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Mad Max is about as Aussie an icon as you can get. Yes, maybe British actor Tom Hardy in the lead role is a strange choice he doesn’t physically resemble or remotely sound like Mel Gibson, however we can rejoice if only thankful there wasn’t an American cast in the role, I can just imagine the uproar across the ditch if their precious Max was ever ruthlessly expatriated in any way. A stunning cast of mostly Aussie actors (ones they’ve nabbed) of course Kiwis are aren’t left out of the fray either as part Maori actors Jacob Tomuri (Tom Hardy’s stunt double) & Megan Gale feature in the action blockbuster

Fury Road is the 4th instalment in the franchise and also the first Mad Max film in over 30 years that doesn’t have Mel Gibson, which is probably not a bad thing let’s be honest, his age and track record of late don’t exactly spell ‘pick me’ although funny enough he was considered to resurrect the role. Director George Miller’s futuristic dystopian car-chase across the desert is a non-stop action film that will blow your senses, its almost like a brand new shiny toy that’s vying for your attention

Tom Hardy is Max Rockatansky the loner while Charlize Theron is Furiosa the traitor who kidnaps the five wives, who are the nub of the story, tall leggy FHM models who belong to baddie King Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) A massive chase involving fleets of pimped out cyber-punk vehicles ensues in the outback of the Namibian desert on Fury Road as kingpin Joe and the War Boys chase Max, Furiosa and the leggy models (Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keogh, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton). Because you can’t be messing with Joe’s gals

Sure the action doesn’t let up but it’s the sheer size of the film, the big sets, the zillions of extras, the array of cool desert cars, bikes, buggies and racing trucks in the desert (the Australian deserts were flowering not a good look) it’s akin to being sucked into Playstation’s desert racing game MotorStorm with The Smashing Pumpkins as its soundtrack. The action sequences and stunts capture the ‘wow’ factor with some stunning camera work that must’ve been havoc to edit. Honestly with all the stunts & pyrotechnics going on it’s surprising that nobody got hurt filming this movie

George Miller’s 21st century facelift has indeed done what no many have done, breathed life into an inert franchise and will no doubt give Namibian tourism a much needed boost in the arm (not to mention Aussie director George Miller’s career). Tom Hardy gives a solid performance, giving credence to the role not overplaying the Max of old but personalising the character while adding some charm. Charlize Theron as Furiosa the tough ‘tank girl’ amputee is a good team mate for Hardy, her arm looked a little CGI’d in the beginning but you hardly noticed it by film’s end, mere quibbles. Nic Hoult (remember the boy in About a Boy?) is totally unrecognisable bald with white makeup as Nux one of the War Boys an impact character who changes the mood of the film drastically

Mad Max: Fury Road is a blockbuster in every sense of the word, pure unadulterated action at every  turn. It’s got a shite load of explosions and more baddies than you can shake a stick at. Does it do any justice to the original? Yep, definitely a resounding yea. At last an adult’s version of Hunger Games that will leave you speechless and your head emotionally wrecked once it’s finished

5/5