Pros:
Iconic. There is just so much interesting imagery in this film. Even mundane moments are filmed in interesting ways.
It’s well paced, with enough plot to keep you interested.
Tightly choreographed action that makes the film an adrenaline rush to watch.
For the most part, the violence is muted by quick cuts.
No monologues where everything is explained to the audience. We are shown, not told.
Cons:
Disturbing imagery.
Savage violence.
Some characters are treated as nothing more than iconic-cannon-fodder while others are treated as special and unique. The movie has it’s cake and eats it too in this regard.
A shallow lead character, who takes a backseat to a more interesting one.
Closing Comments:
The success of the film seems to have erased all of George Miller’s creative misfires and has endowed the film with a certain chrome-gloss it really isn’t worthy of.
It’s an adrenaline rush. Yes.
But the world of Mad Max isn’t a very deep universe to delve into. Crazies kill. Innocents die. And none of it has any real lasting impact.
There is indeed some intriguing backstory hinted at throughout the film. But even this highlights the problem. None of it is Max’s. It’s all Furiosa’s.
But she will likely fade into the pantheon of Mad Max characters, while our hero will continue on into other stories, where he refuses to die, but never finds a reason to live.
