Mad Max: Fury Road

[jye4ever]

Oh come on....

You're right about the dog though. I forgot about the dog. It was used to humanize Max. A bit cheesy but it worked. Best part was him eating the dog food; Max not the dog.

Yup, great stuff.

But ultimately you blokes are correct, i'm not being fair to this movie if i'm trying to squeeze in a continuity that the director himself said wasn't part of the plan.

I just need to James Bond it and accept it for what it is, a modern day action masterpiece the same way RW was back in 1982. Or maybe not.

Raiders 81
RW 82

An interesting vibe that I got from this movie (which I guess is a bit of an extension of Thunderdome) is that the apocalypse has gone on long enough that there are no "regular" people anymore. Every group they come across, including old ladies, are battle hardened badasses. Because if you aren't a warrior or someone's slave you're long dead at this point.

Well said.

I only own 8 shotgun shells, I would make it in the wasteland approximately 8 seconds which is how long it would take me to load one shell.

 

[Khev]

they're all driving in these desolate, arid areas with almost no former towns or cities to be seen, so. . .?

I know you're saying that jokingly but I don't think I'd want the Mad Max series to explore former urban centers and things. They'd assumedly be around but it just wouldn't feel right to see them leave the desert. Kind of like the Terminator future war. Obviously once a day the sun comes up but it just felt kind of wrong to me to see all those daytime scenes in Salvation.

 

[batfan08]

I can't believe this nice old dude played that creepy mother****er.

The best part about it is that all of the patches and stuff make it seem like he's some sort of Bizarro Immortan Joe.

 

[Rotfish]

Loved it. Go feminism. Want figures.

 

[Prime Clone]

They can also fix any machine and car -- where do they get all these spare parts?

Note that they're all retro cars without electronic ignition. Gotta keep it simple when you're improvisin'.

 

[Medusoid]

Loved it. Go feminism. Want figures.

I would die if Hot Toys made a Furiosa figure.

 

[Rotfish]

Didn't really feel any feminist vibes. Not sure why all these reviews are bringing it up. You had those huge cows being used for lactation. Those brides being used for nothing but reproduction. Those female warriors getting killed brutally left and right. That doesn't really scream empowerment to me.


I thought Furiosa was a great, strong character, not because she was a woman, but because she was written and acted extremely well. Didn't matter what gender she was for me.

I guess because the story involved women 'fighting back' but I didn't have a problem with it. Seems as worthwhile a story as any. And Furiosa is a cool character without it seeming forced and pandering.

Like DiFab said, the characters are strongly written women who've learned to hold their own in the apocalypse.

The only people walking away and thinking this is truly a feminist agenda are insecure as ****.

Well, what is feminism truly? Forget about the defensive men or faux feminists who take it too far. The goal of real feminism is equality and the elimination of society-dictated gender roles that damage both men and women. This movie succeeds not only because it has strong female characters, but because it does not hesitate to make mincemeat or heroes out of either sex. DiFabio actually says it all right here:

I thought Furiosa was a great, strong character, not because she was a woman, but because she was written and acted extremely well. Didn't matter what gender she was for me.

That's the point of real feminism right there. It's not that they're strongly-written women. Whatever sex they are doesn't even matter when you're watching it. They're strongly-written people and anyone can have their moments of badassery and weakness.
Yes, women are also used like cattle in the film and there is a totally blatant patriarchy in control of everything, but if you want to read into it, you could call that representative of an old system that needs to [and will] change.

I don't support anyone who wants to place themselves above anyone else due to sex, race, orientation, religion, etc. Just trying to remove the stigma around the concept of feminism because the real idea, the one that's unfortunately been tainted in the eyes of many people, is precisely what DiFabio said. Don't let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

In most societies including ours, there have been patriarchies at play for so long that they're hard to recognize -- until you see a movie like this. Follow up Fury Road by looking at nearly every other Hollywood blockbuster. Anyone wonder why they all put their men and women in specific roles? Why they're not as interchangeable as they are here? It's not because filmmakers are actively trying to oppress or categorize anyone. It's that our expectations and ideas have been reinforced and perpetuated for so many years that we don't even notice it when we make or see movies. It's an unfortunate part of our culture and there's nothing wrong about observing and bringing it up with maturity.

 

[Xenoburger_]

The more I think about this film the more I see just how similar it is to the originals (Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome)

Max going about his business, trying to survive, doing what he does, then he gets caught up in someone else's crusade and decides to tag along because in the beginning he needs them, and later his humanity shows and he knows that staying to help these people is the right thing to do, then at the end he drifts off alone in the sunset.

