Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Movie Review – Swerves Into The Epic Lane

Furiosa steals the high-octane show in Mad Max: Fury Road – so much so that the audience was all in for a potential solo film for the character. However, when the news broke that Charlize Theron wouldn’t return for the film that would eventually become known as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the anticipation dissipated. Yet, like with Mad Max: Fury Road, filmmaker George Miller turns the tide on the sentiment and showcases why no one should ever doubt his creative vision ever again.

Alyla Browne and Anya Taylor-Joy share the role of Furiosa in a story that captures 15 years of the future road warrior’s life. Miller and Nico Lathouris’ script puts the young girl through the wringer as she’s forced to watch her mother Mary Jo Bassa (Charlee Fraser) die in a horrific way. Then, she is used in a slimy negotiation and uneasy truce between Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), with the intent that she will become one of Joe’s future wives. Nonetheless, Furiosa survives, dreaming of finding her way back to the Green Place.

The Tale Of A Survivor

The first half of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga tears Furiosa to pieces, torturing and breaking her of hope as she appears to be in an unwinnable situation. Even if she escapes Joe’s Citadel, the wastelands are ruled by Dementus and others, so her chances of finding her way back home remain slim. However, the second part of the film explodes to life when she hatches her escape plan out of the Citadel. It’s here she meets driver Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) and hones her survival skills, while also finding herself thrust into the wasteland’s war. 

Out of all the Mad Max films, this is the most powerful screenplay yet as it focuses heavily on the character’s spirit rather than the setting. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga could have turned into a Fury Road clone, but it chooses a different route. Instead, it borrows elements from epics such as Gladiator and Ben-Hur to tell a story of struggle and overcoming overwhelming odds. George Miller breaks down Furiosa, giving her a glimmer of hope then pulling it away in an instant, but she refuses to throw in the towel. 

There’s a quiet scene where she’s thrown off the War Rig and standing in the middle of the road. She looks to the left, there’s nothing. She looks to the right, also nothing. She appears alone and isolated in the middle of nowhere – she’s either going to die of thirst and hunger or stand out as a sitting duck. Yet, she doesn’t break down and continues to search for her way out of the predicament – which comes as a result of Jack. The scene perfectly embodies the nature of resilience, especially Furiosa’s steel will and determination.

Don’t Worry – The Road Action Is Still Here

Despite not always being all-out action at every moment, George Miller doesn’t forget what brought him to the party in the first place. When the action hits, it hits hard – and delivers the innovative and adrenaline-charged setpieces that every fan bought a ticket to see. Cinematographer Simon Duggan puts his own spin on the road action while still finding time to pay homage to the past through the visual spectacle. Every time a vehicle touches the dusty terrains, danger strikes in the most chaotic and outrageous manner. Without getting into spoilers, keep a close eye on the War Rig whenever it’s on the road, because the pulsating action swerves into the frame before too long.

Carrying on the tradition of the previous movies’ protagonists, Furiosa isn’t a talker. Both Alyla Browne and Anya Taylor-Joy capture this aspect of the character, using their eyes and movements to express Furiosa’s thought process. Taylor-Joy, in particular, continues to demonstrate why she’s one of the best and most in-demand actors of her generation through her thoughtful dual approach to the character. Furiosa feels every bit of pain she’s suffered – both physical and emotional – but she uses it as fuel for the fire burning inside her.

While there are a number of shady antagonistic characters in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus goes all in – illustrating what could become of Furiosa if she chooses a different path. Maniacal and power-hungry, Dementus fancies himself as a cult of personality for others in the wasteland. He’s experienced his own share of tragedies, but these only remove the shred of humanity he has left. In what’s arguably Hemsworth’s greatest part since Thor, the actor knows when to lean into the sadistic insanity of the warlord and when to peel back the layer to show there once was a different human being there.  

Is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Worth Watching?

After the award-winning success of Fury Road, it would have been all too easy for George Miller to replicate the formula for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. However, as a filmmaker who hasn’t been afraid to jump from Mad Max to Babe and Happy Feet, he continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in this post-apocalyptic world that he started in 1979. Miller brings all the loud and flamboyant action from before, but he also infuses it with an inspirational story about the power of the human spirit. 

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max.

	Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
	Running Time: 148 minutes
	Release Date: 23 May 2024
	Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
	Director: George Miller
	Writers: George Miller, Nico Lathouris
	Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
	Box Office: N/A