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Mad Max: Fury Road |OT| What a Lovely Day | RT: 98% | Metacritic: 89

Timeaisis

Member
fuck man, you've seen it before me? Glad you loved it

Lol. I got lucky with an early screening.

Never doubt this man :p

People keep bringing up the whole Babe and Happy Feet thing (in jest, I know) but that's the entire problem with blockbuster filmmaking today. The only guys getting directing gigs are the ones who have been pegged as "blockbuster" directors or are on that fasttrack. Having directorial range and being willing to take career chances are negatives these days.

Hey, I love Babe. :p
I was just saying it is hilarious to me that George has been out of the action game for like 30 years and decided to come back to it and just kill it. Like, "eh, I don't really like what we're doing with the genre...I'll just make what I always though Mad Max 4 should be" and just hit it out of the park. Miller obviously knows a shitton more about filmmaking than one-trick action directors.

I went to a screening where we had a Q&A with Miller after the film (I believe you can catch it on youtube, but I don't have the link), and he was basically saying how he approached the movie as if you didn't need dialog to tell a story. Like the action sequences were story enough. It's like the language of cinema: action and visuals. And essentially how you don't need dialog exposition if you have this incredible visual language you know how to speak. Miller knows that language, and that's why all his Mad Max films are always so awesome: even with limited dialogue we can get completely engrossed in the story, the universe, and the action. Compare that with recent action cinema where we essentially have a front-loaded exposition-heavy act with boring crap leading up to a setpiece payoff. But even the payoff is there for the sake of spectacle, not story.

It's hard to explain, but Miller approaches it differently, obviously. I think with his "30 year nap" from action films he's not chained to the "action blockbuster rules" we've established in the past 10-20 years, and that's fucking awesome.
 
Miller making this film both a possibly commercial success and a critically acclaimed film is great but also worries me. Why? Because Warner Bros. is probably gonna try to convince him to do a DC film in the future.
 

21GunShow

Neo Member
I'm still processing the fact that a movie can be this good after 25 years in development hell. It has a 100 percent rating on rotten tomatoes right now. This is MAD.
 

Krev

Unconfirmed Member
Miller making this film both a possibly commercial success and a critically acclaimed film is great but also worries me. Why? Because Warner Bros. is probably gonna try to convince him to do a DC film in the future.
Years ago he was attached to Justice League.

The script (not by Miller) was apparently not very good but I'm sure he would have killed it with the action.

Years ago he said he had a small scale film he wanted to make before Fury Road. If that's what he wants to do hopefully this film gets him the funding to get that off the ground. He deserves to make whatever the hell he wants.
 

Snaku

Banned
I fucking told you guys, this is legit the goat of action films. I've got tickets to see it three more times this weekend.
 

Lunar15

Member
I need to go on complete blackout. I don't want to read reviews at all.

Not for spoilers, but just because I want to go in fresh. Don't want to be overhyped.

Also, I still never really trust early reviews. Not because I think they're paid or anything, but I do think that seeing a movie early is a special experience and it can color the outcome. It's not that they don't have merit, just that I like to see where it settles after all of the hype has died down.
 
Miller making this film both a possibly commercial success and a critically acclaimed film is great but also worries me. Why? Because Warner Bros. is probably gonna try to convince him to do a DC film in the future.

He wanted to do Justice League in the past though....

Think it sounded kinda weird iirc.
 

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
No wonder WB decided to move up the embargo. After gushing from those screenings they went "fuck it, let's open the floodgates already"
 
I was just saying it is hilarious to me that George has been out of the action game for like 30 years and decided to come back to it and just kill it. Like, "eh, I don't really like what we're doing with the genre...I'll just make what I always though Mad Max 4 should be" and just hit it out of the park. Miller obviously knows a shitton more about filmmaking than one-trick action directors.

It is the old kung fu master thing then. He went to a simpler, calmer life. Learning what we could, but never going back to his chaotic and violent ways. But, after having so many people either challenge him or alter his action art into something different, the old master comes out from his meditation guide to show the children how it is done.

Or maybe he is Ip Man in this, and most action films are the black belts that he has to teach a lesson to.
tumblr_mklqxpbEwT1r49r0wo1_400.gif


I have only read the Variety review so far, and man was that one glowing.

I think development hell might have been the best thing for this film. It gave Miller years of iteration and research to properly hone the story and craft the action.

Didn't he mention that before? That the delay, especially after the desert location was unfilmmable for a while, allowed them to plan out and refine the chases a bit more. I thought he even mentioned that something he toyed with doing in CG due to logistics his team was able to figure out how to do with actual stuntmen because of the delay.
 

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
George Miller already said he's a huge DC comics fan, though if this is a success WB should let him do whatever the fuck he pleases.
 

Snaku

Banned
George Miller already said he's a huge DC comics fan, though if this is a success WB should let him do whatever the fuck he pleases.

Honestly if he has to do a DC film to get another Mad Max greenlit, then by all means fucking do it. I need another Fury Road!
 

B33

Banned
Didn't he mention that before? That the delay, especially after the desert location was unfilmmable for a while, allowed them to plan out and refine the chases a bit more. I thought he even mentioned that something he toyed with doing in CG due to logistics his team was able to figure out how to do with actual stuntmen because of the delay.

