"Mad Max" is the Movie the Summer Needed

Movies that come out during the summer get a lot of undeserved flack. Despite being some of the most anticipated films being released in the year, they've gotten a reputation for being brainless, loud, big budget affairs that are meant to entertain the masses and nothing else (as if that's such a bad thing). Then again, when the marketplace is flooded with seemingly endless Marvel sequels, it's sort of hard not to get bored with what feels like the same thing over and over again.

Enter "Mad Max: Fury Road", a film that's buzz has been deafening since it premiered out of competition at Cannes at the start of the festival. Though technically it is the fourth installment in the "Mad Max" series, there hasn't been a film in 30 years, so it wouldn't be incorrect to say that this is a reboot of sorts. Though it checks every 'summer film' box (huge budget, action/explosions, etc) this is not your average summer film. Though "Mad Max" provides nonstop thrills throughout its brisk two hour running time, there are underlying themes of female empowerment that challenge what we've come to expect from a standard blockbuster, and the medium of film in general.

Though it's been advertised as a starry partnership between Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, this is undoubtedly Theron's film, and she carries it on her shoulders without breaking a sweat.

For those unfamiliar with the original films, the story is set in a post-apocalyptic world; there's desert everywhere, and resources are scarce. The world is ruled by a warlord named Tyrannical Joe, who hogs all of the water and other resources for himself. He cements his power through his various gangs, The War Boys, and imprisons five beautiful women that he uses to breed and keep his line going.

Furiosa (Theron), an oil rig driver in charge of finding more gasoline, rescues the women in hopes of bringing them to 'The Green Place', her childhood home she was kidnapped from. There, the women will be free of the unwanted sexual advances from the tyrannical warlord that's used and abused them for so long.

It's at this time she meets Max (Hardy), who has been imprisoned and used as a 'blood bag' for sick members of the War Boys. Max teams up with Furiosa after she frees him, agreeing to help drive the rig and help carry the women away from the approaching gang set on bring them back.

What's so refreshing about "Mad Max" is that even though most of the film is several action driven car chases, director George Miller manages to use the sheer ferocity and gratuitous violence to keep you invested in what's happening. But the action is not a crutch the film uses to rest on; the quieter moments (the best shared between Theron and Hardy) manage to be every bit as interesting as the explosions and car crashes. There's not really even a lot of gore, rather, excellent sound editing and camera work tell, rather than show, which proves to be very effective.

Not to mention, it's a really gorgeous film. Though set in a barren wasteland devoid of any kind of hope or resources, the color palette is anything but bleak. It's a wonder how anyone was able to excavate any kind of beauty from this grim world, but seriously, even the action scenes are rendered amazingly.

Theron really does deserve a lot of credit for selling the film; it's hard to imagine the role in anyone's hands but hers. Though there is a lot we don't know about Furiosa, Theron manages to give us everything we need, sometimes in wordless glances, or shrieks of pain; it deserves to be chalked up as some of her best work, right next to her Oscar winning performance in "Monster" and the should have been nominated "Young Adult". That's not meant to undermine Hardy, however, who completes the duo with a formidable, sometimes silent performance. He and Theron are one of the most entertaining action duos in recent history...

... Which brings me to my next point. The film has been labeled as a feminist action film, and I just want to echo that point. Aside from being a showcase for Theron's charisma as an action star, there are many other takeaways that empower women. For one thing, there is not an underwritten female role in the film; even the secondary female characters manage to be present enough to add something to the narrative. And while Furiosa and many of the other women fight back against the men, the film does not punish the women who do not fight for being 'weak'.

'The Five Wives'

On the contrary, the 'Five Wives' (played by Zoë Kravitz, Courtney Eaton, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee and Riley Cough), though not possessing all of the physical strength that their male opponents may have, they use their wits to be active members of their own escape; they're not damsels in distress by any means. It is because of them that the oil rig driven by Furiosa is able to withstand much of the attacks by the War Boys; the wives are the ones keeping up with the repairs, and fixing much of what's broken. It's so great to see a film that celebrates women of different backgrounds, ages and with different abilities. In the world Miller and his team have created, women are given the very rare opportunity to break outside the confines of femininity that our society has created for them. There is no 'right' way to be a strong female in this world, and it's a much needed breath of fresh air.

Hopefully "Mad Max" is a step that many other directors and screenwriters will use as a way to craft thought provoking entertainment. There's something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're a fan of big budget blockbusters or not, I can assure you that "Mad Max" will manage to excite you in every way imaginable. I'm already planning on when I can see it again.

Grade: A+