‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Revs an Origin Story of Revenge, Survival, and Hope

Before the title is revealed, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga revs its engine fueling the anticipation for the story we’ve been waiting for. After a brief interlude, we see young Furiosa (Alyla Browne; Sting) in the Green Place of Many Mothers picking fruit from a tree with her sister. Even in her youth, Furiosa is brave and selfless. She notices a couple of bikers have stumbled upon her tribe and attempts to sabotage their motorbikes so they can’t spread the word about the untouched oasis. She’s abducted and taken into the wasteland where she meets the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth; Thor: Ragnarok). This pivotal moment is what alters the trajectory of her life leading us to who we know in Mad Max: Fury Road. An odyssey of survival, revenge, and hope, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a fast-paced end-of-world sci-fi escapade that might impress even the most hardcore Mad Max fans.

George Miller’s sequel unfolds over five parts that span fifteen years. Co-written with Nick Lathouris, the story takes us through several key moments in Furiosa’s life: how she ended up in the wasteland with Dementus, how she came to be with Immortan Joe at the Citadel, and other intense and heartbreaking experiences that shaped her into the Furiosa we see portrayed by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road.

As the world falls around us, how must we brave its cruelties?

We see where Furiosa gets her grit when we’re introduced to her mother at the beginning of the film. Mary Jabassa, played by Charlee Fraser (Anyone But You), kicks off the action by giving chase during Furiosa’s abduction from the Green Place. In this sequence, we see Mary sprint into action, taking down biker after biker in a full-throttle pursuit to rescue her daughter and ensure no one can locate their place of abundance.

This takes us into the first twenty-five minutes of the film. And while there was a lot more story to uncover, Mary never left my mind which is a testament to the world created in this Mad Max universe. Each character presented gives you only a glimpse leaving you wanting more which is how we got this Furiosa prequel. Still, one of the issues of Furiosa is that some of the surrounding characters are more enticing than she is.

Thirsty for more wasteland.

The major success of this prequel is that it leaves you wanting more. Audiences will crave additional sequels, prequels, and spin-offs to explore deeper into the world Miller has built. In the midst of a wasteland, the one thing that isn’t dried up is the intrigue these dynamic characters leave you with, especially the infamous Immortan Joe.

Dementus is the villain of Furiosa’s story. Hemsworth puts his best foot forward in presenting this new character. Dementus is somewhat of a clever idiot; he has managed to survive and gather a devoted following, yet his methods are completely unsustainable because he’s ingeniously inept. The character is somewhat interesting but not necessarily new. Hemsworth’s performance is reminiscent of characters from his past roles, including his famous MCU character Thor and Billy Lee from Bad Times at the El Royale. This isn’t a bad thing, though it does feel familiar. So, in a film where he’s to be the focus, the allure of Immorten Joe reigns supreme.

Do we know Furiosa?

As with any prequel, the main goal is to explain or answer questions that might have been posed in the previous film. So the remaining question is, “Do we know Furiosa?” We get a good enough glimpse into Furiosa’s past to understand the events that forged her into who we see in Fury Road. Still, there are moments of confusion. For example, there is ambiguity in the relationship between Furiosa (now played by Anya Taylor-Joy; The Super Mario Bros. Movie) and Praetorian Jack, (Tom Burke; The Lazarus Project), commander of the Citadel’s war rig and the man who taught her how to drive the Valliant. At first, it seems like he might be some sort of mentor or father figure, and then it appears to morph into something romantic. And yes, this explains her issues with Dementus, but we don’t get the lead-up to where things stand in Fury Road. There weren’t any true interactions between Furiosa and Immortan Joe, which makes the story feel a little incomplete. Chopped into five pieces, we notice the gaps of missing time. Perhaps those moments are left out intentionally to be explained in a spin-off surrounding the infamous man himself since he’s been teased throughout these movies but never truly explored. This also fuels our lust for his backstory.

You may be raw, but you have about you a purposeful savagery.

One undeniable aspect is the intrigue of the Mad Max world. With Miller at the helm, each installment of this franchise reveals more about the wasteland and its many survivors. Taylor-Joy proves she can handle an action film and emerges in the second half of the film with a subtle intensity that propels the story’s tone. Browne stands out as young Furiosa and Hemsworth nestles in nicely between these two. The desolate dystopian setting serves as a powerful stage to explore themes beyond survival, including community, isolation, revenge, justice, and corruption. These elements help us relate to our protagonists and ponder the motives of our villains. While not every question about Furiosa was answered, her journey proved to be thrilling, featuring grand action sequences, stellar cinematography, impressive sound design, and a satisfying conclusion.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now playing in theaters.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars