Last night, I got the chance to see one of my most anticipated movies of the year – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. I have been a fan of this saga long before Fury Road came out. It’s important noting Fury Road as that solidified many more fans of the franchise and had many claiming it as one of the best action films of all time. After reviewing the franchise before catching this one, I noticed that nearly every single entry has an identity of its own, which happens to be one one of the best ways to explain this film. Go in knowing that this is no Fury Road, yet it utilizes aspects of it while doing more than enough to make this one stand out.

With George Miller in the director’s chair once again, this new entry in the Mad Max saga serves as a spinoff/prequel to the Imperator Furiosa character that was introduced in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Charlize Theron played as the original character in that film, but Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role in the new film. The newest film follows Furiosa’s beginnings as she navigates the Wasteland after being kidnapped as a child by the Warlord Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth. When Dementus attempts to rule the entire Wasteland, it sets Furiosa on a path of vengeance and fury.

It is best to say for those expecting another Fury Road to manage expectations. The film immediately has an identity of its own. When the credits open up, we are shown Anya-Taylor Joy’s & Chris Hemsworth’s names appear on screen before two newer names show up on screen, signifying their importance to the film. The way the title sequences play out may be subtle, but it gives the impression as to how George Miller is trying to make the film stand out. After this title sequence, we are shown a similar image that was also used in the beginning of Fury Road. While it may seem repetitive, the choice is intentional. It establishes this world that we have become accustomed to, while showing just how different this film is going to be.

The film is split in 5 chapters, or acts. The promotional material gives the impression that that’s what it is going to be, so when seeing it here, it lets you know that this is going to be a detailed and thoughtful presentation of someone’s story. The film’s tone is patient, yet pushing everything forward at the same time. We get to see Furiosa’s arc from where she grew up in the The Green Place to the Wasteland as we know it. There’s so much that I want to share, yet I am avoiding spoilers as I found myself in awe of what I was seeing.

The film’s pacing helps keep you engaged in thanks to the film’s score. The score reminded me a lot of 2019’s Doctor Sleep where there is a continuous heartbeat playing throughout. It is almost the same here where a continuous beat keeps playing even during the film’s slower moments. The score and pacing in the film’s first act already lets you know to strap in, allowing you to fully envelop in this world that we have known before with more detail than ever before. The film also a surprising amount of humor that delivers.

This might be a bit of a spoiler here. Anya Taylor-Joy doesn’t actually come in the film until about an hour in. The first hour dedicates the time to Furiosa as a child, played by Alyla Browne. While it is easy to see the resemblances between the two actresses, there was CGI used to give the younger actress the impression that this is the same character throughout the film. If you came for Taylor-Joy, don’t fret because the first hour is engaging due to Chris Hemsworth’s performance and getting to understand more about the world established before.

It’s true. Chris Hemsworth is phenomenal here. The actor happens to be at his best in villainous roles and he shines best here. I’d love to see Hemsworth getting some serious award recognition for his performance. His performance conveys how someone who may have been good at one point can turn someone into as evil as he is in the apocalypse. I actually starting thinking how the apocalypse in the world will make you either turn good or bad, even though the same things have happened. While Furiosa spends a lot of time with Dementus and sees the same world that he sees, it offers an excellent comparison as to what the apocalypse can do.

As for Anya Taylor-Joy, when you take into consideration as to how long she is actually in the film, she is in the film for roughly 90 minutes give or take. Her presence is major. The way her character is introduced after a time jump is uniquely genius. The Furiosa character doesn’t say much, yet Anya & Browne’s characteristics say it all. When Taylor-Joy is introduced, she is at her most confident. She portrays herself as a mute, leading her to not have much dialogue to begin with. This allows Taylor-Joy to shine through the action and how she acts.

One aspect I was worried about going in were the visuals based on the promotional material. Fury Road looked very realistic in its action, while Miller’s last film, Three Thousand Years of Longing, looked pretty bad with the CGI. Seeing the promos for Furiosa made me worried that Miller was going to lean more into the CGI. Honestly, the visuals didn’t look that bad! The film used more realistic shots, yet I believe the CGI was necessary and improved. The cinematography is great as you can tell they are shooting mostly everything on location. The color scheme from the cinematography allows for the scenes to seamlessly flow into the next. As for the CGI, I am glad to see it being done at this capacity as it allows the film to get out quicker. I am hoping that it gives Miller the idea that he can get out more stories in this universe without us having to wait another 9 years.

To my surprise, aside from Taylor-Joy & Hemsworth, Tom Burke is another standout who has an importance place in the film. He has a special connection to Furiosa and almost plays as a comparision to Max. I can’t wait to see what he does next. There’s even a few characters that you will recognize from the previous film that will get you excited.

Overall, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga exceeded my expectations, and I can see it at least managing expectations for others. Director George Miller delivers another film that has an identity of its own in this universe. While there are aspects used from the other films, this one has a fresh and unique take that makes it stand out with perfection. There is no doubt that this is one of the best movies of the year. I can’t wait to see it again.

VERDICT: Perfect