The film focuses on a warp speed chase through the harsh, arid and dangerous wasteland. Max (Tom Hardy) is attempting to escape the War Boys. Eventually teaming up with alpha female Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, who is trying her damnedest to lead Immortan’s slave wives to freedom and to her memories of a ‘green land’.

It’s all about the chase, bout that chase – no standstill.

Action is not only the genre attributed to this franchise, it is the lifeblood of the film. It’s raw, fast moving and visceral – every character is propelled to move forward to survive – they do this at such speed and without long winded explanations. Scenes are set by momentum.There’s no time to ask yourself what’s going on? – it’s literal – strap yourself in and go along with the action.

Words are used sparingly – Max is an archetypal ‘strong but silent type’ He only really speaks one word in the first twenty minutes of the film – apart from voiceover.

This film essentially belongs to the women. At various points throughout the film, women take control of their own journey and make hard choices about their future. While it may look like the virginal ‘wives’ are there for eye candy – starting the film as damsels in distress – they are pretty kick ass.

My favourite kick-ass ladies being:

– Charlize – obvs.

– The underrated Megan Gayle – showing us what she is made of as Valkyrie. Whatever happened to her as Wonder Woman?

– Rosie Huntington Whitely – vindicating herself as Splendid after her Transformers mess.

There is so much I could write about feminism in action movies and how Fury Road deals with this – but that isn’t for here. Suffice to say – Girl power dominates the film and am sure any feminist would agree that the movie is very pro-female empowerment.

Modern Max is still as angry and nihilistic as the Max from the first three films. Charlize as Furiosa is his equal in every way (including screen time and machismo). Cropped hair – engine oil on her head – prosthetic hand, she’s mutated her way into a survivor – if she can save the 5 virginal wives, she can maybe start again – her ‘mad’ utopian idea, is one she is prepared to follow to the bitter end…

Fast AND Furious

I was literally on the edge of my seat at times – the stunts relied on a little CGI but there were a lot of old school stunts. The tracking camera flies out of the screen AT you.The stunts happen in the physical world, almost realistic for this genre of film. Visceral, violent and intense. Everything that was great about the first three films – the insane stunts, stripped down story are still relevant here and treated with the same energy and excitement.

Tom Hardy successfully takes over from Mel and Fury Road lives up to and beyond the first 3 films.  So exciting and exhilarating –  I am completely exhausted and drained. This is what the Fast and the Furious wishes it could be – it IS fast, it is Furious and it is fucking ace!