Metro-tainment This section covers May 21 -...

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) I miss Mel Gibson. I don’t miss his unfortunate tirades against others in recent years, but I do miss Gibson’s humorous and earnest take as Martin Riggs in his series of Lethal Weapon films. But mostly I miss him in the Mad Max series, dating back to 1979’s original Mad Max, proceeding to the well-received The Road Warrior and culminating in 1985’s Beyond Thunder- dome, and all directed by George Miller. But, to my disappointment, Gibson isn’t in this year’s incarnation. Coming in at close to age 60, Gib- son was getting a little long in the tooth for the role, it was rumored. So the new Max Rockatansky is Tom Hardy. Fury Road essentially picks up where all the other Mad Max movies left off: in the desert wasteland where life is only about survival and nothing more. The film opens in an area called The Citadel, a cave oasis of sorts, which has high cliffs, hydroponic gardens and a managed water system as a means to control the suffering masses below. Lead by warlord Immortan Joe, his army of barely suppressed maniacal road bandits resemble a gang of crazed asylum es- capees. As expected, as individuals, they’re not much, but as a team, they’re unstoppable cretins with reason and doubt long ago exorcised from their individual existences. But one member of Joe’s team — one-armed truck driver Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) — wants out, and she wants to take old Joe’s concubine with her. Thus begins what is essentially a two-hour-long car chase. But it isn’t just any car chase, but one that will live long in the annals of cinematic car chase his- tory. Similar to all previous Mad Max films, there is an incredible array of stupendous automobile stunts, but this time the stunts are so unique they are likely never to be repeated on film. I loved the inclusion of the 1959 Cadillacs, the Rolls Royces, 1940s Chevys — all radically and physically modified for transport in the wasteland. With a reported budget of $100 million, it is obvious where they spent it, as Miller’s brilliant vision of what a post-apocalyptic society would look like is fully realized here. And Max? Well, he’s along for the ride, first as a prisoner of Joe’s army of thugs, then as Furiosa’s driv- ing partner as he slashes, punches and kicks his way into her trust. But this isn’t really a film about Max, as Hardy takes what is essentially a supporting role. He doesn’t have very much dialogue, either — mostly grunts and mumbles — and, being Max, he receives as much punishment as he gives. Hardy’s Max is workman-like and he serves the role well, but he doesn’t make me want to forget Gibson. This film is really about the resolve and steely determination of Furiosa in her mission to get her part- ners to the perhaps now-mythical “green place” where she was born, a place where there is real green grass, real trees and fresh water. Theron fits the part perfectly and will likely list this as one of her more effective dramatic roles. • Rated R • Four Stars out of Four THE MOVIE CORNER Larry Thomas Ward Author [email protected] Metro-tainment This section covers May 21 - 27 www.MetropolisPlanet.com May 20, 2015 Page 6B Where life is only about survival

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Transcript of Metro-tainment This section covers May 21 -...

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

I miss Mel Gibson. I don’t miss his unfortunate tirades against others in recent years, but I do miss Gibson’s humorous and earnest take as Martin Riggs in his series of Lethal Weapon films. But mostly I miss him in the Mad Max series, dating back to 1979’s original Mad Max, proceeding to the well-received The Road Warrior and culminating in 1985’s Beyond Thunder-dome, and all directed by George Miller.

But, to my disappointment, Gibson isn’t in this year’s incarnation. Coming in at close to age 60, Gib-son was getting a little long in the tooth for the role, it was rumored. So the new Max Rockatansky is Tom Hardy.

Fury Road essentially picks up where all the other Mad Max movies left off: in the desert wasteland where life is only about survival and nothing more.

The film opens in an area called The Citadel, a cave oasis of sorts, which has high cliffs, hydroponic gardens and a managed water system as a means to control the suffering masses below. Lead by warlord Immortan Joe, his army of barely suppressed maniacal road bandits resemble a gang of crazed asylum es-capees. As expected, as individuals, they’re not much, but as a team, they’re unstoppable cretins with reason and doubt long ago exorcised from their individual existences.

But one member of Joe’s team — one-armed truck driver Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) — wants out, and she wants to take old Joe’s concubine with her. Thus begins what is essentially a two-hour-long car chase. But it isn’t just any car chase, but one that will live long in the annals of cinematic car chase his-tory.

Similar to all previous Mad Max films, there is an incredible array of stupendous automobile stunts, but this time the stunts are so unique they are likely never to be repeated on film. I loved the inclusion of the 1959 Cadillacs, the Rolls Royces, 1940s Chevys — all radically and physically modified for transport in the wasteland. With a reported budget of $100 million, it is obvious where they spent it, as Miller’s brilliant vision of what a post-apocalyptic society would look like is fully realized here.

And Max? Well, he’s along for the ride, first as a prisoner of Joe’s army of thugs, then as Furiosa’s driv-ing partner as he slashes, punches and kicks his way into her trust.

But this isn’t really a film about Max, as Hardy takes what is essentially a supporting role. He doesn’t have very much dialogue, either — mostly grunts and mumbles — and, being Max, he receives as much punishment as he gives.

Hardy’s Max is workman-like and he serves the role well, but he doesn’t make me want to forget Gibson.

This film is really about the resolve and steely determination of Furiosa in her mission to get her part-ners to the perhaps now-mythical “green place” where she was born, a place where there is real green grass, real trees and fresh water. Theron fits the part perfectly and will likely list this as one of her more effective dramatic roles.

• Rated R• Four Stars out of Four

THE MOVIE CORNER

Larry Thomas WardAuthor

[email protected]

Metro-tainmentThis section covers May 21 - 27

6B/tv1

www.MetropolisPlanet.com May 20, 2015Page 6B

Where life is only about survival