REVIEW: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Brings The Best Chaotic Violence

Making a prequel to a critically acclaimed and fan-beloved film is an endeavor all on its own. But with George Miller stepping back in after Mad Max: Fury Road, epic action set pieces and a revenge story with just enough chaotic humor was all but assured. Directed by Miller, written by Miller and Nico Lathouris, and produced by Miller and Doug Mitchell, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga features Anya Taylor-Joy as the powerful Furiosa before she became that way, Ayla Browne as Furiosa in her childhood, and Chris Hemsworth as one of the best villains in cinema, Dr. Dementus.

Furiosa throws the audience into a falling world only to show us a lush green place. But in that idyllic space, a young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). After watching her mother be murdered, she ascribes to a life of silence in an effort to keep the bikers away from her home.

She grows up, sweeping through the Wasteland, until she and Dementus’s horde come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe (now played by Lachy Hulme). While the two Tyrants are in a war for dominance, Furiosa must survive by any means necessary. With a will to make her way back home to the Green Place and revenge burning in her, she survives in spite of those around her, biding her time until she can escape.

As Furiosa, Anya Taylor-Joy fills Charlize Theron’s shoes well. She does it by honoring the character that Theron brought to life but never gets consumed by Fury Road’s icon. Instead, Joy embodies vulnerability and anger in a way all her own.

Each choice and subsequent confrontation defines what we see in Theron’s character even more, adding more weight. Taking on a character that became an instant icon can be intimidating, but Joy does it exquisitely. Whether it’s the subtle intimacy with her road mentor Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) or the final moments with Dementus, Taylor-Joy becomes a legend in her own right.

Yes, Anya Taylor-Joy, as the film’s titular character, is absolutely at her revenge-filled best; Hemsworth’s Dr. Dementus is exciting. He’s a chaotic ball of power-hungry energy whose trajectory in the film is indicated by the colors he wears. Moving from benevolent leader to warmonger to woefully inept warmonger (but for himself), Dementus is somehow one of the most intelligent characters of the film and its most stupid. All of it works.

Hemsworth builds on the villains he’s paid in the past, like Abnesti in Spiderhead and Billy Lee in Bad Times At The El Royale. In Furiosa, Hemsworth demands attention as more than just a guy with a hammer that he’s been reduced to in recent years. A good villain goes a long way, and here, he’s a great one.

Furiosa isn’t better than Mad Max: Fury Road, but it undoubtedly bolsters that film. It elevates an already perfect film by adding weight to all of Furiosa’s choices. In that way, this prequel justifies itself and solidifies George Miller as a master of the post-apocalyptic epic. With characters that embrace dark and humorous chaos in a violent desert—all of which have staying power beyond their character designs—Furiosa has a staying power all of its own.

To be a prequel, Furiosa needed to lead up to Fury Road. At the same time, however, it couldn’t be consumed by that. In the end, it finds that balance, with my only critique being that it came second. While the film may work better for those who haven’t seen Fury Road, particularly since Miller chose to include scenes from the film in its credits, it does deserve to be watched on a true IMAX screen all the same. With some interesting and slow pacing in the film’s first half, when you know what comes next in the story, it can feel like you’re at a complete standstill. Something that comes, unfortunately, at its placement in the series.

This is Anya Taylor-Joy at her best and a true testament to the talent Chris Hemsworth brings to any role when he’s allowed to hit beyond expectations. Truth be told, I envy any person who gets to have Furiosa: A Mad Max Story as their entry point into the franchise.

Fuirosa: A Mad Max Saga is playing now in theaters nationwide.