Mad Max: Fury Road

I have not seen such a crazy movie in a while. It almost looks as if George Miller shot his craziest dream the way he’s seen it and lived through it. Nobody talked into it, nobody interfered with it and he just did it exactly the way he wanted. You can feel the madness, helplessness and despair of the post-apocalyptic world even two thousand light years far from you. When it comes to acting, Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult and Charlize Theron are a sure bet. Nevertheless, some moments in the movie were so crazy that I was not able to process them and the only thing I was left with after those scenes was a bewildered face which still could not comprehend what it had seen. However, one thing is for certain. I have not seen such a well-filmed action, where digital effects fade in comparison to the real action ride, in a long time. If I even saw anything like that in this millennium. Hard to say. I think I didn’t. (2015-05-20)

It seems that someone at Warner Bros must have gone mad because to approve budget in the amount of an expensive blockbuster for a 70-year-old director who has not made any feature film (let alone action or high-budget) for almost twenty years, that even includes bizarre scenes (breast milk, flamethrower guitar!) "from the world after the fall of values" filled with psychedelic metal opera/road movie madness about mad guys (on top of that hidden "remake" of the General), which is a continuation of his own amateurish “Grindhouse-like" cult post apocalypses trilogy, it requires a lot of courage. What is the most surprising is not the above-mentioned but rather fact that the new Mad Max is not a ridiculous dull follow-up or an indecent smooth derivative of the original trilogy, but it is an unusually confidently made straightforward (not to be confused with dull!) "dirty movie" (basically a mix of the ending of the second movie extended to full-length footage, Doomsday, Wages of Fear and Spaghetti Western in an unprecedented and a world that is depicted in detail where madness is the standard and not the eccentricity) with playfully inventive and imaginative non-stop action, which is not just an empty mandatory filler, as it is typical for most blockbusters today, but there is something special about it and moves the story forward; moreover, it way it is shot is captivating, independent and clear. Thanks to which the fourth Max movie becomes an instant genre classic. It will take you back to a time when this type of film did not mean over-the-top CGI adventures with no a stuntman (let alone an actor) at all. On the contrary, this movie has everything that a great movie of 80s show have in all respects. The only difference is the possibilities and budget corresponding to the 21st century and with the best action heroine "who is not just a guy with breasts" from the times of Ripley from the first Alien. It is sad that such a movie is only a kind of unrepeatable studio anomaly, but because of this we should admire (of even love) the fourth Max even more. PS: Refined Mad Max: Fury Road Black and Chrome Edition is a great watch, which is easy to believe that Miller wanted it like this from the beginning. (2015-05-13)

Every year I see dozens of films in the cinema and many more at home, and only some of the new ones leave me with the feeling that I've watched something special; something that will be talked about in ten years. Fortunately, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of those. The trailers didn't bullshit, this is a brutal action ride from start to finish. When George Miller said his film was going to be one big chase, he wasn't lying. Even more interesting than the action itself, however, which is exquisite, thrilling and visually original, is what surrounds it. The director of Happy Feet has managed to make a new Mad Max that must satisfy fans of the trilogy and newcomers alike. Fury Road is an almost physically uncomfortable film. Whereas other post-apocalyptic films usually have clearly defined good and evil, here there is only madness, and thanks to some of the characters (Nicholas Hoult gets a career-best role) it's almost palpable. It's a cruel world with bizarre rules, fascinating and repulsive at the same time. Good doesn't exist, evil doesn't exist either, all that's left is a fierce fight for survival. And you will be right in the middle of it. Mad Max grabs you at the beginning, then thrills you, disgusts you, horrifies you and fascinates you all the time. And by the end of it, you'll feel like you've seen something special. Not just entertaining or interesting, but truly exceptional. (2015-05-13)

Thirty years is a long time, and George Miller has left the original Mad Max far behind. Not only is Mel Gibson surprisingly sorely missed, given that Tom Hardy's hesitant grumbling moments simply don't work at all, but Fury Road draws on the worst of the echoes of the original trilogy. Namely, the usual bizarreness, flatness of characters, and the fact that it's mostly just about one city and its fate. The fact that this time it's done in a grandiose way through to the last shot results in an audiovisual delight led by a breathtaking motorcycle raid, but without at least one truly interesting character, it's a massacre that simply doesn't mean anything to me outside the basic action layer. (2015-05-27)

With characters defined by their looks, makeup and costumes, Fury Road is a super cool, non-stop action ride with amazing drive that pretends to have some sort of plot. The experienced George Miller has adapted the trends of contemporary blockbusters (a deafening audiovisual aspect that’s more important than the storyline) into a distinct vision of a post-apocalyptic world (with which perhaps someone else can find an emotional connection?), fitting it with dozens of clever details that are insignificant for the story, but turn the movie as a whole (together with the over-the top drive I’ve already mentioned) into a unique film entertainment product. The close-up of a head rising from the sand is the shot of the year. (2015-05-22)