Haunted by the death of his wife and daughter, Max
Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) ambles alone through the barren desert wasteland,
battling roving gangs of vile thugs and insanity. He is soon abducted by the
minions of Immortan Joe, a totalitarian ruler who reigns cruelly over his
pathetic people, and held captive in his canyon fortress where is blood is used
as fuel for anemic soldiers. When a female warlord (Charlize Theron) escapes in
a diesel tanker with five of the King’s wives, Max is strapped to the handlebars
of his parasite’s (Nicholas Hoult) bike, one of scores of vehicles in hot
pursuit. George Miller’s long gestating sequel to his Mad Max trilogy is most akin to TheRoad Warrior, the second entry: a high octane, heart pumping, imaginative,
disorienting two hour chase movie with only the briefest of pauses for air.
Miller remains faithful to his vision and it was nice to see a continuation of
the saga rather than a reboot, although a Mel cameo would have been welcomed
and deserved. Hardy is in Bane mode once more, but is effective nonetheless and
Theron and Hoult are strong in secondary roles.
*** 1/2 out of ****
