Review: Mad Max - Fury Road (2015)

After many years of patience since the news of Miller's intention to film another instalment, to now being able to experience it - that patience has paid off. 

After two very good first entries in the Mad Max saga, Beyond Thunderdome was a major let down. George Miller has rectified that misfire with Fury Road - an absolutely jaw dropping spectacle. Miller structures this insane road carnage around a story that starts with Max taken captive, then inadvertently becoming intangled with Furiosa as she flees Immortan Joe. Her cargo is precious to Joe, and so a massive chase ensues. 

It is pretty simple stuff, but it is pulled off in a very exciting way. The basics of it all is actually pretty similar to Mad Max 2, but, the scale is grander. Miller has utilised very little CGI and created some of the most impressive stunt work you will ever see. The vehicles alone are pretty damn cool, but seeing them rocket along a desert wasteland doing things you never thought was possible, is, well, amazing. 

I love Tom Hardy, and his take on Max as the man of little words and crazy action is cool to watch.  Hardy is good as Max - but he'll never replace Mel. Theron is tougher than tough in her role as Furiosa, the once loyal member of Immortan Joe's clan, and now someone that longs to return home. Immortan Joe himself is an interesting character, and is actually played by the actor that was the villain in the first film - Hugh Keays-Byrne. He's essentially a dictator here, keeping people enslaved as he enjoys what last resources there are left. 

The whole film is essentially one big chase. There are moments of character development and story, but mostly this film is about carnage. At this point I wouldn't give it anymore than 4 stars, as I feel I would have liked a bit more character development, or at least understood them more. But, that is a minor quibble. I have to say I have suffered a bit from the social media blow up of this film - that it is the greatest thing since slice bread. I wouldn't say it is a masterpiece, not just yet anyways. I did however enjoy the orchestra of destruction on display, and the return of Mad Max. This is blockbuster film making unlike what we have seen for a long long time. Thanks to CGI and superhero antics, we've probably forgotten how else a blockbuster can be.

Rating: 

4 out of 5.

Review: Blackhat (2015)

When news of this film hit, I was quite excited in the expectation of another Michael Mann film. Then, just before release here in Australia, it gets pulled. WTF!!

Reviews essentially pulled this film apart, and the box office was practically naught - so I can understand why distributors didn't even bother. But, this is a Michael Mann film, so what the hell is going on with not releasing this theatrically?

Well, I finally found out why. It is nowhere near the level of film that we're used to from this great director. He's responsible for one of my favourites - Heat - as well some other great films in The Last of the Mohicans, The Insider, Ali, Collateral, Miami Vice, and to a lesser degree Public Enemies, Manhunter and Thief. Even those last 3 are quite good. This film, damn, it is barely good.

Sometimes I feel I am being generous by giving it 3 stars, but, if you were to take the Michael Mann factor and expectation out of it, then you would think it was a good flick. Well filmed, some tense action scenes, decent story.

However, as a Mann flick, it seems to lack a great script, and well drawn out characters. Once of key elements to Mann films is a real fleshing out of character arcs - it's all in the dialogue. Here, that barely resonated with me. I wanted to feel something for these characters, inc the main guy played by Chris Hemsworth - but I just didn't feel it. You know you're loving a film when you get caught up in the world and the stories of the characters - and the only way to really do that is with a good script. Sure, there are plenty of films that you can love without there being much dialogue at all, I know that, but even here we're not given much to feel in the way these characters are portrayed.

For the most part, it is a good film, just disappointing that Mann didn't pull off a great one. Maybe a revisit down the track one day might be different.

Rating:

3 out of 5