'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' film review: Unearthing the fury within Furiosa
The action-packed, trauma-fueled revenge prequel 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (in theaters starting May 24) reveals how industrious young Furiosa became a trusted and battle hardened Imperator in the wasteland.
In short: Before she was the trusted Imperator Furiosa, she was an orphaned child shaped by various bloodthirsty dictators vying for power and resources. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke and Lachy Hulme also star.
Despite being set in the chaotic and lawless world of 'Mad Max,' 'Furiosa' is a very different film from 'Fury Road,' The 2015 flick is hailed as one of the great action movies because of its straightforward plot - as it's essentially a two-hour chase sequence that takes place over days. But 'Furiosa' spans years to reveal how the wasteland shaped her from a girl into a warrior - resulting in a film that is almost entirely character focused squarely on Furiosa herself, a stark contrast to the plot-driven 'Fury Road.'
When 'Furiosa' elects to go full action flick, this movie fully commits to establishing itself as the best action flick of 2024. 'Fury Road' fans expecting another endless stream of jaw-dropping set pieces should lower their expectations, however, as much of the movie is much more intent on focusing on Furiosa's emotional journey rather than just a literal journey from point A to point B. Although 'Furiosa' is less action focused than 'Fury Road,' when 'Furiosa' goes full action flick, it goes hard. It's worthy the IMAX upgrade.
Although Anya Taylor-Joy is prominently featured on the movie poster, young actress Alyla Browne portrays Furiosa as a child for a significant chunk of the movie. Young Furiosa endures the horrors of the wasteland for almost 45 minutes before the film transitions to young adult Furiosa (played by Taylor-Joy). And both actresses deserve all the credit for their harrowing turns as a young woman shaped by the worst narcissists vying for control of the food, gas and bullets in the wasteland. At its core, 'Furiosa' is a story of one girl's survival against all odds and pursuit of revenge, and it's so painfully effective due to the stirring performances by Browne and Taylor-Joy as the future Imperator.
For all the film's strengths, the fact that 'Furiosa' is so singularly connected to 'Fury Road' is not great. The strongest films stand on their own - even if they are sequels or prequels. While this is true for 90 percent of 'Furiosa,' writer-director George Miller cannot help but connect so many dots that explains Furiosa's choices and motivations in 'Fury Road.' Thematically establishing Furiosa's philosophies is one thing - but 'Furiosa' goes to great lengths to set up 'Fury Road' and apparently just 'Fury Road.'
Final verdict: 'Furiosa' is a high-octane, jaw-dropping ride with a powerful protagonist firmly at the wheel of this personal, revenge-fueled entry into the ‘Mad Max’ world.
Score: 4/5
'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' is in theaters nationwide starting May 24. This animated comedy has a runtime of 148 minutes and is rated R for sequences of strong violence, and grisly images.
