Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Witness the desert wasteland!
Presentation:
For those that never watched the Mel Gibson version in the 90s, George Miller’s Mad Max is the iconic desert apocalypse blockbuster of a generation. When I first watched this on release I wasn’t impressed because I could barely hear the dialogue and the deep focus zaniness looked cartoonish. It’s only now that I can appreciate the vision as a result of the modern prequel with Anya Taylor Joy. Fury Road distinguishes itself from Furiosa with its real practical effects. The realism of dirt bikes and oil rigs rampaging through the desert feels significantly more visceral compared to the CGI of the prequel. There is CGI here, but it’s much less noticeable. There’s less comic book surrealism, harkening back to the practical costumes of vintage sci-fi films like The Fifth Element.
Conclusion:
If you haven’t watched either, I think you can watch Furiosa first in order to properly appreciate what was physically captured on camera here. Although it’s more rooted in reality, I am slightly embarrassed to admit I prefer Furiosa slightly more despite half of that movie being CGI. The visuals, tone and action, while artificial, better captured Miller’s surreal vision but that should take nothing away from this film. The dialogue is basically just catchphrases, Tom Hardy is mostly mute, but it’s still one of the iconic analog sci-fi films that should stand the test of time. Ride eternal!
Recommendations
Witness the desert wasteland!