Test audience screening Wed 4/30

[Uncle Entity]

Actually, the Thunderdome ending is very powerful and it's the "true" end for our original Mad Max.

It makes sense they "reimagined" it, because the Post-Thunderdome world was going to be better and better, not worse.

[MWFV8]

It's worth noting that what makes a hero is really character and intent, not skills or resourcefulness.

Having Max captured early on doesn't make him any less of a hero. If anything, one of Max's more empathising characteristics is how he seems to suffer from really bad luck.

MM1 - Goes on break to get away from bikers - Loses wife and kids to bikers.
RW - Tries to trade person for gas - Gets held by compound dwellers & Trades truck for BoB - Loses BoB and left for dead minutes from leaving & Helps with tanker escape - Has Feral Kid as stowaway
BTTD - Finds salvation in Barter Town - Ends up in Auntie's pocket & Beats Master Blaster - Exiled to desert & Finds desert Oasis - Learns kids are headed for Barter Town

Those are just the major plot points. There's plenty of little beats like Max nearly running out of gas in the middle of a chase, shotgun cartridges that fail, chainsaws that cut out etc...

Capture is often an essential part of the hero's journey, it's often a metaphorical death which causes the hero to arc and fight back stronger. It's usually during the low point of the overall story, but it might be being used in the first act of Fury road build character for a new audience. Perhaps we see other captured individuals give up while Max hangs on, or maybe it's a plot device where he bonds with someone and escapes with them. Either way, at a bare minimum, it provides some insight into the inner world of a gang through Max's eyes.

[Yok]

It's worth noting that what makes a hero is really character and intent, not skills or resourcefulness.

Jack Burton in Big Trouble In Little China. Mostly nay-says, holds people back, screws things up, makes an ass of himself... He DOES kill Lo Pan though...

[themanw/oaname]

It's worth noting that what makes a hero is really character and intent, not skills or resourcefulness.

Which is what potter and catniss sorely lack, because they are given plot devices rather than show any character.

[pauli77]

It's worth noting that what makes a hero is really character and intent, not skills or resourcefulness.

Having Max captured early on doesn't make him any less of a hero. If anything, one of Max's more empathising characteristics is how he seems to suffer from really bad luck.

MM1 - Goes on break to get away from bikers - Loses wife and kids to bikers.
RW - Tries to trade person for gas - Gets held by compound dwellers & Trades truck for BoB - Loses BoB and left for dead minutes from leaving & Helps with tanker escape - Has Feral Kid as stowaway
BTTD - Finds salvation in Barter Town - Ends up in Auntie's pocket & Beats Master Blaster - Exiled to desert & Finds desert Oasis - Learns kids are headed for Barter Town

Those are just the major plot points. There's plenty of little beats like Max nearly running out of gas in the middle of a chase, shotgun cartridges that fail, chainsaws that cut out etc...

Capture is often an essential part of the hero's journey, it's often a metaphorical death which causes the hero to arc and fight back stronger. It's usually during the low point of the overall story, but it might be being used in the first act of Fury road build character for a new audience. Perhaps we see other captured individuals give up while Max hangs on, or maybe it's a plot device where he bonds with someone and escapes with them. Either way, at a bare minimum, it provides some insight into the inner world of a gang through Max's eyes.

I don't disagree because it entirely depends on how it's handled but...

Max was not unlucky in MM1 they were actively seeking Max because of his/MFP's actions earlier in the film (*thinking about it though it might have been misfortune that they encounter Jesse)

RW yeah, I guess it was bad luck but Max was already aware that the compound dwellers weren't the ones to be afraid of, as I said, if Max had been captured by Humungus he would, in all likely hood, be dead. You could argue he madea judgement call based on his survival needs. Max drawing his shotgun on Wez but having no shells is not unlucky, he was trying to scare Wez off by making him make a decision; Max knew he had no ammo and no fuel.

BTD. It's precisely the fact that Max has a sense of ethics that means he doesn't kill Blaster when realising he is mentally challenged so as an audience we like him more. He is not unlucky in this, he makes a decision which moves the story on. If he killed Blaster, there is no story and Max is no different from every other thug in Barter Town (though clearly skilled).

That's kind of my final point...in each of those films, Max is shown to be resourceful, highly skilled and different to the other characters that surround him which makes him a hero or at least peaks our interest.

Hey, it will be interesting to see how show Max as somehow special if they have him captured for a significant part of the movie from the start. It might work if he's perhaps tired of been in the wasteland and tired of fighting and has almost given up and then something brings about his humanity and gives him something worth fighting for.

[Mud Guts]

Any news about motorbikes in FR?

[Taipan]

Any news about motorbikes in FR?

There's at least one!

[DGSimo]

I'm wondering then based on some of the info from the screenings if this photo from the November 2013 shoot is Max captured and chained atop the War Rig/Immortan Joe's gangs vehicle near the beginning of FURY ROAD?

[biolumen]

Good guess, Simo.

Is it too late to submit questions to your contact? This person thought the film he/she saw needed to be cut to make a PG-13 rating. Now, if those cuts were made, could he/she tell us how much of an impact that would have on the resultant film? If one were to edit the rape and tent scene out of MM2, it might garner a PG-13 rating today while basically still holding the same power as it does uncut. Hopefully the same could be said for FR.

[DGSimo]

I haven't spoken to them in a couple of days but they keep an eye on this thread and while they can't answer everything quickly they will try when they can as long as it's not plot spoilers.

I wonder the affect of that too but here was something they told me earlier when discussing the film:

I actually envy you. You'll get to see a version of this movie that is finished off, vs the imperfect (visually) version that we saw. Well, I'll get to see it too, but you'll have the impact of seeing it that way the first time. Now I'm just praying they don't tone it down too much.

And I hope that the die-hard Mad Max fans can let it go and just enjoy a whole new ride. If the ones who were at last night's screening are any indication, they will.

Another note was a shot, involving a group of characters we know about that involves nudity, that was described as being "pretty insane and creepy" and would be a shame if it was cut.
It's worth noting though that the PG-13 rating still allows nudity as long as it's non-sexual and not explicit so FURY ROAD could be ok.

The rating system is so messed up here though compared to the rest of the world. FURY ROAD could be PG-13 here but then 15 or 18 in the UK with no cuts. Slapping the PG-13 rating on it here just means 13 year olds and younger can see the movie without a parent thus expanding the audience base, say rather than being rated R which as a guardian or parent you can still take your underage kid to the movie but they just can't get in alone when compared to the UK's rating where regardless of a guardian if you're not 15 or 18 then you're not getting in. Period.