Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) June 7th, 2024

Let’s starts by establishing the sequel/prequel problem, forgive me if this feels remedial. Follow-up films aren’t produced for unpopular franchises without momentum, but oftentimes the subsequent movies pale in comaparison to the original blockbuster. These rehashed cash-grabs are plagued by persistent creative missteps that should be avoidable after a hundred years of filmmaking. Let’s make a short list of pitfalls to avoid.

First, the spirit of the originial film is what’s worth repeating, not exactly the same beats, gags, or literally blowing up four more death stars. To achieve this, find what made the world work and creatively complement those elements without giving teenagers on Tatooine colorful Vespas. Consider things as simple as, maintaining matching color pallets and atmospheric aestetics make introductions to new characters or settings more acceptable (Yoda, Degobah, Hoth, etc.). Second, over explaining the world in a sequel demystifies the setting we fell in love with in the first place. We don’t want to watch the cinematic version of a hospital pamphlet titled “Midi-Chlorians and your changing body”. Third, lean in or lean out of the original cast and plot. If your sequel MUST include characters from the previous films then you’d better feature them prominantly or in a dramatically influential cameo (think Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). I’m not going to be happy if I have to tolerate thirty minutes of Han Solo doing nothing so he can put over a cosplayer wearing his grandpa’s old clothes… or ya’know… something less Star Wars specific. Look, Star Wars sequels shit the anti-gravity bed so spectacularly that all other sequel failures disappear from my memory.

This list could continue further devolving into specific gripes about Star Wars but the point is through its original trilogy (and the California Love music video, don’t think I forgot about it) the Mad Max franchise spent thirty plus years thrilling audiences with its unique world building before George Miller finished his magnum opus Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015. Nine years later its prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga does an admirable job falling short of its predecessor’s splendor. Like your second cirque du soleil show, the thrilling novelty of acrobatic stunts mixed with a pyrotechnic fueled demolition derby has worn off.

First, does Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga accentuate the elements of Mad Max: Fury Road? Totally, the new bikers have differenly outrageous outfits and vehicles while doing differently outragously acts of violence. Second, does it demystify the world with overexplination? Oh yeah. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga invests in laying out not only how Bullet Town, Gas Town, and Immortan Joe’s Citadel function together as an economy but it also establishes Furiosa was kidnapped from a wasteland oasis. This suggests the hope for humanity to crawl out of the dystopian wastes and build a utopia is cooperation and love. Bullshit! That’s remarkably antithetical to Mad Max’s longstanding themes of hopelessly striving for order and dignity in a deformed dog-eat-dog world. Third, does it follow a character from a previous film? Yes, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is Furiosa’s origin story and even finishes with a quick slideshow of scenes from Mad Max: Fury Road as if to remind you why you bought the ticket in the first place.

Maybe none of this matters to you and you just want someone to tell you if you’ll have a good time at the movies. Yeah, probably. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga isn’t a dismal failure of a film by any stretch, but in comparison to Mad Max: Fury Road? It’s like going back to the Pizza Hut buffet for seconds of the supreme or meat lovers pan pizza only to discover all that remains are stale pepperoni and those stiff cinnimon sticks. It’s fine, but I’ve had better.