Mad Max: Fury Road

Every year I see dozens of films in the cinema and many more at home, and only some of the new ones leave me with the feeling that I've watched something special; something that will be talked about in ten years. Fortunately, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of those. The trailers didn't bullshit, this is a brutal action ride from start to finish. When George Miller said his film was going to be one big chase, he wasn't lying. Even more interesting than the action itself, however, which is exquisite, thrilling and visually original, is what surrounds it. The director of Happy Feet has managed to make a new Mad Max that must satisfy fans of the trilogy and newcomers alike. Fury Road is an almost physically uncomfortable film. Whereas other post-apocalyptic films usually have clearly defined good and evil, here there is only madness, and thanks to some of the characters (Nicholas Hoult gets a career-best role) it's almost palpable. It's a cruel world with bizarre rules, fascinating and repulsive at the same time. Good doesn't exist, evil doesn't exist either, all that's left is a fierce fight for survival. And you will be right in the middle of it. Mad Max grabs you at the beginning, then thrills you, disgusts you, horrifies you and fascinates you all the time. And by the end of it, you'll feel like you've seen something special. Not just entertaining or interesting, but truly exceptional. (14/05/2015)

After cardiac resuscitation I am back and can write my feelings. Mad Max: Fury Road is frantic and adrenaline-fueled to the point where all other movies seem old-fashioned and incredibly slow. Intensity, insanity, extravagant ideas, filthiness, and breakneck pace are superlatives that clearly describe this film. There was absolutely no need for a more complex story here, the film has plenty to surprise you, it evokes emotion and hatred, you can't breathe during the action scenes and only wipe your brow during minor moments of calm, take a sip of Coke and before you know it you're back in suspense, stressed and dodging great 3D effects. There hasn't been a better post-apocalyptic road movie in years (I'm deliberately not mentioning the action genre because The Raid 2 is the best). 98% without a doubt. 2% off, because I was hoping that the film would be much more of a butchery as promised, but it didn't happen. (17/05/2015)

I have not seen such a crazy movie in a while. It almost looks as if George Miller shot his craziest dream the way he’s seen it and lived through it. Nobody talked into it, nobody interfered with it and he just did it exactly the way he wanted. You can feel the madness, helplessness and despair of the post-apocalyptic world even two thousand light years far from you. When it comes to acting, Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult and Charlize Theron are a sure bet. Nevertheless, some moments in the movie were so crazy that I was not able to process them and the only thing I was left with after those scenes was a bewildered face which still could not comprehend what it had seen. However, one thing is for certain. I have not seen such a well-filmed action, where digital effects fade in comparison to the real action ride, in a long time. If I even saw anything like that in this millennium. Hard to say. I think I didn’t. (20/05/2015)

Thirty years is a long time, and George Miller has left the original Mad Max far behind. Not only is Mel Gibson surprisingly sorely missed, given that Tom Hardy's hesitant grumbling moments simply don't work at all, but Fury Road draws on the worst of the echoes of the original trilogy. Namely, the usual bizarreness, flatness of characters, and the fact that it's mostly just about one city and its fate. The fact that this time it's done in a grandiose way through to the last shot results in an audiovisual delight led by a breathtaking motorcycle raid, but without at least one truly interesting character, it's a massacre that simply doesn't mean anything to me outside the basic action layer. (27/05/2015)

With characters defined by their looks, makeup and costumes, Fury Road is a super cool, non-stop action ride with amazing drive that pretends to have some sort of plot. The experienced George Miller has adapted the trends of contemporary blockbusters (a deafening audiovisual aspect that’s more important than the storyline) into a distinct vision of a post-apocalyptic world (with which perhaps someone else can find an emotional connection?), fitting it with dozens of clever details that are insignificant for the story, but turn the movie as a whole (together with the over-the top drive I’ve already mentioned) into a unique film entertainment product. The close-up of a head rising from the sand is the shot of the year. (23/05/2015)