Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) Review

9 years after the release of Mad Max: Fury Road we finally have the release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, unfortunately it has been suffering at the box office but I managed to watch it last night and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees the origin of Furiosa and how she would grow into the character we meet in Fury Road. 

Main Character

Anya Taylor Joy takes over the role of Furiosa and I thought she encapsulated the role perfectly. I truly believed that she was a younger version of Charlize Theron's interpretation of the character. It does take a while to introduce her in the film and she doesn't have too many lines here but similar to Tom Hardy's performance as Max she gives a very physical performance which just works. Also credit to Alyla Browne who plays the even younger version of the character for the first hour and she she does a great job too. 

Supporting Characters

But the star of this show has to be Chris Hemsworth playing the villain Dementus. He absolutely owns every scene that he is in and is this over the top Australian leader who is oozing charisma and charm and Hemsworth is clearly having a load of fun and he gives one of his best performances here. 

We get Immortan Joe back here, though he is played by a different actor called Lachy Hulme but you wouldn't realise that from the film. It is cool seeing a younger version of the character and you do realise why he has all the devoted troops to his cause. 

But the rest of the cast aren't particularly great. Tom Burke plays Jack and he is incredibly dull, he is kind of introduced as a companion of Furiosa but he adds nothing to the film and this guy delivers his lines in super boring fashion and I did not care about him at all. 

Story

The story is really good, I criticised Mad Max: Fury Road for its lack of story but this film is totally different and tells a really engaging story where we grow to really care and support Furiosa even if we didn't know her from a previous film. This is clearly a revenge tale and it does slightly take its time but I appreciate how Furiosa develops and becomes an interesting character. 

Script

The script is okay and I would say that it is better then the previous film especially when Hemsworth is just monologuing and giving these great moments. But the film lacks true dramatic moments and moments that will make a viewer care. 

Style 

The film once again looks fantastic, the visuals are some of the best you will see in any film out there. The action scenes are good and do their job effectively, though they do feel like they have been lessened and aren't anywhere near as grand and crazy as Fury Road. The film also has some slight pacing issues in its first act which means it takes a while to get going. 

Overall

Overall, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a good film and serves the character of Furiosa well. If you are a fan of that character and this universe then you will like this film. I would say go support this film as it needs to be doing better at the box office as I wouldn't mind seeing more stories in the Mad Max universe in the future. 

Rating - 7/10

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Review

In preparation for watch Furiosa, I went back and rewatched Mad Max: Fury Road which serves as the film that introduced the character to the big screen and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a drifter and rebel attempt to escape from a tyrant and his crazed forces. 

Main Character

Tom Hardy plays Max and he is exactly what this film requires. He is incredibly gruff and is a man of few words but he delivers a really physical performance here and it works for Fury Road. They give him somewhat a story arc that kind of gets forgotten about but Hardy does the best with the material he is given. 

But the real main character here us Furiosa played by Charlize Theron, she is easily the most interesting character here and the film really puts her at the forefront of the film and she was great to follow. Despite the off screen issues with Hardy & Theron it didn't affect their performances and Theron is great here. 

Supporting Characters

Nicholas Hoult plays Nux who is a worshiper of the villain of the film and he is totally unhinged in the film and Hoult gives a great performance. His character does have a good enough story arc and I just really liked the effort he put into the character. 

Hugh Keays-Byrne plays Immortan Joe who is the main villain of the film and I just liked this character. He is menacing and it is just the way he is presented that it made him feel like a big threat to the heroes and someone who would have this following from a cult. 

There are a bunch of female characters on the run from Joe and they all get some time to shine which was nice to see. Zoey Kravitz & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are the ones who get the most to work with and they did a good job. 

Story

The story is fascinating, it is basically an extended chase sequence and that sounds really dull but it really works. The characters are always on edge and you feel like they are on edge and the story progresses really well with this. Though, I mean there is no denying that there is a lack of meat on the story and I kind of wish Max had been fleshed out a little bit more to make me care about him a bit more. 

Script

The script is okay, it is a bit unhinged like the film itself. There is some good dialogue involving Furiosa but Max has few words which is fine for the film. But this film isn't really about the script so I feel like dialogue in particular was a bit of an afterthought. 

Style

The style of the film is where this film truly flourishes, everything is high octane and looks insane. It is hard to explain the crazy things that happens in these epic chase sequences. Great action sequences that really benefit from the lack of CGI and focus on practical effects and boy does it rise the level of this film. 

Overall

Overall, Mad Max: Fury Road is a great action film. It has some of the best action scenes of all time and if that is all you are looking for then you must see this film. It slightly lacks in some other areas but it is a great watch for sure. 

Rating - 8/10