Fury Road Screening Discussion (WARNING! HEAVY SPOILERS!)

[Taipan]

I've created this topic for all of you guys whom have seen this movie already so you can freely discuss it in a spoiler heavy environment and separate from the rest of the forum out of consideration for people who don't want the movie to be spoiled by accident before the premiere. After the premiere it's all fair play.
So post your reviews, opinions, heavy spoilers, here. Thanks.

[rockatansky4073]

GREAT idea, man!!!
with only 7 days to go, we're all gonna be chomping at the bit.

[DGSimo]

Alright then.

Movie was absolutely batshit insane fucking awesome! I know there's a plot point that will either piss people or just wonder "what was the point?" but it was the only logical conclusion the characters had.

[blackmocco]

I didn't feel as negatively about it, BoB, although I would agree with every point you've made. I hate to use the defense that the visuals, the spectacle and the designs make a movie worth seeing as I'm sure people defend the likes of Transformers with that nonsense, but it's FR's biggest selling point. I loved those aspects and I feel they're well worth the price of a cinema ticket alone. As for the rest, yeah, my biggest sticking points were the lack of attention to the characters. With a story as stripped-down as this one, it really was the writing and characters that needed to fill in the blanks and in that respect, I think the movie fails pretty badly. I didn't give two shits about what happened to the Five Wives but worst of all, couldn't really invest in Max or Furiosa either. RW's about as stripped-down as it gets, but you're right, there's just enough there for you to actually bond with the characters - both heroes and villains - and FR can't pull that off. Nobody gets their moment. Theron did her best, I think. She's perfect in the part but every actor needs something to get their teeth into and the movie didn't have that. Hardy, as I said initially, wasn't going to be for everyone. I honestly feel he overthought his role and brought too much. As a result, it was hard to grasp exactly what he was going for. His performance really is all over the place. I think he's a champion actor, I really do, but he never feels comfortable here.

[blackmocco]

Alright then.

Movie was absolutely batshit insane fucking awesome! I know there's a plot point that will either piss people or just wonder "what was the point?" but it was the only logical conclusion the characters had.

It was a terrible piece of storytelling though. Really, really clumsy. If you've built an entire movie around a concept, to just go back on it is always going to be a bit of a damp squib dramatically. Also, I'd be curious to see what happens in the story about half an hour after the movie ends. Found it a little rushed and unlikely to be wrapped up that neatly. Ehhh. Hard to discuss this without spoiling and I really, really don't want to get sued. Haha!

[blackmocco]

It's a tough one to put on a scale with the other movies. To be honest, it's probably unfair to do that as I have such nostalgia for the previous three and this is trying so hard to be something new. I'd put it on the same peg as Thunderdome, I guess, but I would like to clarify: I like Thunderdome a lot more than most of you on here.

Very curious to see how the movie gets reviewed. An embargo for a movie this high-profile isn't that unusual, but it's not a great sign WB has faith in how they're going to go. How many blockbusters have posters up weeks beforehand with huge reviewer quotes? Hope I'm wrong though.

[TheFilmist]

I absolutely loved it. I'll prepare a longer review after the embargo lifts, but man - it was just great.

Nobody gets their moment.

I think that was actually what I liked the most about it - maybe it was just a different screening with more finished scenes, but I thought everyone outside of Rictus Erectus found time to shine, even in the intentionally minimalist mode of storytelling that Miller's moving in. Nux's arc is is a full one, from brainwashed, fanatical drone to something sadder and more noble, though he eventually finds a way to achieve his good death. Max's slow but simple emergence from a "closet human being" is great, especially with the surprisingly introspective performance that Hardy gives - and his final line where he gives his name really hammers home how far he's come, throughout the film, in contrast to the earlier moment when he refuses to tell Furiosa his name. Furiosa's big moment I don't want to say too much about, but her emotional arc is the most fully sketched out, and "remember me?" is probably my favorite moment of the movie. Even Immortan Joe gets a little bit of our sympathy, when he cries over the body of his dead wifeand becomes angry over the death of his unborn son.

As far as "that one plot point" goes, I thought it worked beautifully. It reminded me a little of Thunderdome and how Max is forced to return to Bartertown - in this, however, Furiosa and company have spent the entire film trying to run from oppression, rather than face it head on. Now, they're forced to, out of survival. In particular, I loved the ending when Max kicks Immortan Joe's body off the hood of the Gigahorse, with his jaw and throat hanging out.

Anyway, I do figure this will be divisive, because it is necessarily reductive and minimalist, but I loved that aspect of it - the dialogue is necessarily so spare, and so much is conveyed so brilliantly, visually. This might be the premiere example of pure cinema and visual storytelling this year.

[DGSimo]

Yeah you put everything more eloquently than I could Filmist and agree on all points. lol

I liked Hardy's Max. From him being this feral wolf trying to survive and be left alone who hasn't spoken to anyone except hearing the voices in his head for years and then trying to speak that's gibberish at first until the words form as the rage builds and builds when his predicament escalates...I loved it and I was actually glad he acknowledged his car! lol It was different take for sure but as Miller has said that with what they now know today about PTSD he would of had written the character differently over 30 years ago for the first film. I like how even at the end Max isn't necessarily fixed or mended.

Props to the women in the film not just being damsels too, even the wives. That plot point...I agree and again for survival, and Max lays it out to them, the best way to do that was to take the Citadel. I know some left our screening talking about that but I felt it seemed the logical thing to do given their situation. I'd love to see what happens next given the end.

