Furiosa

I do think Three Thousand Years of Longing went a bit too hard on the ol’ glossy CGI, to the detriment of the film. So I hope Miller has pulled back a bit here. Granted, that was a pandemic production so was a bit more restricted than it might otherwise have been.

But Fury Road was a glorious slice of exaggerated cartoonish excess, and I’m very glad this film seems to be sticking to that. Will reserve judgement on how successful it is til I see it on the big screen.

Bloody excellent IMO. A very different film that Fury Road (though there’s a glorious extended chase in the middle that more than satisfies that itch) but no worse for it. Consider it a variation on what Miller did in that film - something grander yet also more constrained. Hits exactly what you want from a Mad Max film, but does so in a new and intriguing register. Still as absurd and exaggerated as before, but now with a stronger emotional core and righteous quest for vengeance powering it forward.

There’s definitely more CG than Fury Road (which was already full of CG), but looks a lot better in the big screen than the trailers suggested. Retains that bright, cartoonish excess of Fury Road, but Miller’s just a master of the close-up as well (that title shot from the trailer is amazing in context). The only bit that didn’t really work for me in the visual sense was an action scene during the first visit to the Citadel, which looked awkward in some shots. Otherwise, I thought it was an exciting and vibrant bit of filmmaking throughout and a big step up from Three Thousand Years of Longing. TBH, nobody is doing it like George Miller at the moment - just bold, idiosyncratic filmmaking on a huge scale.

What really worked for me was the build up. It feels like the stakes keep ratcheting up throughout, until the Furiosa we recognise from Fury Road finally emerged. The score is really interesting in that regard - less constantly in-your-face than its predecessor, instead building up and building up until it finally erupts during the film’s crescendos.

Taylor Joy is a pitch perfect Furiosa by the end, but there’s a welcome growth to the character over the course of the film. Hemsworth is having the time of his life, and it’s delightful to witness.

Definitely won’t work for everyone, and lacks the constant thrill of Fury Road’s endless chase. But a very welcome return to that world - the same in some respects, but strikingly different in others. A colourful, odd, operatic epic that channels the magic of its predecessors while still finding its own captivating tune and rhythm. Pretty great!