RichC2

And that likely would have been a rather short movie.

Hokeyboy

I actually was more interested in Furiosa and the women/matriarchs from the "Green Place" than any of the other characters. I had no problem with Furiosa being the fulcrum and primary focus of the story.

My reasons for not being as enamored of the movie as others are documented before, and I won't rehash them, but obviously I must be a "butthurt hater"

Hokeyboy

Without question. Max aids the plans and helps drive it to success... but catalyst of the story? Not even close.

dsa_shea

I ordered a copy of that art book and should have it next week. I shouldn't be spending the money but I want it.

printerati

Which makes this installment a "mindless action film" in a sense, since there was little to no attempt at any further character development, particularly from the film's namesake. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it could and should have been more, especially after a 30 year wait.

Solid Snake

Actually... based on the wait. It did insanely better than possibly any other continuing film franchise one could wait for.

It was actually a huge leap ahead of the norm.

printerati

True, but this particular installment does not require any familiarity with previous installments, to its detriment in my opinion. However, that does make it a lot more accessible to audiences who weren't even alive when the previous films came out, and just want to see an insane action film with a guy named Max and a bunch of vehicles that get chased around and blow'd up. The box office take clearly reflects that.

robin2099

I never considered Furiosa to be the main character of the movie. After Max got involved he basically took over the movie and if not for him Furiosa's plan wouldn't have succeeded. Max was basically the quiet bad ass in a western who rescued the town and left into the sunset.

Why So Blu?

And would have failed. That's why Max was more than just a supporting character.

Why So Blu?

Correct.

Why So Blu?

Nothing mindless about it, though.

Hokeyboy

He's not the catalyst of the plot, that's for sure. He was essential to the success of Furiosa's mission, yes, but it was still Furiosa's mission.

Now let's say Max is still captured in chains back at the beginning, he breaks free, manages to secure transport, gets apprehended by Furiosa who will turn a blind eye if and only if she and the wives can escape with him. It makes Furiosa a much less compelling, more reactive character, but it elevates Max to that of the typical action hero with a plan and a purpose, but still requiring allies.

Furiosa is clearly the main character here, and I'm utterly fine with that.

hasslein

We don't know that, because Max delayed their progress when he first encountered them, who's to say what would've happened had he not held them back?

RocShemp

Not at all. Furiosa is a great character and the quest is hers. However, Max is the character we follow and we see how Furiosa's quest affects Max. It's the same thing that happened in Mad Max 2. The story was about Papagallo's tribe and their struggle to escape with their fuel. Their opponents were Humongous' gang. Max just wanted some fuel and to be on his merry way. They eventually ask him to stay and he refuses to help but eventually feels compelled to see their quest through.

In Mad Max: Fury Road, a more feral Max has no interest in the plight of Furiosa and the Five Wives. They are trying to escape Immortan Joe and his Warboys, while also seeking the Green Place. Once again, it's not Max's quest. It's theirs. But the quest eventually affects him and he's the one that steers them toward claiming rulership over Immortan Joe's land.

Just because the actual story isn't about Max, does not mean he isn't the lead. Hell, he actually goes through the classic Joseph Campbell story structure in MM2 and MMFR.

Oh and the original title of this movie was always Fury Road. The sequel that was intended to be shot back-to-back with this one is the one that was to be called Furiosa.

I hear this argument a lot and it's false. Though he doesn't get long stretches of dialogue or conversations (neither did Max in the previous three movies), he is constantly chattering away. Like when he was tied to Nux' car. Max is bitching and complaining throughout that entire sequence. He complains about his car being stolen and then his blood, he yells at Nux' buddy when he almost hits him with a lance, he's almost always demanding his car back whenever the Interceptor is scene. The thing is, until the end of the money, Max doesn't give a rats ass about anyone but himself. So he doesn't bother to engage people that he mostly sees as obstacles he needs to overcome or dead weight he needs to cut loose. So his dialogue reflects that state of mind.

That was my favorite scene and the one that truly cemented this flick as his in my eyes. Everyone looks upon him in awe when he returns.

mapasu

Watched it tonight. Awesome!

Why So Blu?

Seeing this again in ATMOS today. The GF is obsessed with it. I gotta abide.

Pointyskull

Saw it in ATMOS over the weekend, and I found much of the shouted dialogue in the opening sequence to be unintelligible (though it didn't impact following the story).

I'd be curious to hear if your experience is similar or not...

Why So Blu?

I'll keep an ear out. The first two showings were clear but they were not Atmos but they were at Arclight theaters. This Atmos screening is also at an Arclight theater.

Pointyskull

Normally I haven't had any complaints with the ATMOS presentation at Marcus Theaters, so I wasn't sure if it was a case of being too loud or perhaps some other setting. The volume was cranked pretty high - and the vehicles sounded magnificent...

EctoCooler

Also saw it in ATMOS, and yes... I couldn't understand a damn thing Joe was saying during that entire sequence with the initial spilling of the water from the pipes. In fact, could anyone here summarize and detail what it was, exactly, that he said?

Cardiac161

Just got that book and, being a fan of the movie, is worth every page. It covers the costumes, cars, the make up, the characters and bit of history on the film. The few things I do wish it would cover more are the stunts, the Citadel design and more Furiosa.

hasslein

A lot of theaters dumping the 3D version this weekend.

RichC2

It has to share with Poltergeist.

Dr. DVD

Any chance this might be able to outperform Poltergeist this weekend? It's killing it in the reviews department, but MM is rated R and Poltergeist is PG-13, which can go a long way nowadays (see Ouija).

TomOpus

Every time they ha've shown the trailer in the theater there has been very little reaction. I don't think there's a lot of interest.

Of course I could be wrong and my own disinterest is clouding my perception.