Overall I really liked the movie, but I don't think it's as good as everyone says. There was one scene that made me cringe, which was near the end when

Spoiler

Max is setting up the blood transfusion for Furiosa, and he's just randomly mumbling things under his voice and you can't hear a ****ing word he's saying. It just felt so awkward and out of character.

I'm still bummed that Mel wasn't back as Max, and since Max wasn't a love interest or anything I don't think Mel's age would have mattered.

I'm excited for sequels, and I hope they bring Mel back as Max. Maybe he's Tom Hardy's father? Maybe Tom Hardy "killed" him and took his name? Or maybe we just forget about Hardy and there's no explanation?

If they don't bring Mel back, I think they should go the Bond route, and I think this is the perfect character to do that with. Hardy wasn't bad, but I don't have much interest in seeing him back as Max.

Once again, the guitar-playing driver and his car were incredibly badass. That just made the movie for me. It was so out-of-this-world ridiculous, but it totally made sense for that bat-**** crazy group/tribe.

 

[Deckard]

Well, what is feminism truly? Forget about the defensive men or faux feminists who take it too far. The goal of real feminism is equality and the elimination of society-dictated gender roles that damage both men and women. This movie succeeds not only because it has strong female characters, but because it does not hesitate to make mincemeat or heroes out of either sex. DiFabio actually says it all right here:



That's the point of real feminism right there. Yes, women are also used like cattle in the film and there is a totally blatant patriarchy in control of everything, but if you want to read into it, you could call that indicative of an old system that needs to [and will] change.

I don't support anyone who wants to place themselves above anyone else due to sex, race, orientation, religion, etc. Just trying to remove the stigma around the concept of feminism because the real idea, the one that's been tainted in the eyes of an unfortunately large number of people, is precisely what DiFabio said.

What I, and I assume the others are talking about, is that there are actually men's civil rights groups calling for boycotts of the movie due to radical feminism that they see as damaging. They think the movie is trying to promote a women over men agenda. I don't see it that way so much as like you and I said, they are just portrayed as equals. It's nothing new, really, just not as common. When Valkyrie got run down towards the end, it reminded me of Adrienne Barbeau from Escape From New York. Besides all that, strong women aren't new here. The old ladies prove it, but even more so, Aunty from Thunderdome proves it.

 

[Rotfish]

What I, and I assume the others are talking about, is that there are actually men's civil rights groups calling for boycotts of the movie due to radical feminism that they see as damaging. They think the movie is trying to promote a women over men agenda. I don't see it that way so much as like you and I said, they are just portrayed as equals. It's nothing new, really, just not as common. When Valkyrie got run down towards the end, it reminded me of Adrienne Barbeau from Escape From New York. Besides all that, strong women aren't new here. The old ladies prove it, but even more so, Aunty from Thunderdome proves it.

I totally agree. It's not a new concept, just something we don't see a lot of.

And, heh heh... "men's rights" groups. I heard about that story and it made me simultaneously cringe and laugh. The only thing this movie damages is the idea that we can be seen as people and not as men and women with specific, gender-determined capabilities. The beauty of Fury Road is that it doesn't draw attention to that 'element.' Because it's not an element and it shouldn't be. In a perfect world, those groups wouldn't think anything out of the ordinary was going on, but most actioners don't play out that way and it's unfortunate. Hell, often times you'll have a token female character that feels thrown in to achieve some sort of artificial 'balance' -- but even that, in a way, is a sexist way to make a movie. Brings to mind the idea of some kids deliberately seeking out friends of a different ethnicity so they can call themselves cultured.

Overall I really liked the movie, but I don't think it's as good as everyone says. There was one scene that made me cringe, which was near the end when...

I saw that as Hardy's particular take on Max. After all he's been through, he has to be somewhat unstable. Thank goodness that what little sanity he's lost manifests in anxious social quirks and nothing truly insane (like Joe's boys).

 

[fosing]

...men's civil rights groups calling for boycotts of the movie due to radical feminism that they see as damaging.

really!? those azzhats are not worthy of having a pair of BALLS.

#witness

that spiked jalopy, that's how i feel about mondays.

 

[Khev]

Regarding the "girl power" vibe of this movie (whether or not you want to call it feminism) the more I think about it the more I'm actually glad that Max didn't take out Immortan Joe or his hulking son. Even though he was initially captured by warboys he and Joe weren't really these big archenemies. The fight was between Joe and the ladies, and the best thing Max could have done was simply supporting the girls in taking out their oppressor. If one guy had just come and killed another guy that was bothering them then the ladies wouldn't have been as cool IMO.

I had forgotten that Thunderdome was PG-13. I can't believe they allowed Miller to make a 150 million dollar R-rated popcorn movie.

 

[Adolfo]

Yup, great stuff.

But ultimately you blokes are correct, i'm not being fair to this movie if i'm trying to squeeze in a continuity that the director himself said wasn't part of the plan.

