IMDb Top 250 Journey: Mad Max Fury Road

Anyone looking to get into movies has most likely heard of IMDb's Top 250: a list of what the site's users consider to be the best movies ever made. Yes I know, it is a hugely flawed list, but it's the best starting point for anyone with a developing taste in movies. Why? Because it is a surprisingly good measure of how likely you are to enjoy a movie. In any case, I will be reviewing every movie on the list, and you are invited to tag along with me. Let's see how good this list really is. Alright, I will be starting from the most recent member on the list, which is Mad Max Fury Road at #103, and a score of 8.3. Let's do this.

 

Immediate thoughts?

Exhilarating. Loud. Over-the-top. Absurd. A. LOT. OF. ACTION.

 

Go on...

Right off the bat I have to admit my first Fury Road viewing was not as good as I expected, especially considering all the hype. But, I watched it again, for this review, and it was much better. Much much better. Fury Road is the poster-child of modern action movies. Truly. I can already see film-makers and lovers making it a must-see as far as the action genre is concerned; it is that good. 

Fury Road has a basic (read no) storyline, and there isn't much dialogue either. It still is entertaining, no doubt about that, but as a drama, this movie would suck. But thankfully, it isn't a drama. It is an action movie - one with everything else distilled from it, to form an action movie as pure as there can be. And that's the point. Everything good about Fury Road is in the action. It's insane, gritty, absurdly cool, and most importantly: non-stop.Endless, no-holds-barred action, people; In other words, exactly what we've been dreaming of.

Fury Road also gives as an awesome character to root for, though surprisingly it's not Mad Max himself, but Charlize Theron's Furiosa. And man is she badass. She completely owns the movie. The other characters are all good too, not as complex or deep as, once again, you'll find in good drama movies, but everything feeds so perfectly into the action that you can't complain. It's just hard to fault Fury Road really, it's the kind of movie where you'd find the average Joe appreciating even the 'technical' aspects of it. However, yes, it does have some issues. For one the action can get too much, especially if that's not your kind of thing, and the movie is incredibly loud and overbearing at its worst. There's also some pretty disturbing images - deformities, horrid deaths, stuff that can make you cringe -  so if that ticks you off, then prepare yourself. Aside that, I'm sure you'll agree it's a pretty awesome movie.

 

But was it well made?

Yeah, I loved cinematographer John Seale's searingly saturated landscape - the orange day and blue night - it was eye candy.  Junkie XL's score was also a perfect match, with its ever-present drums and electric guitars, keeping the action alive and pumping. The editing is noteworthy as well; the film is sped-up and slowed-down unabashedly - much to my utter delight. And the stunts ...Look, I'm saying too much: the action is spectacularly well-done. Close to perfection. Nothing anyone can say about that.      

 

Final thoughts

Have you ever got to the end of an action sequence and gone like: "That was insane! I could watch that scene for the next two hours!" ? Well, I have good news for you. An Australian mastermind/madman thought the exact same thing, and made it happen in the form of 'Mad Max: Fury Road'. And he did a swell job - Fury Road deserves its spot on the list. Not only that, but it more or less serves as template, a proof-of-concept, for how action movies can and should be made, which is its crowning achievement. 

My Score : 9+

*The plus is because I believe it deserves its spot on the list, in the future I'll use minus to show when I believe otherwise.  

Next week I'll be reviewing Interstellar, unless of course I get the chance to see Inside Out. It actually is the most recent movie on IMDb's top 250, but it just premiered over here so I'm now looking to go see it. Anyway, let me know your thoughts (and scores) on Mad Max in the comments section, and yes, go see it if you haven't already.