Summary
Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagais not the best movie in the franchise, explainsGame of Thronesauthor George R.R. Martin. Box office returns have been disappointing for the fifth movie in the long-running action series once fronted by Mel Gibson, the George Miller-directed epic having taken just $144 million worldwide in three weeks of release. Audiences may not be flocking toFuriosa, despite the promise of an immersive big-screen experience, but critics have been quick to praise Miller’s latestMad Maxfranchiseachievement, as reflected in the movie’s 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Game of Thronesauthor Martin is also eager to give Miller his flowers forFuriosa, though Martin maintains thatThe Road WarriorandMad Max Beyond Thunderdomeare still better than the latestMad Maxsaga entry, and indeed are both better than the widely acclaimedFury Road. Check out Martin’s remarks below (viaNot a Blog):
Saw FURIOSA last week on an Imax screen. The latest Mad Max movie… though, oddly, without Mad Max. I don’t think there’s a better action director in the field than George Miller. The fights in FURIOSA are spectacular, especially on Imax.
Of course, Miller had a much bigger budget this time. I think the original MAD MAX was made with the loose change he found in his couch pillows. FURIOSA probably cost more than the first four Max movies put together. Given its structure, it could just as easily been five features, or maybe three seasons of a television series. I liked Anya Taylor Joy, who played Furiosa this time around. The girl who played Furiosa as a child was good as well. I liked Tom Burke (Praetorian Jack) and Chris Hemsworth as Dementus too… and the Citadel is a cool set, though it was used with more impact in FURY ROAD.
Overall, though, ROAD WARRIOR is still my favorite Mad Max movie. FURIOSA and FURY ROAD both had their merits, but I’d still rank them below the second and third Mel Gibson films. The new ones are bigger and more expensive, and the action scenes are huge… but the worldbuilding, the secondary characters, and thestoriescannot compare.
Martin may be in the minority when it comes to his assessment of the latest twoMad Maxmovies compared to the franchise’s second and third entries. The Tomatometer, based on an aggregation of critics’ reviews, ranksMad Max: Fury Roadas the franchise’s best entry, ahead of Martin’s personal favorite,The Road Warrior. The Tomatometer agrees thatRoad Warrioris better thanFuriosa, but ranks the latestMad Maxmovie comfortably ahead of Martin’s other favorite,Beyond Thunderdome.
97%
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Martin agrees that there’s no comparison between the ‘80sMad Maxmovies and the newest ones in terms of visual spectacle and action choreography. Where the new movies fall short, in the author’s estimation, is in their storytelling. Martin also appreciatesRoad WarriorandBeyond Thunderdomefor their supporting characters and world-building, two elements he thinks are relatively lacking inFury RoadandFuriosa.
Furiosais currently playing in theaters
Critical consensus holds thatRoad Warrioris a major achievement, and a seminal action film, but thatBeyond Thunderdomewas a disappointment, but Martin doesn’t see it this way. A bigger budget doesn’t necessarily equal a better movie, in Martin’s estimation, and spectacle is no substitute for strong storytelling and interesting characters. Despite his somewhat against-the-grain take onFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, Martin is quick to praise the performances of its stars, and enjoyed the experience of seeing the film in IMAX.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Cast
A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
