Blu-ray Movie Reviews

After the gasoline (and almost everything else) has dried up, only the baddest of badasses have managed to survive in the barren future of Mad Max: Fury Road. And surviving is enough for Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy stepping into Mel Gibson’s well-worn leather), a former cop with but one stubborn shred of decency remaining. He’s a handsome enough actor, but he finds himself behind another Bane-like mask for much of his screen time: Captured, used as an unwilling blood donor, and thrust into the center of a deadly pursuit by three rival warlords, he unexpectedly finds himself protecting a cargo more precious than “juice,” with a long and furious road ahead.

Tormented by the ghosts of those he’s left behind, this Max is plenty mad, and he inhabits a vast world that outweirds even 300. Yet the drama is real, anchored by an equally intense Charlize Theron as a career road warrior with a shot at redemption. The results are operatic in their scope and visceral impact, and the action—which is almost non-stop—is epic in a way audiences have never seen before. I can’t say I love every choice here (a sped-up running effect used more than once is distractingly cartoony), but this fourth installment earns its place alongside the best of the classic Mad Max Trilogy, reviewed on Blu-ray in the December 2013 Sound & Vision.

How can a movie be so ugly and so beautiful at the same time? The manipulation of color is exquisite, from the many shades of rock and sand to the hyper-real emphasis on fresh blood across Max’s face in an otherwise washed-out blue scene. Detail is striking as well, with countless precise dimples in the foreboding stone surfaces in addition to the tiny specks of approaching enemies in the distance. The 2.4:1 movie was shot digitally, and I noted rare, mild video streaking in some fast action, and only minimal ringing. While justly lauded for his embrace of old-school stunt work, director George Miller also takes full advantage of 30 years’ progress in filmmaking techniques since his last foray with Max, although surprisingly, a few of the special effects call themselves out.

Sonically, the movie starts out with relative calm, as exposition is delivered in the briefest of sound bites phased between the surrounds, subtly drawing us into the story before the first chase. We don’t have long to wait, and we are promptly treated to the palpable rumble of mighty engines, the expansive cheers of an adoring throng, and the sharp directionality of whizzing harpoons and zooming vehicles. Explosions are plentiful and spectacular, and the ominous and thrilling score by Junkie XL enhances this ride tremendously with its impressive clarity, skillful mix, and sheer power. I’m looking forward to securing my Dolby Atmos rig later this year so I can fully appreciate what this track has to offer.

The six behind-the-scenes featurettes range from four min- utes to almost half an hour, each with a different focus, including a compilation of unaltered pro- duction footage and test shots of the jaw-dropping car/truck/ motorcycle/etc. stunts. There are also three deleted scenes in HD, all understandably sacrificed. The Blu-ray arrives bundled with a DVD and a unique printed code for an UltraViolet Digital Copy. Frankly, it should have come with seat belts.

Blu-ray
Studio: Warner Bros., 2015
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Format: Dolby Atmos / TrueHD 7.1 core
Length: 120 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: George Miller
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult