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According to Chris Snellgrove
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Hollywood has a mania for prequels and sequels, but this creates a vicious circle in which successful films require another film, but sequels are often many worse than what came before (looking at you, Star Wars). And when a movie is part of a sprawling franchise, it doesn’t really have to be a sequel badbut it’s different enough from what came before that it turns audiences off. That happened Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga. At first I was disappointed by how different this prequel was Fury Roadbut after rewatching it on netflix i made up my mind Furious is a flawed masterpiece.
The plot of Furiosa
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or in an apocalyptic wasteland), here’s a quick rundown Furious which can help you determine whether to stream it on Netflix. We follow the adventures of the titular Furiosa, who gets caught up in a violent power game between Dement and Immortan Joe, each of whom wants to be the supreme leader of a world powered by water and gasoline. She eventually gains strength and prominence as a member of Joe’s army, with the film fully explaining her character’s unexpected turn. Mad Max: Fury Road.
If you are a Fury Road fan watching Furious on Netflix can be confusing at first due to cast changes: Anya Taylor-Joy replacing Charlize Theron as Furiosa in this prequel film and Lachy Hulme replacing the late great Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe. While he’s barely in the film, Jacob Tomuri replaces Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, and the cast is rounded out by other memorable newcomers including Chris Hemsworth in a wonderfully insane performance as Dementus.
The reaction is apocalyptic
Creator of Mad Max George Miller returned to lead this prequel and after the success Fury Road (which grossed $380.5 million against a budget of $154.6-185.2 million), hopes for another cinematic success were very high. Unfortunately, Furious crashed and burned long before it ended up on Netflix: the $168 million film barely made it back on budget and grossed a rather paltry $173.8 million at the box office. The general consensus was that the film failed because it was too different from Fury Road (more on that soon), but it won a minor theatrical victory: it won over the critics.
On Rotten tomatoes, Furious has a 90 percent critical rating, with critics generally praising the film’s unexpectedly emotional core as well as how it provides a juicy backdrop Fury Road. It also has a Popcornmeter rating of 89 percent, with audiences generally rating this prequel as the action entry in Hollywood’s weirdest franchise. It shows that those who watched Furious for the most part i liked it…unfortunately, unless the movie gets a cult following on netflix, the sad fact is that far too many people will skip this movie entirely.
That’s a shame, though it took me a while to realize. Full confession: I was one of the many Mad Max fans who was disappointed by this prequel because it is so different from Fury Roadoffering a sprawling, character-centric origin story when I was expecting another non-stop, high-octane car chase. I watched once Furious on Netflix, I realized I was a problem. I judged this film for not being a Fury Road remake when director George Miller clearly wanted to return to the ambitious world-building he first started in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
Everyone remembers Thunderdome for things like the Thunderdome title match against the Master Blaster and the brilliantly goofy over-acting of Tina Turner. What’s easily forgotten, however, is how much this sequel was steeped in lore and world-building, showing us everything from how these post-apocalyptic cities generate energy to how hero cults form around the fragmented memories of the pre-apocalypse. It’s uneven and certainly not as good as the previous film, The Road warriorbut it gives fans plenty to chew on.
You should watch Furious on Netflix (especially as part of a double feature involving Fury Roadwhich is also on streaming platform), you’ll probably feel the same way: the prequel just isn’t as great as the earlier Tom Hardy/Charlize Theron masterpiece, but it’s still amazing. If you go into it with an open mind (and ideally a healthy love of the Mad Max franchise), you’ll find it’s a film full of fun acting and pleasant surprises. However, if you’re expecting Fury Road: The Prequel, you’ll probably be repeating Immortan Joe and rating this movie as “Average!”
So, you will find Furious a flawed masterpiece like I did when you stream it on Netflix, or decide it’s time for George Miller to hang this series up like one of Immortan Joe’s blood bags? You won’t know until you broadcast it yourself. If nothing else, consider this film research… if our own world ever descends into water wars like Max Rockatansky’s, Anya Taylor-Joy’s fighting moves could mean the difference between becoming a warrior or just another warrior.
Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga is available for streaming on Netflix.
