Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller has made a few questionable career choices. If you thought that following up the classic The Road Warrior with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was odd then you must have forgotten George Miller's involvement in Babe: Pig in the City and Happy Feet Two. But perhaps the most questionable career choice he has made is creating a sequel to a franchise that hadn't seen a new movie in thirty years. I'd argue that, unless you or your parents are older than thirty or you are just a flatout nerd like me, then you probably aren't too familiar with those films. 

Then the unthinkable happened. Not only did this movie get made with some of the most stunning visuals and strongest action sequences in recent years, but it also became the clear winner over the classic The Road Warrior. 

Mad Max is alive again. The franchise is alive and well and back with a sense of vengeance. I'm not sure if anyone has been waiting for it for thirty years, but if they have been then I'm certain they are waving their walkers in the air with joy. Mad Max: Fury Road isn't just great; it's better than The Avengers: Age of Ultron type of great. It is the action film you didn't know you were waiting to see. 

I certainly don't mean to sound like I'm trying to hype this up for you. The hype is already there. I don't need to add to it and I doubt my voice would be heard above so many others. You're probably tired of hearing the hype and if you aren't now you will be.

At the risk of ruffling some feathers I will add to the chorus of approval, though. It is amazing. From the start of this film it doesn't stop moving. This film is one giant chase scene. At times it can be downright brutal to watch, too. There are some deaths that I can't believe they managed to get away with, but they were handled brilliantly. There's one particular death in the movie that will probably leave you shocked. You'll know it when you see it and you'll think "Holy shit, I can't believe they just did that" just like I did. George Miller is one sick cookie. 

This film is the fourth in a series that debuted in 1979, but it is easily the most original movie of 2015 so far. 

I highly suggest going into this movie blind. Watch it for the experience rather than the hype. Sure, the hype is there, but it's there for a reason. Some folks might be a little let down, but that's natural. Some people might not like it and that's natural, too. However, I think this movie will stick around for quite a while and the people who don't like will be proven to be a bunch of odd ducks. 

For those of you that need some plot, well, here ya go:

Max Rockatansky, the drifter that never seems to have things his way, manages to become imprisoned by Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Bearne, whom you might recognize from a different role in the first Mad Max movie) and subsequently gets entangled in an epic chase between Immortan Joe and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). Furiosa has not only betrayed Immortan Joe, but she's also taken something very precious to him.

You'll have to watch to figure out what. 

P.S. - There's plenty of internet chatter of going on about the film's stance on feminism and whatnot. I've mostly been avoiding all of that. I wanted to watch the movie and form my own opinion. Personally, I think this is a rather groundbreaking film, but to each their own. If you decide to state your opinion on that subject I advise doing some critical thinking first. A lot of folks have taken to the internet only to come out sounding like vicious trolls. And that's just not cool.