TEMPLE, Texas — Rev up those engines, it's time for another trip into George Miller's post-apocalyptic Australia with the newest installment of his iconic "Mad Max" franchise, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga".
Stepping away from the series' leather-clad lead however, "Furiosa" instead serves as a prequel to 2015's "Fury Road", and a backstory for that movie's standout co-lead, Charlize Theron's Furiosa.
Not only is "Furiosa" a shift in character for the series, but it is also a notable departure from the tone and style of storytelling typically associated with the franchise.
So, is "Furiosa" worth a watch? How does it compare to the Oscar-winning (and Best Picture-nominated) "Fury Road"? Well, it may depend on what viewers are hoping from it.
To admit my personal bias right out of the gate, "Fury Road" is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I was thrilled for this prequel from the moment it was first announced and was always going to compare it to the masterpiece that came before it, which honestly, in this case, might be a detriment to viewing "Furiosa" as it's own thing, which very much needs to be done to fully appreciate it.
It is hard to pigeonhole the "Mad Max" franchise into any specific mold, as continuity has never been much of a factor between movies and different installments have all varied wildly in both quality and tone, but the main thing the series is known for is its trademark, adrenaline-fueled vehicular action.
"Furiosa" is also a departure from what came before it, in neither an objectively good or bad way, but in a way that may be divisive for viewers.
Whereas "Fury Road" was primarily an all-out action spectacle that offered nearly non-stop action and relatively simplistic, if still engaging, character work, "Furiosa" is more large-scale in its scope (though not necessarily in its action) and puts more emphasis on building its world and fleshing out the many wild characters of the Wasteland.
"Saga", as the title describes it, is the best way to explain "Furiosa's" story, taking place over many years and charting her growth from small child to hardened warrior, while at the same time detailing the power struggle and socio-political structure (for lack of a better term) of the franchise's post-apocalyptic world.
Those hoping for another "Fury Road", expecting bombastic action all the way through and even bigger and better stunts than before, may be disappointed, as "Furiosa" contains far less of the series' trademark action than its predecessor, but those looking for a more story-based approach or an expansion of the Mad Max mythos will likely be very happy, as the film definitely expands on the lore of the world hinted at in "Fury Road".
"Furiosa" takes a more epic drama-esque approach to the story, with multiple different powers at play and a more serious and self-refective tone than the other movies' straightforward, self-contained action.
"Furiosa" handles its new approach well for the most part, being thrilling during some scenes, surprisingly heartfelt in others and genuinely disturbing at times. The action scenes will delight fans of the series, and many of the more grounded or emotional moments still carry a lot of weight.
Exploring Gastown and the Bullet Farm is fun, and new vehicles like a new, even more heavily armed war rig, gliders and villain Dementus' motorcycle chariot are cool additions to the series' iconic cast of cars.
On the other hand, parts of "Furiosa" definitely hit the brakes and drag on a bit. The movie is broken up into multiple chapters, which feel more like an attempt at making it feel more prestigious than serving the narrative, and the beginning could have been shortened significantly, leaving a very long stretch where I was hoping it would get a little more back to the action and less on delving further into the already well-established unpleasantness of the villainous Immortan Joe's Citadel.
I very much enjoyed the story and the world-building of "Furiosa", which is all incredibly well shot and acted and a fascinating expansion of an already interesting world, I just wished it hadn't been quite so much at the expense of the action and fun of "Fury Road".
"Furiosa" is a much more grim and gritty movie, which again will be subjective to each viewer on whether it is for better or worse, and some moments and dialogue dip into getting a bit full of themselves.
Stepping away from the general feel of the movie, "Furiosa" definitely delivers on the "Mad Max" series' usual colorful and eccentric characters. Many characters from "Fury Road" return either as major characters or cameos, but they all fit into the story well and it is fun to see them on screen knowing what they will get up to later in "Fury Road".
Even fans of the 2015 video game will notice a few characters they recognize, as "Furiosa" essentially confirms the game to be an official part of the franchise's story.
Anya Taylor-Joy is fantastic as Furiosa and only gets better as the movie goes on and she becomes more and more like the version of the character Charlize Theron made so popular. Her Furiosa is both a powerful force in the action scenes and a heartfelt, sympathetic figure in the movie's more personal moments.
Alyla Browne is also great as the younger Furiosa, excellently cast as a young Taylor-Joy and turning in a strong performance even with little dialogue.
Chris Hemsworth is clearly having a blast as the accurately named Dementus, the movie's primary villain, playing the role with devilish charisma and brutal menace, making him both layered, fun to watch and still downright despicable, especially during some of his more heinous acts of villainy.
Tom Burke's Praetorian Jack may be the best new character in the movie, starting out seeming like he would just be a Max stand-in but developing the character into a bright spot in a dark movie, sharing a heartfelt relationship with Furiosa that lends a strong emotional core to the story and just being compelling as a good man in a franchise full of villains and anti-heroes.
The cinematography of the movie is phenomenal as with "Fury Road", with its use of color being just as eye-catching and even more varied, and the movie is well edited where every shot connects well to the next, if not quite as tightly as in "Fury Road".
To summarize, "Furiosa" is a very good movie, with excellent acting, a compelling story, fascinating world-building, excellent cinematography and exciting action scenes. However, it may be polarizing, as the more philosophical tone and somewhat self-aggrandizing elements may alienate some series fans and newcomers.
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