FURIOUSA

Australia, 2024, 148 minutes, Colour.

Anya Taylor Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, George Shevtsov, Lachy Hulme, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Elsa Pataki, David Field.

Directed by George Miller.

Back in 1979, Dr George Miller surprised Australian audiences with his small-budget futuristic action film, Mad Max. Two years later he surprised the world with the sequel, Mad Max two, The Road Warrior. Then Beyond Thunderdome, quite a heritage. But, there was to be more. 2015, Academy Awards, Fury Road. And, here we are in 2024, 45 years later, enormous expectations for Furiousa.

For most audiences, expectations fulfilled – and then some!

We are back in the Wasteland, the vast deserts (Broken Hill locations), once again a post-apocalyptic world, a glimpse of a world of green and fruit, by and large welcoming territory, by contrast, communities of bikie gangs, the remnants of industry and fuel with Gastown, and an attempt at some kind of “civilisation” in a regime, The Citadel. At times, the visuals of the vast Citadel are overwhelming.

But, we met Furiousa in the form of Charlize Theron in Fury Road. This is her origin story. At first she is played, quite tellingly by very young actress, Alyla Browne, then, as the young adult, by Anya Taylor Joy. The oasis is infiltrated by some bikies, conflict, abduction of young Furiousa, her determined mother in full pursuit, and the beginning of the many, many battles.

The young Furiousa is brought by her captives to a weird bikie community lorded over (rather than ruled or governed) by a kind of Aussie Viking, whose utterances are a mixture of classic literature and banality, aptly named Dementus, and played with relish by Chris Hemsworth. But, for this reviewer, at times played in over the top cartoonish style. And, as with the other films, some of the warriors, one eyed, maimed, disfigured, rogue caricatures. But, Dementus, with a sense of the classics has a vehicle designed like a Roman chariot. And, in attendance, he has his sage, The History Man, tattooed with words and learning, played by George Sheftsov as a kind of Gandalf figure.

But, there are over two hours of action to go. Dementus has territorial ambitions. There are sieges of Gastown. Dementus challenges the leadership of The Citadel. No lack of opportunities for continued battles, it confrontations…

Furiousa herself confronts Dementus and finds a home and a haven in The Citadel, grows up, becomes involved in the defence.

The latter part of the film dramatises the conflict between the three communities, convoys of food to be transferred to Gastown in return for fuel. Which offers the opportunity, of course, for the huge trucks to cross the desert, pursued on land, and even from the air. The driver is played by Tom Burke and bonds with Furiousa. Yes, shet has to fulfil her dynasty, confront Dementus, a visualising of all the ways in which she could destroy him but we could not imagine his strange, ultimate fate.

There have been some critics who found that this was too much, over and over. And they lamented that George Miller has relied on CGI whereas, in the past, he showed he did not need them. But, for audiences, there is never too much and the CGI produces, of course, extraordinary effects.

George Miller will be 80 in 2025 but has let the world know that he has a sequel in mind..

1. 45 years of Mad Max? The origins,, small-budget,, successful, the sequels, years passing, Fury Road, acclaim and awards? Now the prequel?
2. George Miller, writing and directing, in Australia, in the US, this film in his 70s? His writing, flair and directing, budgets, locations, action and special effects? Musical score?
3. Audiences for Fury Road, the character of Furiosa, her origins, the world and the wasteland in which she lived and grew up?
4. The importance of the locations, Broken Hill, Hay, New South Wales? The range of sequences, desert, mountains, dunes? Vastness? The communities, initial prospering community, the threats from the wandering bikies, the visualising of Gastown? The visualising of the Citadel, vast? The detail?
5. Costumes, the tradition of the Mad Max films, bikies, masks, uniforms, primitive, designed? For each of the communities? The visual impact?
6. The action sequences, ever more spectacular, and exclusions, noise, audience response?
7. The opening, Furiosa and her sister, the fruit, the bikies, interfering with the bikes, the attack and Chase, the capture of Furiousa, her mother’s response, the other women, the determined pursuit, bikes the visuals of the dunes, the tracks, the young girl, mother shooting, deaths, getting the bike, continuing the pursuit?
8. The bikies entering their centre, disputes, rivalries, the thugs look, fights? The introduction of Dementus, visually, his presence, Chris Hemsworth, the look, the voice? The blend of educated and ignorant? In command, his Roman chariot-like vehicle? The History Man looking and sounding like Gandalf? Dementus and his reaction, response to Furious, her mother, the attack, captured, tied tortured, her doing to watching? The motivation for revenge?
9. Dementus and his cohort, on the attack, and Gastown, those in charge, the petroleum, the need for fresh food? Finding the wanderer from The Citadel, his information, Dementus and his group, confrontation, the visuals of those in charge, the high towers, the walkways, ropes and communications, the challenge, the man falling?
10. Response to the leaders of The Citadel, the leader, his mask, his aggressive sons, paintings and his heart, The People Eater in his suit, his advice? The combat?
11. Furiousa, masked, captured, observing, her escape, the authorities of the Citadel questioning her, her telling the truth about Dementus and her mother, refuge in The Citadel? Time passing, the transition, her motivation, not speaking, her escape, disguising herself as male, relied on in the work?
12. The years passing, the establishing of the three centres, the rivalries, the ambitions? The various attacks – and the narrative of film interspersed with the battles in combat?
13. The arrangement for the transition of food from The Citadel to the other centres, to Gastown in return for fuel?
14. The introduction of Praetorian Jack, the driver, his skills, the visualising of the attacks, the bikes, the cars, trucks, the use of smoke, red and green, the aerial attack?
15. Furious, and the convoy, revealing herself, her work with Jack, the battles and her skills? The motivations? The further journeys, talking with Jack, her having the map from the stars on her arm, the seed and hope? Jack urging her to freedom?
16. Convoys, the visit to Gastown, the upset, not getting the fuel, the return, the decisions of the authorities of The Citadel?
17. Dementus, his ambitions, his attack on Gastown, planned attack on The Citadel? Burning Gastown? The authorities at The Citadel, some wanting to attack, the fire and decoy?
18. Dementus, the attack, the fights? The convoy, Furiosa in the back vehicle? The siege, the fight, the shooting? The eventual taking of Jack and Furiousa? Jack and his being dragged behind the vehicle? Furiosa watching? Her defiance of Dementus? The escape to the car, the pursuit?
19. The buildup to the confrontation between Dementus and Furiosa, in the desert, his escape, the tent, her capturing him? The verbal conflict? Dementus and his attitudes, his death? The visualising of the possibilities for his death? Yet the final reality, the seed planted in him, the tree growing from him, the taking of the apple reminiscent of the opening?
20. Furiosa, near ready for the action seen in Fury Road?