Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Film Review
After being introduced to Imperator Furiosa in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, we’re now going back in time to learn her origins story in Furiosa, with Anya Taylor-Joy replacing Charlize Theron.
Set 15 years before the events of Fury Road, the film follows Furiosa after she is kidnapped from her idyllic, abundant home by a biker gang and held captive by their leader Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) as they roam the barren wasteland. The film charts her 15-year trajectory from an innocent child to the war-hardened badass we meet in Fury Road.
I should start by saying that I was not a massive fan of Fury Road. I thought it was technically and visually astounding, with very cool stunts, but the story left me wanting. That’s exactly the same situation with Furiosa – there are many narrative problems but it looks effing cool. Style over substance springs to mind.
It’s simply too long and takes forever to get going. The first two chapters (out of five) are told from child Furiosa’s perspective. Alyla Browne was very good and she looked staggeringly similar to Taylor-Joy but these chapters were so slow and drawn out. They are also more about Dementus and seeing women being oppressed and abused. I kept wondering, when is Furiosa going to be about Furiosa?!
The film immediately improves once Taylor-Joy comes in as a badass engineer who has made herself useful to Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) in her own niche way instead of becoming one of his wives. Her first time on the War Rig (as a stowaway) is the standout sequence of the entire film. It is a Fury Road-style chase with a tricked-out oil tanker, insane stunts and lots of War Boys. We’ve seen it all before in the previous film but it’s still exciting to watch.
Taylor-Joy fully understood the assignment. Furiosa has seen a lot of barbaric, brutal behaviour in the lawless wasteland and she has become hardened to it. Her determination to exact revenge on Dementus and return home fuels her. She doesn’t talk much but you can feel that inner rage and pent-up anger bubbling underneath.
It is refreshing to see Hemsworth playing someone so different. And evil! Dementus has a giant prosthetic nose and awful teeth but the Marvel star still gets to show off his rock-hard abs and biceps thanks to his character’s quirky costume. He seemed to really relish playing someone so awful but he didn’t fully disappear into the character; I kept thinking, “That’s Chris Hemsworth.” He was amusing though!
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is not as good as its predecessor but it is still an impressive visual and technical achievement, with stunning cinematography and unparalleled action sequences.
In cinemas from Friday 24th May
Due to my anxiety, I usually avoid negative triggers, so I don’t read reviews often. However, I appreciate honest reviews, good or bad, and your website is my go-to for that. I’m not great at giving compliments, but I enjoy your reviews, and this one was a calming read at 4am when I couldn’t sleep.
I’m looking forward to seeing Furiosa, but it’s funny—your description matches how I feel about the entire Mad Max franchise. I loved the costumes, cinematography, stunts, and character backstories, but the overall story always felt a little slow.
Thank you so much for this lovely comment. It really means a lot to know that my website is your go-to! You’ve really made my day!! I’m glad you feel the same about the Mad Max franchise. It’ll be interesting to see what you think about Furiosa!