I’m not often the biggest fan of prequels, especially in action-oriented movies. You already know the fates of any major characters who show up later in the “present day” stories. It forces the filmmakers into a more difficult position, creating tension, drama, thrills from other aspects of the plot and other characters. That’s the dilemma George Miller finds himself in with Furiosa, prequel to his 2015 epic, Mad Max: Fury Road. It can be done well, I’m just usually a little more apprehensive about those movies. Luckily for us, though, we have George Miller behind this one. And Furiosa manages to avoid the pitfalls that a lesser movie would have succumbed to.
Furiosa serves as an origin story for the titular character. It begins with a young Furiosa (Alyla Browne plays the young warrior, Anya Taylor-Joy the older version) living an idyllic life (well, as idyllic a a life as you can in the post-apocalyptic Wasteland) in the Green Place of Many Mothers. But when a group of biker marauders abduct her, it sets her off on a path of revenge and redemption. The bikers take her back to their camp, to their leader Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Their hope is to force Furiosa to take them back to her home, so they might take control of this “place of abundance.”
But Furiosa remains steadfast in her commitment to protect her home, not only refusing to divulge its location, but not speaking even a single word for the next several years. Dementus keeps her around, as a sort of daughter figure – though it remains a one-way relationship. He brings her with as he continues his journey to conquer the Wasteland, with or without the Green Place.
Their journeys lead them into conflicts with the Citadel, Gastown, and the Bullet Farm. Dementus, like any good crazy despot, believes he alone can unite the entire Wasteland and improve their way of life. Fury Road was hailed as one of the greatest action movies of all time, so expectations for Furiosa were sky high. And these various conflicts lead into a new collection of epic stunts, fights, car chases, you name it.
That is where a movie like this makes its bones. Sure, the story, character intrigue, emotional payoff, all have to be there too. But if the action doesn’t measure up, nothing else will either. Whatever current phrase of the day you want to use to praise the action, it applies. It’s just sick. There’s no other way to say it.
There are any number of sequences you could point to as “the” moment in the film. But I think many will go to the extended chase sequence, where Miller really lets his creative juices fly, showing off his flair for the visuals. Pursued by members of Dementus’ group, Furiosa and Praetorian Jack – essentially a mentor – have everything thrown at them. From the expected guns to attacks from parasails and bad guys on sand skates, it’s an absolute visual treat.
Beyond the action, Furiosa has more character depth and development than I was expecting. Prequels often run the risk of over explaining how a character gets to a certain point. Or, take 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story and the cringe-inducing reasoning for how Han became Han Solo. That’s what’s at risk. But Miller is careful with those moments, using them add to true development and deeper meaning to Furiosa. Whether it’s losing her arm, building the infamous War Rig, or even her initial decision to shave her head. It all serves the story and gives the audience a better understanding of who Furiosa is. It’s just about the best way possible a prequel can be handled.
Though featuring a huge cast of characters, Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa and Hemsworth’s Dementus are far and away the focus and stars of the film. Furiosa is quiet, subdued, doesn’t want to draw attention to herself if it can be helped. She’s singularly focused, with revenge and family driving her. Taylor-Joy is pitch-perfect in the role, embodying the quiet rage and determination simmering beneath the surface. She has very few lines in the movie, forcing the physical acting to the forefront, and not just in the action scenes. Taylor-Joy is able to convey everything she needs to with a single glance, or head turn.
Dementus is loud, charismatic, always wants to be in the spotlight. Hemsworth got to play around with this type of character in 2018’s Bad Times at the El Royale, and he takes up a level with Dementus. The character even adds a good amount of humor to the movie, something I was not expecting. That can be a slippery slope, as this kind of setup doesn’t always easily allow for laughs that feel like they belong. But the script and Hemsworth’s delivery make it feel completely natural.
With George Miller’s sure hand behind the camera, two A+ leads, and a collection of action sequences and stunts that can go toe to toe with anyone, Furiosa is a triumph. And with intense focus on the “how” and “why” of the journey to the Furiosa we first met in Fury Road, it manages to avoid the pitfalls many other prequels wouldn’t have. Once again, Miller threw everything he had at this one, with another mesmerizing result.
Grade: A-
