I was blown away by the box-office bomb, Mad Max: Fury Road, and knew the next instalment in the franchise would be an even wilder ride. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) is a spinoff prequel to the fourth movie in the instalment which tells the origin of Charlize Theron's character, Furiosa. We get a glimpse into her childhood, abduction and the values that drive her mission.
Directed and produced by George Miller, this film takes the audience on an exhilarating journey through Furiosa's past, and connects it seamlessly to the beginning of Fury Road.
Played impressively by Alyla Brown and later Anya Taylor-Joy, Furiosa is a young girl living with her family and tribe in the Green Place, a kind of haven flourishing with food and greenery when she sees a group of bikers. To stop the men from leaving and exposing them, she slashed their tires and was captured. Her mother gets a bike and pursues after them to save her daughter.
Furiosa is taken to another part of the wasteland ruled by Dementus (played by Chris Hemsworth), warlord leader of the bikers. He attempts to get the location of the Green Place from this young girl by killing the mother but fails. Later, he trades the girl as a child-bride to Immortan Joe in exchange for control of Gastown.
Rather than be forced into sexual slavery and become a breeder for Immortan Joe, this tenacious girl escapes the harem and must blend in with the fanatical War boys to survive. Yet her heart longed to return to the Green Place and to fulfil a promise she made to her late mother. How will she escape the tight clutches of Immortan Joe?
Review
I'm now a fan of the Mad Max series having watched Fury Road and even more excited to learn about Furiosa’s origin story. This instalment is spectacular. George Miller did an outstanding job portraying Furiosa from her early years until she became the tough and ruthless imperator we know. In the wasteland, it's all about power, survival, and identity. Furiosa fights to retain her identity in a world that threatens to wipe out her existence. She's fearless and determined.
Charlize Theron brought this iconic character to life and I think no one else can play this role better until I see Alyla Brown and Anya Taylor-Joy in action. I love how the fierce Alyla Brown slowly transitions into Anya Taylor-Joy as the film progresses. It's seamless such that it took a while before I realised the actors are not the same person.
The plot is obvious, and the storytelling is meticulous and fantastic. The movie unfolds in like five chapters and each one takes the audience deeper into Furiosa's life and world. This further enhances the Mad Max world building. It's a post-apocalyptic universe with different sections comprising desolate places like the Citadel ruled by Immortan Joe, GasTown and Bullet Farm, and one haven, the Green Place. Each of these sections have leaders, people and distinct lifestyles.
Just like Fury Road, the visuals, transitions and cinematography makes this film standout among other action movies. George Miller makes every scene come to life with riveting action. You can almost feel the rumble of the bikes, the brutal collision of bodies and vehicles, and the swoosh of the sandstorm. The colours are distinct like the reddish-orange of the desert, melancholy-blue of the sky, the red of the blood that flowed. That's a work of art.
Chris Hemsworth plays the role of the deranged warlord, Dementus, superbly. We think Immortan Joe is Furiosa's enemy but no, Dementus is actually the spark that lit the fire! His end is unexpected but satisfying for me.
Another part of this film I applaud is the action sequences, especially the fights between the bandits and the War boys. They are imaginative, smooth and well executed. The camera captures every angle of the motions from the sky, down to the ground, through the explosions and even under the trucks. Very satisfying. Again, other action film creators can learn a lot from George Miller.
Overall, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is fantastic and an absolute delight. It's the best action film I've seen this year. I give it 4.8 stars out of 5. If you haven't seen it, you must.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie