At The Movies: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a high-speed hurtle across the desert

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (NC16)

149 minutes, opens on May 22
4 stars

The story: In this spin-off and prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), a girl is kidnapped from The Green Place by bikers who follow the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). The Green Place, where food and water are readily available, is ripe for conquest, so the girl holds valuable strategic information. Time passes and she becomes a trusted soldier and driver for another warlord, Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). In his service, she will be known as Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy).

The Mad Max film series (1979 to present) – of which this is the fifth instalment – has relied on a simple principle: Humans will turn campy after the apocalypse.

There is not a movie set in the Mad Max universe that does not feature mohawks, shaved domes and bizarre body modifications. Villains who believe that a normal day at the office must include elaborate forms of torture? It is all here.

The idea that the inhabitants of a wasteland will live each day as if it were a Mardi Gras festival is not an odd one for Australian writer-director George Miller, who believes that the Mad Max stories are tales told around a campfire – the embellishments are meant to signify their status as legends told centuries after the events have taken place.

Furiosa’s origin story, as the title says, is a saga because the time span covers years rather than the days from the 2015 film that starred Charlize Theron as Furiosa. The plot matters little because in sagas, the emphasis is on the trials the main character has to overcome so his or her name becomes celebrated.

Here, the movie scores full marks. Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa becomes an outstanding warrior in the service of Immortan Joe, with the story told in chapters, each involving a set-piece battle.

The vehicular mayhem that the series is known for never feels repetitive. Drawing inspiration from war movies about bombers fending off fighters and from Roman chariot melees, Miller offers jaw-dropping shots of warriors hurling themselves from car to gun-festooned tanker and back again.

It sounds like a repeat of Fury Road, but the visceral intensity remains unmatched because cinematography, sound and editing have come together to make the sense of danger palpable.

As Dementus, Hemsworth is a revelation. The Thor (2011 to 2022) actor flexes and struts like a deity, mannerisms the god-like superhero Thor never developed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dementus is a leader who believes that just because he rules through cruelty and violence, it does not mean he cannot have fun on the job.

In media reports, Taylor-Joy has talked about rough days on the set, with one hardship being that her character is mostly mute. If this was a complaint – and the articles can be read several ways – she should at least be happy to know that her facial expressions are spot on. Miller asked her to give her best war face and she delivered.

Hot take: While more sprawling and disconnected than Fury Road, this thrilling prequel has the right ingredients to be a worthy follow-up.