Mad Max: Fury Road

Truth be told I'm not sure I've seen any of the original "Mad Max" films except for "Beyond Thunderdome." And despite liking the film at the time, I'll be honest and say I barely remember it. So going into George Miller's return to the franchise with "Mad Max: Fury Road" I wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, the trailers looked pretty bad-ass with crazy stunts and a cinematic palette to die for, but in this day and age audiences hope for more than that.

Or do they?

With "Fast 7" blowing more respectable films out of the water, it's clear people want fun, escapist, sort of dumb entertainment. When films like "Avengers: Age of Ultron" combine a popcorn movie with too many plots and some heavy emotional themes, even our summer movie escapes have gotten sort of bogged with the weight of "importance."

So it's nice when you can go to a movie and get a simple story with basic (yet powerful) themes all set against a backdrop of high-octane summer thrills that are eye-popping impressive, technically proficient, and downright goofy all at the same time. That's "Mad Max: Fury Road" in a nutshell. It's pure adrenaline fun which is what has been sorely missing from mainstream escapist entertainment for a while. The "Fast and the Furious" franchise currently has the corner on that, but truth be told, "Mad Max" makes the "Furious" series look like it was made by Matchbox.

The universe of "Mad Max" is an odd one, and won't be for everyone. Basically, the world is messed up after a nuclear war and has been broken apart into marauding groups of gangs all looking to survive. Because, as Max will state, there really is nothing to do in this world but survive.

After Max (Tom Hardy) is taken by a gang of War Boys (shaved head, slender muscle boys doused in white clay), he is brought to the lair of Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), a boil-infested baddie who has many wives, many children, and keeps women as breeders. He rules over the sickly masses of his dusty world by controlling water and food and keeping armies of War Boys and slaves. All of this is something you sort of have to pick up on and accept, as the first twenty-minutes of the film feel as if you've been dropped into a world you're supposed to already understand.

That said, once the slim plot kicks in, it's fairly simple stuff: Basically, Immortan Joe sends out groups of his marauders to go steal gasoline for him. One of those "gangs" is headed by Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a tough rebel of few words and a prosthetic metal arm. After she sets out on the joint mission she veers from the pack, which makes Joe less than happy. He sends his War Boys out to get her. So begins the first of many extended action scenes that are loud, over-the-top, nutty, visceral, nail-biting, and so overwhelmingly impressive it is mind-boggling.

During this first chase, Max is tied to the front of a war machine and eventually has to find his way off the thing and onto the tanker that Furiosa is driving. That's when he realizes she is actually transporting a number of "breeders" (read: hot Victoria's Secret models) away from Joe and to the "Green Place," where they will be protected. Add in the sickly and ambitious War Boy Nux (Nicholas Hoult) who eventually assists the group, and you have the makings of a dazzling action spectacle unlike anything we've seen in years.

At 70 years old, director George Miller has a solid grasp on how to stage electrifying action sequences. The preparation alone in how to shoot and choreograph the scenes he has created is baffling. With a large cast, handfuls of crazy looking make-shift war machines, and an open expanse of desert, just the technical prowess here is stunning. If "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" wasn't coming out this year, I'd predict "Fury Road" would be sweeping all of the technical Oscars, including sound design and editing.

With at least five knock-you-on-your-feet action sequences and enough of a connection to the characters to care about their safety, this is truly the action movie of the last thirty years. But it's not just the action that is stunning; the cinematography by John Seale ("The Talented Mr. Ripley") is gorgeous, and the color palettes he utilizes (while making it seem like a film made through a variety of Instagram filters) gives each action sequence its own look and feel. Add in an electric score by Junkie XL, and you have a win on so many levels.

While the depth to the film isn't that palpable, our two leads in Hardy and Theron are accessible even in their silence. Both bring a weight to roles that could have been handed off to lesser stars that only exist in the action world. By putting solid and respectable actors in the roles, the film is immediately heightened and it only benefits the proceedings.

But let's not go too crazy. This is a summer popcorn movie through and through, and it is a balls-to-the-wall entertaining one at that. Sure, you will be deaf by the time the film ends and older audiences will think the whole thing is utter nonsense. But for those nostalgic for a time when "Mad Max" first entered the scene, and others who want to see what really amazing action filmmaking is all about, Miller's latest foray into the desolate future is a fast and furious journey absolutely worth taking.