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Mad Max: Fury Road is an infusion of adrenaline. It delivers non-stop, action, and still makes time to show well-developed characters. This strange trip into a world of vehicular carnage, fast cars, bone-crunching crashes, memorable characters, and stunning visuals is not easily forgotten.

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, “Mad” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) encounters a group of women attempting to escape from their captors. He is reluctant to help. Plagued with memories of the people he failed in the past, Max eventually agrees to aid Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) escape from the ever-increasing army of gearhead lunatics on their tail.

This movie reminds me why the original Mad Max films have been ripped off so many times. A world that's managed to survive at the expense of sanity has a certain appeal. This time, however, it's different. When we usually visit the post-apocalypse, everything is either feral, covered in shit, or on fire. The people who've survived are all jerks except for the few innocents who remain and cannibalism runs amuck. Holding onto hope is foolish. Even if you can make it through the day, civilization's gone down the toilet. Fury Road features a functioning world. There are plenty of cars, there’s water, food, even ammunition. People survived through the lawless wild west. This is that time period again, cranked to 11 with a few extreme weather patterns and some lingering radiation. Things wouldn't be so bad if the people in charge weren't all power-hungry dictators or brazen maniacs. It's not "mad" in the sense that it's angry. It's "mad" as in insane.

It's an insane asylum crossed with a junkyard and a chop-shop but what you see make sense once you get settled in. The masks and makeup, cars covered in spikes, exploding spears, and bizarre characters tell us what this world is like. They give us a glimpse into the religions that have developed, the way those in power keep the rest under control, the different warring tribes, commerce, vehicles, and weapons that have evolved since the world turned to ruin. How do you keep a fleet of road-ripping cars focused on their goal and ready to tear anything in their path to shreds? With war drums. Not just any kind of drums; 4 drummers on the back of an 18-wheeler with speakers blasting their beat so loud you'd be a fool not to be intimidated. Just to be sure, they're the background music to the main spectacle: an electric guitar-player who instrument shoots flames. You'd have to be crazy to stand in the way of that kind of power.

This movie delivers everything you want in terms of action and visuals. Vehicles are reduced to scrap, there's fire and shrapnel throughout. The fights are long, well-shot, and creative. We also get surprisingly well-developed characters. Furiosa and the women she’s rescuing are all different from each other. The longer you stay with them, the more you understand how they've managed to survive and what's pushed them to take this ultimate gamble. You desperately want Max to crack through the armor he's built for himself and get involved like you are. Together, they might just have what it takes to make this escape happen. Through it all, this understanding of them makes the story that much more intense and engaging.

It’s got strong female characters, great villains, and some of the best action I’ve seen in a long time. If you haven’t seen the original films, this one stands on its own well but I recommend you check out the others first. What you see seems so much more spectacular when you see how it all began in terms of world-building but also of filmmaking techniques. If you are already a fan and you’re hesitant to check it out because you think it’ll upset the franchise you already love, don't worry. George Miller has been watching people imitate his films for 30 years. He’s back to show us all how it's really done. Watch it. You can thank me afterward. Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best films of 2015. You'll be drawn back to it over and over. (2-D Theatrical version on the big screen, June 17, 2015)

Paradax Tribute - Chella & Pinfildi

Sketch & Inks by Andrea Chella, Colors by Me (Photoshop CC)

How is it each time I revisit Mad Max: Fury Road I'm just as excited as I was the first time I saw it? Because this flow of non-stop, adrenaline-pumping action also features well-developed characters and a strong story. It’s a trip to a strange world of fast cars, bone-shattering crashes, memorable characters, stunning visuals, knockout chases, and... a double electric guitar that shoots flames.

When “Mad” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) encounters a group of women running away from their captors, he is reluctant to help. Plagued with memories of the people he failed in the past, Max eventually agrees to help Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) escape from the ever-increasing army of gearhead lunatics on their tail.

The Mad Max films have this certain, inexplicable appeal. It explains why the first three films have been ripped off so many times. Everything is always feral, covered in shit, or on fire. The survivors are all cutthroats (except maybe the protagonist) and cannibalism is rampant. What else is there to say? Fury Road finds a new angle while delivering what you want to see. This movie isn’t about traditional survival. It isn’t about finding food, trying to stay warm, finding a cure, dodging cannibals, or evading the greasy bikers who pillage and rape all day. The apocalypse is functional. There are plenty of cars, there’s water, food, fuel, even ammunition. The world stands a chance of recovering but everyone in charge is a power-hungry lunatic.

Looking at stills/trailers, the film looks insane. It is, but there's a method to its madness. That rocker whose guitar is a flamethrower? His anthem drives an army forward like drums on a warship. The weapons, vehicles, and costumes tell us of the ways the higher-ups maintain control of their subordinates, of the emerging cult-religion people believe in, the way business is done, the different tribes who live in the apocalyptic desert, etc. There's so much going on visually there's no way to grasp it all in a single viewing even if you're not distracted by the action scenes or the plot.

Director George Miller has been listening to us as we've grumbled through the knockoffs year after year. What do people want from a movie called Mad Max: Fury Road? Outrageous vehicular duels, colorful characters tearing each other to pieces as metal screams below them, high-speed chases shot and edited by experts, memorable heroes, despicable villains, and images that will last forever. That's all this movie is. The costumers and designers, the mechanics and stunt people built all of these unique vehicles, brought all of these tribes to life so they could annihilate on-camera. When you boil it down, the film is one giant chase. It's always got the pedal all the way down but also fleshes out the individuals participating in this marathon of madness. Max, Furiosa, even the side characters reveal more about themselves and change over time as the chase gets increasingly intense.

All the little touches make this picture something special. The soundtrack - so perfectly integrated into the action. The colors, editing, sound design, vehicles, armor, and weapons drip with earnest passion. It’s got strong female characters, great villains, and some of the best action you'll ever see without ever having to resort to the ridiculous or unbelievable. I know that sounds hard to believe, but it's true. (2-D Theatrical version on the big screen, May 18, 2015)