Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Set in an apocalyptic Australian landscape, a young female child (Ayla Browne, just marvelous) is kidnapped and taken to a camp of biker hordes where their leader (Chris Hemsworth) takes a liking to her. This is just the beginning of a decades long wait to execute an act of vengeance. A prequel to MAD MAX: FURY ROAD directed by George Miller (THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK), who has directed all the Mad Max films (this is the fifth entry). It took awhile for me to get into the movie but once I did, I was riveted. Browne eventually morphs into Anya Taylor Joy (who doesn't come into the movie until its second hour) and she's marvelous too. The film is CGI heavy but the CGI effects are very well done and not distracting. I think it was a mistake to make Hemsworth's character so "campy" (it takes away from his vileness) though given some of his dialog, I suppose that was the only way to play it. Incredibly, the film was a box office failure (it had a $168,000,000 budget) in spite of sterling reviews which would indicate the end of the franchise but we'll see. All in all, a most satisfying prequel: intense, thrilling and beautifully crafted. With Tom Burke, Lachy Hulme (playing two roles), Nathan Jones and Charlee Fraser.