Yes, I recall him mentioning that being forced to relocate the shoot gave his team more time to refine the chase sequences, but I can't find the interview.
 

Simo

Member
Didn't he mention that before? That the delay, especially after the desert location was unfilmmable for a while, allowed them to plan out and refine the chases a bit more. I thought he even mentioned that something he toyed with doing in CG due to logistics his team was able to figure out how to do with actual stuntmen because of the delay.

Kinda sorta. Basically when Broken Hill got rained out and had no desert in 2010 the team had still built a road specific for the movie and spent the next 2 years honing the stunt sequences making sure they'd be as safe as they could when it came time to do it for real. Time did help because Miller thought the characters involving the Pole Cats, guys basically on giant polls attached to the back of vehicles that swing over for some intense stunt scenes, would have be done with green screen and motionless. Guy Norris and his team spent years practicing and building the rigs to do it for real in Namibia.

Remember, Miller had the entire film storyboarded and designed in 2001.
 

Senoculum

Member
Miller making this film both a possibly commercial success and a critically acclaimed film is great but also worries me. Why? Because Warner Bros. is probably gonna try to convince him to do a DC film in the future.

You know what? That kinda worries me too. Mad Max looks like a sledgehammer; but to tackle those beloved characters and its respective universe requires some subtlety and tact (and long term vision) which I'm not sure if George Miller has the energy to pull off.

It'll be bad if anything in the DC slate is fast tracked; but they also don't need 10 years to get the film off the ground - so if they do invite Miller on board, they better be willing to write the cheques. Regardless of his success, I'm sure he'll be attached to some interesting projects in the future.
 
Remember, Miller had the entire film storyboarded and designed in 2001.

The fact that the movie even came out at all still amazes me. I remember first reading about it back then or a few years after, and then all the delays and delays. It got to the point where I thought to myself, "Just hang it up, George. God doesn't want you to have this one." The reviews seem to indicate that it is for the better that George never gave up hope. He had this film in him and had to get it out.
 

JDSN

Banned
Honestly if he has to do a DC film to get another Mad Max greenlit, then by all means fucking do it. I need another Fury Road!
I think he has a trilogy in mind, he can always throw some happy feet in the sequel, Miller Cinematic Universe confirmed.
 

Simo

Member
The fact that the movie even came out at all still amazes me. I remember first reading about it back then or a few years after, and then all the delays and delays. It got to the point where I thought to myself, "Just hang it up, George. God doesn't want you to have this one." The reviews seem to indicate that it is for the better that George never gave up hope. He had this film in him and had to get it out.

Exactly. lol He had everything going against him including 3 major studios on board, his once lead actor dying, 3 location changes and then budget and time restraints when it did happen.

Kudos to WB though for sticking with him through it all and allowing him full control over the final product.

It does make me wonder how long I'll have to wait to see the next 2 movies....lol
 

bengraven

Member
George Miller got a feminist consultant to help give it that edge.

eve-ensler.jpg

"But before you chalk all this up to another testosterone-fueled day at the movies, you should know that new female characters played by Charlize Theron, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoë Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton have the potential to flip certain action movie tropes on their head. In fact, Mad Max director George Miller enlisted the help of activist, feminist icon, and Vagina Monologues author Eve Ensler in order to ensure that Fury Road wasn’t just another story about helpless female victims; it’s a story about empowered survivors."
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/mad-max-fury-road-eve-ensler-feminist-triumph

"TIME: It’s so rare that a big blockbuster film takes on these themes, let alone brings someone with your background on the set to consult. How did that come to be?

Eve Ensler: It was as surprising to me as it is to you, which is why I decided to do it. I think [director] George Miller heard me give a talk on human rights in Sydney. He asked me if I would be willing to come to Namibia for a week where they were shooting and work with the cast members—particularly the wives. He wanted me to give them a perspective on violence against women around the world, particularly in war zones.

I read the script and was blown away. One out of three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime—it’s a central issue of our time, and that violence against women relates to racial and economic injustice. This movie takes those issues head-on. I think George Miller is a feminist, and he made a feminist action film. It was really amazing of him to know that he needed a woman to come in who had experience with this."
http://time.com/3850323/mad-max-fury-road-eve-ensler-feminist/ *SPOILERS*

Video interview with Charlize Theron about it: http://www.hitfix.com/motion-captur...unexpected-feminist-kick-of-mad-max-fury-road

If it gets more women or feminists to check it out and enjoy, it's all good. Women already make a big part of the ratio in audiences for action movies that don't even have well developed female characters. Can't be bad that it has more relevancy to the real world with the rape and sex trafficking stuff.

I read this in EW and thought it was so fucking amazing. Who the hell is going to be making a huge, supposedly "testerone-soaked teenage boy fantasy" and then add a ton of feminist themes and get help from one of the most famous, important figures in feminism? It's awesome to me and helps subvert things.
 
Miller making this film both a possibly commercial success and a critically acclaimed film is great but also worries me. Why? Because Warner Bros. is probably gonna try to convince him to do a DC film in the future.