This is just something I'm going to watch over and over to see and learn more about the world just like The Road Warrior and you can tell a lot of time and effort went in to fully realizing this Wasteland.

Also big WTF at the bog scene...you know when you see those weird stilted people. I legitimately looked over to my friend and asked "what the fuck is that?!" thinking my mind had slipped in to another movie until he pointed out it was people.

Also we all caught the Toecutter scene right?!

Remember guys, you're not under any NDA or embargo so there's no need not to post your thoughts or spoilers. Taipan has it in the header the thread is full of them so fear not.

[blackmocco]

I absolutely loved it. I'll prepare a longer review after the embargo lifts, but man - it was just great.

Nobody gets their moment.

I think that was actually what I liked the most about it - maybe it was just a different screening with more finished scenes, but I thought everyone outside of Rictus Erectus found time to shine, even in the intentionally minimalist mode of storytelling that Miller's moving in. Nux's arc is is a full one, from brainwashed, fanatical drone to something sadder and more noble, though he eventually finds a way to achieve his good death. Max's slow but simple emergence from a "closet human being" is great, especially with the surprisingly introspective performance that Hardy gives - and his final line where he gives his name really hammers home how far he's come, throughout the film, in contrast to the earlier moment when he refuses to tell Furiosa his name. Furiosa's big moment I don't want to say too much about, but her emotional arc is the most fully sketched out, and "remember me?" is probably my favorite moment of the movie. Even Immortan Joe gets a little bit of our sympathy, when he cries over the body of his dead wifeand becomes angry over the death of his unborn son.

As far as "that one plot point" goes, I thought it worked beautifully. It reminded me a little of Thunderdome and how Max is forced to return to Bartertown - in this, however, Furiosa and company have spent the entire film trying to run from oppression, rather than face it head on. Now, they're forced to, out of survival. In particular, I loved the ending when Max kicks Immortan Joe's body off the hood of the Gigahorse, with his jaw and throat hanging out.

Anyway, I do figure this will be divisive, because it is necessarily reductive and minimalist, but I loved that aspect of it - the dialogue is necessarily so spare, and so much is conveyed so brilliantly, visually. This might be the premiere example of pure cinema and visual storytelling this year.

It's a spectacular vision, no argument. I love the style the movie is told in. Just wish it had been pushed that little bit more. It wasn't the full package for me. First half of the movie is pretty flawless though. Worth the price of admission alone. Looking forward to seeing it again.

I never bought the ending. If he's on his way to reconnecting with humanity again, then why does he just fuck off back into the wasteland again? I dunno. Just felt a bit rushed. Also, isn't Furiosa dead as soon as the rest of the war party arrives back to the Citadel? They didn't manage to take out the entire war party, did they?

[DGSimo]

I absolutely loved it. I'll prepare a longer review after the embargo lifts, but man - it was just great.

Nobody gets their moment.

I think that was actually what I liked the most about it - maybe it was just a different screening with more finished scenes, but I thought everyone outside of Rictus Erectus found time to shine, even in the intentionally minimalist mode of storytelling that Miller's moving in. Nux's arc is is a full one, from brainwashed, fanatical drone to something sadder and more noble, though he eventually finds a way to achieve his good death. Max's slow but simple emergence from a "closet human being" is great, especially with the surprisingly introspective performance that Hardy gives - and his final line where he gives his name really hammers home how far he's come, throughout the film, in contrast to the earlier moment when he refuses to tell Furiosa his name. Furiosa's big moment I don't want to say too much about, but her emotional arc is the most fully sketched out, and "remember me?" is probably my favorite moment of the movie. Even Immortan Joe gets a little bit of our sympathy, when he cries over the body of his dead wifeand becomes angry over the death of his unborn son.

As far as "that one plot point" goes, I thought it worked beautifully. It reminded me a little of Thunderdome and how Max is forced to return to Bartertown - in this, however, Furiosa and company have spent the entire film trying to run from oppression, rather than face it head on. Now, they're forced to, out of survival. In particular, I loved the ending when Max kicks Immortan Joe's body off the hood of the Gigahorse, with his jaw and throat hanging out.

Anyway, I do figure this will be divisive, because it is necessarily reductive and minimalist, but I loved that aspect of it - the dialogue is necessarily so spare, and so much is conveyed so brilliantly, visually. This might be the premiere example of pure cinema and visual storytelling this year.

It's a spectacular vision, no argument. I love the style the movie is told in. Just wish it had been pushed that little bit more. It wasn't the full package for me. First half of the movie is pretty flawless though. Worth the price of admission alone. Looking forward to seeing it again.

I never bought the ending. If he's on his way to reconnecting with humanity again, then why does he just fuck off back into the wasteland again? I dunno. Just felt a bit rushed. Also, isn't Furiosa dead as soon as the rest of the war party arrives back to the Citadel? They didn't manage to take out the entire war party, did they?

He's still broken and still suffering from some heavy PTSD even if he does come to recognize some of it. I don't think the life of being with those people is what he really wants or needs. What would he really do with them? He's not looking for redemption like Furiosa.

It's likely the war parties, what was left of them, was trapped in the canyons with the biker gang and since it's their territory they'd likely battle it out. lol After all if they're trapped in the canyon it pretty much means they're cut off not only from the Citadel but Gas town and Bullet Farm too.