’s nearly empty with no other cars driving. Compounding it is that we don’t even see any abandoned cars or any sense of life. It’s almost eerie with how the bikers can come out of nowhere or just accelerate to a point where it can catch up to a victim. I like how the vegetation is mostly something out in a desert land. I think to communicate that it’s slowly dying and I think also to represent how Max has fallen.

2. Legacy

        For a feature debut, I was surprised that for a while it was the highest grossing independent film to be released. I can understand that the action and the character that Mel Gibson played made people care and want to watch. Nobody I believe would ever think that there would be follow ups and show the more horrific side of an apocalyptic Australia. Or just the country by itself, apocalyptic notwithstanding. 

        It says a lot that the film spawned multiple franchises in terms of both film and in video games. I would never put it together that the final moments in the film could influence director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannel to create Saw. And even that has its own franchise that is still going. For one, it’s rare to have one scene be influential. Especially one where we see a hero slowly becoming part of his environment by being an unfeeling force of judgement. 

3. Overall 

        Mad Max is one of the best director debuts for George Miller. There’s three more to go but this is certainly the one where the franchise becomes beloved.