They've ALREADY convinced him to do a DC film. It would have been pretty good, probably, had a combination of tax issues, The Dark Knight's success and a writer's strike not killed it.
 

Atrophis

Member
I read this in EW and thought it was so fucking amazing. Who the hell is going to be making a huge, supposedly "testerone-soaked teenage boy fantasy" and then add a ton of feminist themes and get help from one of the most famous, important figures in feminism? It's awesome to me and helps subvert things.

I showed my wife the trailers for this and she wasn't that interested as she thought the women in the film would be handled terribly. This should convince her to come see this film with me so its sold at least one extra ticket.
 

JoduanER2

Member
I always visit rottentomatoes to check for movie reviews and ive never seen this much praise for a movie, im soo hyped right now!!
 

Snaku

Banned
I read this in EW and thought it was so fucking amazing. Who the hell is going to be making a huge, supposedly "testerone-soaked teenage boy fantasy" and then add a ton of feminist themes and get help from one of the most famous, important figures in feminism? It's awesome to me and helps subvert things.

And it completely works in service of the story and character motivations.
 

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
WB should be giddy with these reviews, took a risk with the movie and didn't force Miller to cut shit to allow the movie to get a pg-13 rating.

Really hope it's a success box office wise for both Miller and WB. Specially Miller.
 
I know it is going to go down, but after 22 reviews on RT, it is at 100% still with a 9.2 critic average score. Damn.

Let's hope that the reviews convince people to come out and see it this weekend. Thursday shows could help as well. From the Variety tracking article:
“It has the potential to really surprise people,” said Phil Contrino, VP and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “It’s poised to be the kind of movie where Thursday shows happen and people go nuts for it and it snowballs into a huge weekend.”
WB should be giddy with these reviews, took a risk with the movie and didn't force Miller to cut shit to allow the movie to get a pg-13 rating.

Really hope it's a success box office wise for both Miller and WB. Specially Miller.

I think someone said it on another page, but WB tested a PG-13 version as well and it didn't get the same audience response as the R one. So they were ready for both, and test audiences loved the R rated one more, so they are gambling with it now. Good!
 

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
I'll watch this and the movie will probably make me want to play the game too, heh.

I think someone said it on another page, but WB tested a PG-13 version as well and it didn't get the same audience response as the R one. So they were ready for both, and test audiences loved the R rated one more, so they are gambling with it now. Good!
Good stuff, these movies are like a sledgehammer like someone mentioned in the thread, if you try to sanatize it the impact is not the same.
 

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
Wow, incredible reviews

I somehow had never seen the originals until the past couple weeks. Haven't gotten to Thunderdome yet and didn't particularly care for the first but Road Warrior was fantastic.
 

dream

Member
Kelly Ripa just asked Charlize Theron, who is a huge fan of the franchise, if this is a sequel, and Theron replied, "you know, I'm the wrong person to ask. I don't think so?"
 
Kinda sorta. Basically when Broken Hill got rained out and had no desert in 2010 the team had still built a road specific for the movie and spent the next 2 years honing the stunt sequences making sure they'd be as safe as they could when it came time to do it for real. Time did help because Miller thought the characters involving the Pole Cats, guys basically on giant polls attached to the back of vehicles that swing over for some intense stunt scenes, would have be done with green screen and motionless. Guy Norris and his team spent years practicing and building the rigs to do it for real in Namibia.

Remember, Miller had the entire film storyboarded and designed in 2001.

So glad they went practical for the pole stuff, cause it's absolute bonkers.

ibibSO0MAlTPkg.gif
 

Krev

Unconfirmed Member
‏@ErikDavis
When I sat down w/ George Miller 20 minutes ago he hadn't heard about the good reviews yet & nearly jumped out of his seat when I told him

‏@mikeryan
Just interviewed George Miller. Told him about early MAD MAX reviews, he yelled "Yeah!" then clapped his hands on his lap like a school kid.


: )

What a lovely day.
 
Kelly Ripa just asked Charlize Theron, who is a huge fan of the franchise, if this is a sequel, and Theron replied, "you know, I'm the wrong person to ask. I don't think so?"

Has Miller officially addressed this? There were some pretty clear flashbacks to a
child
who must have been killed or died because of Max but I don't think it was clear whether or not they were related. Compare it to the Road Warrior, where it's very obvious that they were his family.

The flashbacks felt unnecessary, IMO. One of the few imperfections of this movie!
 

Loxley

Member
If WB are going to try and get Miller to direct a DC Comics movie, make it Lobo or Shazam. Lobo if they want to go with the wild n' crazy Mad Max George Miller or Shazam if they want to go with the more family-friendly Babe/Happy Feet George Miller.
 
‏@ErikDavis
When I sat down w/ George Miller 20 minutes ago he hadn't heard about the good reviews yet & nearly jumped out of his seat when I told him

‏@mikeryan
Just interviewed George Miller. Told him about early MAD MAX reviews, he yelled "Yeah!" then clapped his hands on his lap like a school kid.


: )

What a lovely day.

George Miller really does have this child-like energy to him. The Q&A was fun, even if Robert Rodriguez was a little annoying.
 
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