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| Tom Hardy is Mad Max |
Dizzying, action-packed "Mad Max" isn't perfect, but is far from dull
The timing is right for a new Mad Max, given the last "Mad Max" movie was 30 years ago, and will fit perfectly into the crazy summer moviegoing schedule. Brought to you by the same team that originated the franchise in the late 1970s, the long-awaited, action-packed "Mad Max: Fury Road," which is technically a sequel and not a reboot, is dirty, bloody and breathlessly entertaining - if you enjoyed the first set of "Mad Max" movies ("Road Warrior" is my favorite of those) - you'll get a kick out of this dizzying and sometimes dazzling tale. In the post-apocalyptic 2060, Max (Tom Hardy), a former highway patrolman whose family was killed in the early days of the societal collapse, meets Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a woman attempting to cross an immense desert called The Wasteland to escape with the multiple wives of a brutal Fascist leader named Joe (Indian character actor Hugh Keays-Byrne who was in the original 1979 "Mad Max" version) along with his henchman the War Boys. Max, who also has been imprisoned and tortured by Joe, is Furiosa and the Wives' best chance of escaping. Directed and co-written by Oscar-winner George Miller (it's hard to believe this is the same guy that made the award-winning "Happy Feet"), "Fury Road" is an enjoyable, often exhilarating and wild ride that's far more accessible than the other "Mad Max" films and featuring some of the best stunts I've seen on film in a long time. With a dusty, orange glow, one of the most memorable cast members in "Fury Road" happens to be all those exceedingly souped-up vehicles and trucks, which get a good workout throughout the film, especially in the over-the-top yet sublime action set pieces that highlight the movie. Miller's story and one-dimensional characters are a little more problematic, with some muddled backstories and people that lack detail and tend to get lost amidst all the action, though some may be purposefully vague to set up future installments. The usually squirrily Hardy is a solid, if not moody and mellower Max than Mel Gibson's perfectly off-kilter Max, but it works fine with the dizzying amount of action and stunts that seem to take center stage, though Miller could've made this Max even tougher. Hardy's stoic Max is a nice balance to the tough, one-armed chick that is Theron, who makes for an even better action hero than Hardy and comes close to stealing the show. Keays-Byrne, whose villain is given less to do here, is still fun to watch, while the lithe Nicolas Hoult is a solid addition as Nux, a War Boy who becomes an important part of the Max-Furiosa team. "Mad Max: Fury Road" isn't perfect, but it sure isn't a dull ride and Miller has some nice touches (the guitar playing War Boy on the end of the truck is a favorite), with some terrific and stunning action and stunts that keep the movie going at a very fast pace until the end. This is the next summer blockbuster worth checking out.
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