May. 17th, 2015

kenjari: (Eowyn)
Last night, I saw Mad Max: Fury Road with Other Kenjari and [livejournal.com profile] jasons_227. It delivers on everything it promises. Which means yes, it is a two hour car chase, but it is the best damn car chase I will likely ever see. I enjoyed it immensely.
The visuals and the pacing were really well done. George Miller definitely knows what he is doing. The way he tells you so much about the Max's world in only a couple of minutes with just a bit of voice-over and minimal action is wonderful and the perfect way to open the film. After those opening minutes, the movie proceeds to be packed with some of the most exciting action I have ever seen. The stunts were amazing, and just enough of it was over the top to keep me hooked. I also really love the way Miller makes his vision of post-apocalyptic Australia so weird. There are malformed creatures, people in strange garb, lots of oddly tricked-out cars and motorcycles, unfamiliar yet fully comprehensible slang, and a cult based on cars, gas, and Valhalla. Not to mention the truck that is a massive amp stack and stage for a guitarist with a souped up guitar that shoots flames. With bonus taiko-style drummers on the back. Did I mention how much fun all of this is?
Mad Max: Fury Road is also one of the most feminist action films I have ever seen. Not only is the lead female character, Furiosa, Max's equal in terms of toughness and capability, she is also his equal in terms of importance to the story. She's also not the only important woman in the movie - there are close to a dozen named women with speaking roles. And, the movie passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. Most importantly, though, it is the women's goals that drive the narrative, and the actions of Mad Max and (eventually) Nux support those goals. It is the men who join up with the women and who end up becoming part of the women's mission. It is the women who win with the help of the men, not the other way around.

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