I just need to James Bond it and accept it for what it is, a modern day action masterpiece the same way RW was back in 1982. Or maybe not.

Raiders 81
RW 82





Well said.

I only own 8 shotgun shells, I would make it in the wasteland approximately 8 seconds which is how long it would take me to load one shell.

I was lucky enough to see Mad Mad II in Australia...back in 1981.. In fact it wasn't called the Road Warrior only MM2 until 1982 for international release if memory serves me correctly

 

[jye4ever]

That's awesome, I saw it here in the US in 82, my mind was blown away by it back then and even now

 

[Khev]

The original Mad Max was released theatrically in the US in 1980 and featured Hugh Keays-Byrne playing a bad guy who ran over a mother and child. The last time Han Solo and Chewbacca were seen inside the Millennium Falcon was also 1980.

Go 2015, long live 1980!

Now where are the ****ing Blues Brothers??

 

[jye4ever]

I just finished BT, haven't watched it since the theatrical release.

Watching it 30 years later certainly provides quite a different experience.

Not as bad as it was in 85 post RW for me, the end chase is longer than what I remember, but still the weakest of the 4.

2 great stunts from that chase, both involving the character with the white mask head piece.

Him jumping from his mini pump train to other vehicles one after the other, and the other him hanging off the train lifting his legs over the road posts.

But other than the one kid dying in the sand, which everyone quickly forgot about by the next scene, this was definately the most family friendly version of the series.

No one is allowed to die, no bad guys or good guys, no matter how many cars flip over.

New movie much more brutal than BT and it makes complete sense why people are saying that FR is BT done the right way.

BT was about saving a midget engineer who could create alternative energy and helping children escape the desert, even though that was a pretty decent oasis they had going there.

FR was about saving child bearing women and freeing enslaved people worshiping a false leader.

But BT, Aunty remained in control of Bartertown where IJ died and lost the Citadel to the protagonists.

Aunty was never really a villain, nowhere near the level of IJ .

So 30 years later, my core problem with BT are not the Ewok children, but that there were no villains to hate! Even Blaster was a lovely down syndrome guy.

The chase at the end never felt threatening like the chases in RW/FR.

The chase in BT was all done for comedic effect.

Then it ends with Aunty singing to Max "We don't need another hero".

Max's biggest foe in BT was GM trying to do something different by making this a kid friendly affair for greater box office exposure.

Max never even exhibited any demons or conflicts in the movie other than choosing to not kill Blaster.

My wife wants to watch BT before going to FR, i'll watch it with her but after that it will be another 30 years before I ever watch it again.

Shame that Mel ended his MM career with BT.

FR will be my reminder that BT killed MM and the franchise was reborn with grand style, even w/o Mel at the helm.

 

[Khev]

jye your assessment of Thunderdome is one of the main reasons I couldn't picture Fury Road as a true sequel to it while I was watching it. The presence of the Interceptor was pretty much the only thing that seemed to overwrite Road Warrior, but his character was just so different than goody goody Thunderdome Max.

I agree that overall Thunderdome was pretty weak but like you said the guy lifting his legs above the bars was just insane. And I still get goosebumps every time Max's truck comes into frame in front of the fleeing plane, cheesy or not.

Some of Fury Road's character arcs are surprisingly poignant. The one War Boy who joins them who is just living to die for his own personal glory and then ends up instead sacrificing himself just to help a friend he just made possibly have a better life. And I love how it all feels like so much "future 80's." Where the "feminism" plays out in the form of battlefield heroics. That chick who is sniping bad guys off the back of dune buggies until she gets run over from behind: BAD ASS. It's like they're all the women of Kyle Reese's future. "Good fighters." Heck Max and Furiosa are practically the Hicks and Ripley of the 21st Century (look out Blomkamp!) And no, karamazov, I'm not saying Fury Road is better than ALIENS so RELAX.

I liked that his survivalist behavior trumped being sexist or macho. Can't make the shot? Give it to the chick who can. Done (though I would have expected that allowing a rifle to discharge right next to your ear would have had SOME effects, but eh.)

I will say that as much as I love AoU a film like Fury Road is just a reminder of what even a popcorn movie looks like when guided by a true cinematic mastermind.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Now where are the ****ing Blues Brothers??

I hear John Goodman is getting the band back together.

 

[karamazov80]

I hear John Goodman is getting the band back together.

Please no. We've suffered enough already.

 

[Khev]

I love that after years and years of Michael Bay and Fast and Furious flicks Miller just comes back and takes them all to school.

I enjoyed Sucker Punch (yep, I'm one of the five) and even I have to wince at how embarrassing Snyder's approach to "girl empowerment" was compared to Miller's.