Mad Max: Fury Road Reactions

We watched the Mad Max: Fury Road trailer and these are our thoughts.

Jon: “My name is Max. My world is fire and blood.”

First, let me say I love The Road Warrior. No, I take that back. Love does not express how I feel about The Road Warrior. It was one of the first movies I remember seeing as a youngster. It wasn’t on release day or on the big screen, but a small television in the family den. It didn’t matter, The Road Warrior had had me from the start. Everything from the action, the explosions, the Feral Kid, Lord Humungus to Mel Gibson saying, “You want of here? You talk to me” kept me pinned in my seat until the credits finished. Even to this day if someone talks to me during a screening of The Road Warrior I’ll throw a metal boomerang at them.

So, one would expect I would hate a remake (please, for the love of all that’s holy, do not call it a “reboot.”) of a classic film near and dear to me. One would be wrong. Way wrong.

First, this isn’t just a remake a Hollywood studio is making and attached some director to recreate. George Miller, the original writer and director, is back in both roles. That’s enough for me to know Mad Max: Fury Road isn’t going to stink up the theater. Then there is Tom Hardy filling Mel Gibson’s shoes. I haven’t seen a movie Hardy has been in that I thought he did a bad job. So, right now, Mad Max is batting two-for-two. But let’s look at the trailer.

Except for the voice overs and Nicholas Hoult’s one crazy line there are no speaking parts in the trailer so I can only judge the action. The trailer is over the top car smashing action that harkens back to the original film. Of course, bigger explosions and CGI don’t hurt. It’s total chaos from the start, it’s a white line nightmare. Pure awesomeness!

It doesn’t seem Miller has changed the story from the original. We can tell from the beginning voice over Miller kept with the original premise of oil and water running out being the reason the world went crazy. To me, that has always made more sense than a nuclear exchange between powers. If I am looking at this correctly Miller has turned the ragtag band with the tanker into an all-female group. Lord Humungus, if we are to assume the man with the white face paint and metal on his face is Humungus, got a makeover. The trailer also leads us to believe that Max is getting a tanker from point A to point B. So the story has remained the same with tweaks here and there.

Some folks would say there is no need to remake the Road Warrior. Based on the trailer, I would disagree with them. It’s been a long time since there has been an action movie with some depth and emotion. This time around I will be there on opening day.

 

Mike: The Mad Max: Fury Road trailer looks bat-shit insane. Explosions and weird looking characters made this trailer more entertaining than any action flick I’ve seen recently.

It looks like a non-stop roller coaster of explosions and madness. That’s exactly what I’m looking for in an action movie. Hell, just the trailer by itself set the bar for what other action movies should do. (Hear that, Terminator: Genisys?)

Other than the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer, this is the only preview I’ve seen that makes me want to give a movie studio the $20 to go see it. Hell, I’ll even shell out for the 3D version. With so many car and body parts flying around, I can’t imagine why anyone would pass on that.

I’m not concerned about the story because it’s Mad Max. The first two movies are focused on the action, and Fury Road looks to be no different. The only way this can falter is if they take themselves, and I’m assuming the ludicrous plot, too serious. That’s the downfall to action flicks.

It’s like being in a gentlemen’s club (so I’m told). I’m there to see one thing, and the employees are there to take the money spent . Let’s not make this awkward with a backstory or involved plot.

Tom Hardy is also one of my favorite actors. He’s done a bangup job as Bane in the Dark Knight Returns, and if you haven’t seen him in Bronson, then do yourself a favor and watch that. Stop what you’re doing and see if it’s on Netflix or Amazon Prime. A wild movie based on actual events and an actual convicted felon in the British prison system.

The only concern I have for Mad Max: Fury Road, is the balance between traditional special effects and CGI. There’s a balance between the two. Too much CGI and it looks phony because we haven’t passed the Uncanny Valley. Technology is close to bridging that gap, but it’s not there yet.

After watching this, I have two movies marked down on my calendar I WILL go and see: Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Mad Max: Fury Road.

Andy: I am going to openly admit that I have never seen the original Mad Max movies. Therefore, I am looking at this purely from the perspective of a stand alone movie.

I was excited to see what was to come from this movie as it has one of my favorite actors in Hollywood right now – Tom Hardy – and his roles as Bane and Bronson are both among the best things out there. Also, Charlize Theron is a very underrated actress.  It was hard for me to get excited about the directing and writing as I have not seen the originals, but they are on my list.

However, as far as the trailer goes, there is only one word to describe it – FIRE! Seriously, the trailer is a two and half minute continuous explosion. If you don’t know the story, like me, what was I supposed to glean from this trailer? I hear we are fighting over oil and then water, and then BOOM! the two and a half minute bomb goes off.

I do get the pleasure of enjoying Charlize Theron in their attempt to combine Sinead O’Connor and Tank Girl into one entity. Why do women feel the need to shave their head in a post apocalyptic world?

 

I still plan on watching the movie because I have read about the plot and it does seem interesting. However, if I were to take this trailer as the only thing I have to figure out if I am going to see this movie, I would probably pass. The trailer gives me nothing except fire.