Mad Max: Fury Road (*****)

Mad Max leaps off the screen with such vitality that it’s surprising the movie is oftentimes described as a mere action flick. Going in solely on word-of-mouth rave reviews and expecting it to be far from my cup of tea, I was thrilled to leave the theater having seen a truly great movie and easily the best of the year thus far.

The plot is minimal and one of the keys to the movie’s success. It’s a post-apocalyptic setting (I’m sure many are better learned on this film series, as this is my viewing of any of the "Mad Max" pictures) and water is scarce. Humanity is driven to basic instincts: to survive or die in the harshest of settings. The majority of people flock to an oasis in the middle of nowhere; a small canyon where Immortan Joe (their ruler) supplies water with blatant disregard. He and his family of inbreds live at the top of a cliff, overlooking the valley below and overseeing rations.

Joe sends out a convoy to bring back gasoline to their city, a journey helmed by Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). However, she betrays orders and kidnaps the wives of their leader, hoping to free them from imprisonment and return to a land she knew as a child. Upon word of her betrayal, Immortan Joe and his army attempts to reclaim them for his own and bring them back into captivity.

It’s simple enough and characters aren’t overly elaborate in their goals. The point of a movie like this isn’t the plot, anyways; it’s the action, and wow does it deliver. As the majority of the movie is spent with characters behind the wheel, the portions of chase scenes are plentiful, and all mostly done with practical effects, no less. The camerawork is memorable and effective in that we never lose track of who is who and where the bad guys are at a given moment.

And then there’s Max, himself, played by a willful (if not quiet) Tom Hardy. Surprisingly, his role in the film is more a supporting one, and his scenes in the film are mostly overshadowed by Furiosa, played marvelously by Theron as a woman who needs no one to survive and still holds on to a sliver of hope that life can get better. Hugh Keays-Byrne rounds out the trifecta as Immortan Joe, one of the most sinister villains in a while; both menacing and compelling.

The realization of this future dystopia is complete and awe-inspiring, with everything from giant turning wheels to the vehicle design entirely innovative. The film moves with a kinetic energy that oftentimes results in sloppy editing or a rough feel when watching, and yet the movie truly has few flaws to be found.

Movies are rarely perfect, and it’s difficult to find many movies that are so creative on so many levels. Mad Max is not a perfect movie, but with a spectacular concept and a brilliant execution, who’s to say there is any place to fault it?

(Awards potential: Best Director, Best Actress (Theron), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing)