Not for nothing is George Miller easily one of the greatest directors of his lifetime. The diversity of his work aside, the staying power of the Mad Max universe is testament to his ability to build visually enrapturing stories while conveying eternally resonant themes. A universe with themes which have somehow become only more relevant, culminating in the spin-off prequel that is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
And it is worthy of Folkvangr.
Even as the fourth of the series, Fury Road stood apart from it predecessors in many ways, going beyond the usual action and spectacle of the Mad Max series and delving into themes unprecedented for the franchise–most noticeably the fresh feminist overtones, introduced by way of Charlize Theron’s breakout character Imperator Furiosa.
While a sequel to Fury Road following the adventures of Furiosa (with or without Max) may have been preferable (at least by me), Miller’s dive into her past offers a unique view of The Wasteland that aren’t necessarily explored in the Mad Max films.
This wider exploration of the setting of the series is turned up to an 11 with the returning clan of Immortan Joe and his cult empire, as well as Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus, leader of the Bike Horde. If it isn’t already clear, Miller has a secret stash of crazy from which he draws for each passing Mad Max film, and he may have saved the best for Furiosa.
Hemsworth’s turn as a villain is nothing short of brilliant. His comedy chops, having been clear in Ghostbusters (2016), and misused in the recent Thor films, is amplified by the classic Mad Max quirkiness we’ve come to love. And it probably helps that Miller chose to lean into Hemsworth’s best-known role, featuring him as nothing short of a mad Asgardian god, red cape and everything.
But the strength of Furiosa’s writing comes through despite the antics of Hemsworth and his posse. While the only real criticism the film may suffer is the lack of lines accorded its titular character, Anya Taylor-Joy’s near silent depiction of the character is every bit as intense and feral as one would imagine her to be. Taylor-Joy’s performance is shared with Alyla Browne as a younger Furiosa. Both actresses seamlessly meld into each other, leaving you second-guessing when the narrative skips ahead, and the Taylor-Joy assumes her duty as the lead.
Nevertheless, there are moments where it may have been better to have a slightly more vocal depiction of the character, just so the movie felt more about her and less around her. But, in some ways, the tone is a true to the nature of Mad Max, and offering Furiosa anything less would be an injustice.
Although the movie could stand to be just a little shorter, the pacing never really suffers from any extensive sequence, with every action piece exhilarating, and character moments swinging between hilarious to nail-biting.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hits theatres on 21st May, so don’t leave them theatres like The Wasteland, and bring your War Boys to Valhalla!