‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ goes all out

In 1979, director George Miller gave audiences a film unlike anyone had ever seen before: the post-apocalyptic action thriller Mad Max. This was the film that not only mad Mel Gibson a star, but it revolutionized a majority of the stunt work seen in the car chases of most modern movies.

However, as technology has advanced over the years, some filmmakers have become lazy and have relied far too much on special effects in order to create suspenseful action sequences. Thankfully, Mad Max: Fury Road throws back to the glory days of authentic stunt work and ends up being a great deal of fun.

Raging into theaters on May 15, the film stars Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, a mysterious drifter who’s on the run from a group of maniacal racers. As he becomes imprisoned, he meets Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a woman who seeks to overthrow the tyrannical society she lives in. As the two escape their oppressors and become refugees, along with a group of women, they attempt to survive the psychotic vehicles that chase them.

The film’s biggest strength is its overall simplicity. Dialogue is kept to a minimal and the story is extremely uncomplicated, which truly amplifies the extravagance of the action. The story is essentially one big chase, nothing more, nothing less. The film knows its intentions and focuses being on something it should be rather than something it shouldn’t be; this is an adrenaline-filled action extravaganza rather than a story-driven tale.

There isn’t really much else to say about the film, which isn’t  to say that it doesn’t have plenty of great attributes. Mad Max; Fury Road doesn’t attempt to overachieve in any way, which is extremely refreshing. The performances are great, the score is tremendous and the action sequences are wonderfully exhilarating. All Mad Max: Fury Road wants to be is an incredibly enjoyable action movie, and it ends up being just that.