“Do you have it in you to make it epic?”
Australian filmmaker George Miller returns to the sun-scorched, dystopian wasteland of his storied “Max Max” saga with “Furiosa” — a prequel to 2015’s smashing critical success and game-changing six-time Oscar winner “Fury Road.”
While it may lack the technical novelty that skyrocketed its predecessor into a sci-fi classic, “Furiosa” still boasts spectacular action sequences, hellish world-building and diabolical revenge. In an industry overflowing with prequels, sequels, remakes and reboots, Miller’s latest is among cinema’s most refreshing and ridiculous.
The story takes place several years before the events of “Fury Road,” tracing the perilous journey of a young Furiosa (Alyla Browne/Anya Taylor-Joy) who is snatched from her abundant homeworld by the Warlord Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Thrust into a turf war between two tyrants, Furiosa must survive and advance, hoping to find her way home eventually.
While slightly disorganized and repetitive, its simple narrative is nonetheless incredibly epic. Browne, opposite Hemsworth, helms the entire first act, supplying the remainder of the film with a brutal revenge arc. With limited dialogue throughout, Miller emphasizes production over story and action over character.
Structurally, “Furiosa” is divided into distinct chapters, diverting significant chunks of time away from major characters. Its episodic nature occasionally screws with the pace, resulting in a less fluid experience than its predecessor. And being a prequel, the stakes feel decidedly smaller.
Though she doesn’t make her first appearance until around halfway through, Taylor-Joy delivers a quiet, cutthroat performance. It might lack the heart of Charlize Theron’s show-stealing interpretation in “Fury Road,” but it still embodies the badass desert warrior with poise. She’s brutal, gritty, confident and having the time of her life.
Hemsworth goes for broke in an utterly outrageous villain performance, meshing his Marvel charisma with maniacal rage. Despite a distracting prosthetic nose, his presence throttles the screen with riotous energy. Some might find it campy and exaggerated, but I found it absurdly entertaining.
Once again, Miller crafts an environment riddled with stunning apocalyptic costumes, makeup and vehicles. Large-scale action set pieces house intricately designed characters and high-octane stunt choreography. It’s fast, loud, dusty and unrelenting — a flaming-hot representation of what the modern action blockbuster can achieve.
Visually, “Furiosa” is a humongous mixed bag. The majority of the film looks excellent, particularly when it sticks to practical effects. However, some of the CGI is shockingly poor. Where “Fury Road” felt astonishingly realistic, “Furiosa” feels distractingly artificial. Luckily, these issues primarily float to the surface during the film’s slower moments, which are few and far between.
“Furiosa” doesn’t catch lightning in a bottle like its predecessor, but it’s still a fantastic addition to the “Mad Max” catalog. Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth’s endlessly watchable tandem combines with a densely packed spectacle in one of the finest prequels ever.
