REVIEW: FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (2024)

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (2024)

Prequel tale is set in the Mad Max: Fury Road universe and is basically an origin story for the character of Furiosa. The film opens with Furiosa as a child (Alyla Browne) being captured by marauders and taken to the encampment of crazed warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Her mother (Charlee Fraser) pursues her there and is tortured and murdered by Dementus and his thugs. Furiosa is forced to travel with the madman until he makes a bold attack against the Citadel and warlord Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). There is eventually an uneasy truce formed with Furiosa being part of the deal. For the next fifteen years Furiosa (now Anya Taylor-Joy) comes of age and becomes a hardened warrior. But Dementus has been plotting against Immortan Joe all this time and when war looms again between the two gangs, Dementus and a vengeful Furiosa may cross paths once more.

Prequel flick is directed by George Miller from his script with Nico Lathouris based on the original characters and story by Miller and the late Byron Kennedy. It has some colorful and explosive action sequences as one expects from these movies and quite a bit of violence as well. The cast all play their parts with gusto with Taylor-Joy stepping in quite nicely for Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth hamming it up quite amusingly as the appropriately named Dementus. The design and look of Miller’s post-apocalyptic world are stunning as are the numerous vehicles and oddball characters that populate it. Where this flick faulters is that unlike previous installments it does drag in spots and by the time it’s all over you wonder if it was all really necessary. Did we really need to know such a detailed background story? Did we want to return to this world without Max? Only the viewer can say. Add to that the inevitable showdown between Furiosa and Dementus is a bit anti-climactic after a 148-minute wait. As we’re on the subject of the bloated runtime, it also feels that this flick could have come in at a tighter two hours and not lost any important story elements. It is a bit overindulgent and besides, we know where this is headed as it is a prequel after all.

The future is on fire in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga!

The cast is very good especially Anya Taylor-Joy taking over the character established by Charlize Theron. She is brooding, intense and handles the action sequences quite well. Same can be said of Alyla Brown playing Furiosa as a child. Hemsworth is a lot of fun as the disturbed warlord Dementus. He is way over the top and seems to be having a blast playing the diabolical villain instead of his usual heroic role. He plays this highly eccentric and disturbed character very well. Lachy Hulme is fine as Immortan Joe but sadly doesn’t have the presence or intensity of the late Hugh Keays-Byrne. Tom Burke is solid as Praetorian Jack a Max-like warrior character who takes Furiosa under his wing. Might be why she took a liking to Max in Fury Road. Finally, Nathan Jones and Josh Helman reprise their roles as Immortan Joe’s sons Rictus Erectus and Scabrous Scrotus respectively. There are dozens more colorful and eccentric supporting characters who are all performed well in the film’s over the top comic book style.

In conclusion Furiosa can be very entertaining in parts with this series’ trademarked bombastic action sequences and numerous colorful and oddball characters. The actors understand their assignments and the visuals are spectacular and the scale is epic. Where the film faulters is that it uncharacteristically drags in spots and seems a bit overlong at 148 minutes. That and as the credits role one wonders if we really needed this origin story at all despite being entertained.

-MonsterZero NJ

Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

Rated 2 and 1/2 (out of 4) Road Warriors who sat this one out.

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