Furiosa

 

I saw this on Sunday, alone - the first such solo venture since Uncut Gems on the brink of Covid - during a pretty heavy rainstorm. 

None of which has anything to do with the film itself, but whatever man, it's my blog. Deal. 

As to the movie: 

I say, without hesitation, that it is a masterpiece. 

I was no fan of Fury Road, considering it a grand visual spectacle but little more, and in many ways a Road Warrior redux. I didn't like that Max was second fiddle in a movie that had his name in the title, and I had little to no interest in exploring Furiosa's past, given that we saw it all finished. Still, I am a huge fan of the franchise, and to honor George Miller I knew I was going to see Furiosa in the theater. 

Boy, am I glad I did. 

From the first scene to the last, Miller engages the viewer. Not just with splashy violence and great camera work, but with a story and a titular character *worth* your attention. Heck, even the villains here aren't one-dimensional tropes. Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth, is an evil ganglord, but he's also a man who lost his family during the end of the world, and carries that loss with him. Even Immortal Joe, the foe from Fury Road, is fleshed out, revealing a warlord capable of negotiating peace and the tactical knowledge to win a war. 

And the action - oh man, the action sequences. 

George Miller is 79, and in my opinion, he just put his finest work on screen. 

My grade: an unequivocal A+