SYNOPSIS: Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

REVIEW: Director George Miller, who first brought his post-Apocalyptic Mad Max trilogy to the screen over 30 years ago, starring Mel Gibson, returns the character to the screen with Tom Hardy (Lawless, 2012) playing the lead role as ‘Max’ and Charlize Theron (A Million Ways to Die in the West, 2014) as ‘Furiosa’. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess that these are two of my favorite actors, on the big screen to date, so if my opinions seem a little skewed here, they probably are. 

So, here we go. Mad Max: Fury Road is without a doubt the most exciting, visually stunning and viscerally intense action film you will see this summer. Can anyone say “sensory-overload?” Rest assured, this film not only lives up to the hype; it exceeds all expectations as a super-charged, relentless action assault on the senses that will leave audiences truly breathless, awe-struck and satisfyingly exhausted by the time the closing credits roll. The sustained and complex stunt crashes and choreography are unlike anything seen on the big screen in many, many years. Come to think of it, I can’t name a single flick in recent times that provide this level of rollercoaster intensity. 

Theron and a supporting cast of women actually take center stage as strong, fully capable fighters turning the tables on their former oppressors. This is why it should be said that Hardy as Max is quite good, but unfortunately he is almost a supporting player amid his formidable female co-stars. So much so, that instead of Mad Max, I would have probably named this flick “Mad Maxine” or “Mad Furiosa.” 

This latest effort is also a stunningly beautiful film in its cinematography, imaginative set design and bizarre characters. The film has many such fascinating scenes that will keep the audience at the edge of their seats. This is accompanied by plenty of bullet strewn, high octane, stunt filled, and explosive action across the stunning post-apocalyptic desert and canyon world as Max and friends go up against their animal-like adversaries, in their attempt to free the model-like sex-slaves and put a stop to the madness once and for all. And as to be expected, there are plenty weird, but fast cars tearing up the desolate hollow-lands, with stunts that have been notched up and taken over the top.

Overall, this latest effort is definitely a non-stop action packed fun flick to watch in theaters, but only if one can with-stand the level of sensory overload that comes with the theater presentation. If blaring loud music and crazy visuals aren’t your thing, I’d advise against seeing this one in theaters -- It can be somewhat overwhelming, for some viewers. Four out of five stars might not be doing this one justice, but I had to take away something for the lack of real dialog and easy to follow storyline

MORE MOVIE REVIEWS >>>