Quoted from DustinBowcot I tried to watch Mad Max last night and couldn't finish it. It was boring. The first five minutes were good, then it got repetitive. The best acting that I could see was from Charlize. Otherwise the performances were dire and the script writing extremely poor. Not one for me.

Agreed.


Spoilers Below:







All that happens is that they drive a truck a little bit down the road, then drive it back. That is literally the whole plot.

Poor.

PS


I met Stringfellow once, in Manumission in Ibiza.

I bought a ticket from some rep and the bouncers were being funny about letting me in because it was just a bit of paper with writing on it. The lads in front of me said "It's alright we're going VIP with Peter Stringfellow, you can come with us".

I thought they were joking but he turned up and took us all in. .

He seemed a nice bloke.

Wow, that was underwhelming. Saw the glowing reviews and was looking forward to this one. If ever a "meh" was appropriate this would be that instant. What a ridiculous plot this movie has. Very disappointing. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm getting too old but I could just not get into the whole Mad Max universe. I don't know, it just seems stupid.

If you think the plot revolves around a truck down a road and back again, you're sorely mistaken. If you paid attention and broke down the film, you would realize that there's much more to it. Miller doesn't spell anything out. It's the epitome of showing, not telling.

In all honesty, I didn't get what was fully going on until my 3rd/4th viewing. But if you take the time to really examine and study the movie, you'll get much more out of it.

Quoted from albinopenguin If you think the plot revolves around a truck down a road and back again, you're sorely mistaken. If you paid attention and broke down the film, you would realize that there's much more to it. Miller doesn't spell anything out. It's the epitome of showing, not telling. In all honesty, I didn't get what was fully going on until my 3rd/4th viewing. But if you take the time to really examine and study the movie, you'll get much more out of it.

Well you've seen it at least 4 times... and rather than spell anything out you simply tell us it has plot. If it has depth, then what is it?

Quoted from albinopenguin If you think the plot revolves around a truck down a road and back again, you're sorely mistaken. If you paid attention and broke down the film, you would realize that there's much more to it. Miller doesn't spell anything out. It's the epitome of showing, not telling.

I seriously remember an interview at the beginning of the year, where George Miller said himself that the movie basically has no plot. It's a chase movie.

Quoted from albinopenguin If you think the plot revolves around a truck down a road and back again, you're sorely mistaken. If you paid attention and broke down the film, you would realize that there's much more to it. Miller doesn't spell anything out. It's the epitome of showing, not telling. In all honesty, I didn't get what was fully going on until my 3rd/4th viewing. But if you take the time to really examine and study the movie, you'll get much more out of it.

Sorry, fella.

That's all that happens. They drive a truck out of the Citadel. Get chased. Then decide to drive it back.

Maybe watch it a fifth time?

I saw this at the theater. I dug it. I never, for one second, tried to read more into it than a straight up chase. I didn't need some half-ass character backstory that always interrupts these adrenaline rides.  I needed no more motivation from Max than self preservation. Furiosa (ridiculous name especially with this title) mildly has some motive to save the half naked baby mamas.

I think it's interesting, that writers seem half and half on this film. People who are thirsty for plot and dialogue ideas. Almost sounds like some forgot how to have fun at the movies.

Great stunts. Fantastic film work. Money well spent.

James.

One man's adrenaline ride is another's long coach ride of snooze.

We all have emotional responses to things. If we like them we'll look for the reasons, if we don't we'll also look for reasons.

I was hoping for the film to end because I was bored and ultimately it's because I had no empathy for any of the characters or any interest in anything they were trying to do, so the whole thing fell flat for me. All the stunts and over the top acting just highlighted the lack of the basics, rather than overcoming them.

I did read more into this film because I'd never read any of the reviews before watching it and this is Mad Max. I expected more, a lot more. I expected all of the spectacular stunts with an equally spectacular plot. What's wrong with delivering that on that kind of budget? It's only a well written script and some drama... even in a chase film that is possible.

I liked all of the Mad Max films, even number 3, Beyond Thunderdome with Tina Turner. I saw them as a kid and they were the greatest films I'd ever seen at the time.

I wanted this to be great. Was really looking forward to it. Wanted to like it... then, I just couldn't any more. I tried.

Just a quick question Rick, Dustin. If you watched Fury at the same age you saw the original, do you think you would dislike it as much?

There's a separation here between critics, who 96% of believe this is good cinema and I'm astounded by that. And half the writers I know hate it. Is it a separation between what directors think makes a good film verses writers? The public responded to this, and as hopeful screenwriters, film makers, a note needs to be taken here if you want your projects funded.

Miller wrote a next to nothing script. Straight to the trash if written by anyone on these boards. But he made a (IMO) great film of it.

James

Good point, well made, James. Though I can't speak for the film cause I haven't seen it yet.

I don't think Fast And Furious would present as that great a script either and I can think of quite a few other popcorn type films that on paper would have left a lot to be desired, but it speaks for itself how many people them. Maybe it is also an age thing - when we're no longer teenagers we're not as easily pleased. I know I can't read most of the books I read and enjoyed in my early twenties.

Of course there's also the fact George Miller has pretty much produced every film he's ever directed.

Mad Max: The Wasteland has recently been announced according to IMDB.

When you're on a good thing...

Quoted from jwent6688 Just a quick question Rick, Dustin. If you watched Fury at the same age you saw the original, do you think you would dislike it as much? There's a separation here between critics, who 96% of believe this is good cinema and I'm astounded by that. And half the writers I know hate it. Is it a separation between what directors think makes a good film verses writers? The public responded to this, and as hopeful screenwriters, film makers, a note needs to be taken here if you want your projects funded. Miller wrote a next to nothing script. Straight to the trash if written by anyone on these boards. But he made a (IMO) great film of it. James

The thing with the original Mad Max is that Mad Max was incredibly cool. It was edgy, violent and intense. This Mad Max was very boring and very camp.

So no,  I wouldn't have liked it as a kid.

However I do think you have a point in general. There's a point when you've seen so many films, and read so many books that only the very best stuff interests you any more.

But even cliched stuff is not usually so boring. Fast and Furious wasn't boring. Captain America: Winter Soldier wasn't boring. It doesn't need to be major Art, but you need to care at least a little about proceedings and the characters.

Mad Max in the original was someone you cared about. He was a pursuit driver. He was charismatic. When his family got killed it was real, wrenching stuff. There was absolutely nothing in this film that I cared about.

In terms of the separation thing, whether it's about Director and Writers. I very much doubt it. Directors, in general, would be even more critical imo, it's so lacking in the basics.  Major Producers maybe. They are comfortable with selling spectacle as it's something that money can buy and can be replicated.

That's always been the ideal Hollywood/Showbiz formula.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx6aRCa8lrE

In terms of taking note....I don't know.  

We know that Hollywood likes mindless action films based on pre-existing Intellectual Property. That's pretty much all cinema is these days. The only real note you can take is that you need to have a pre-existing world-wide phenomenon. It would encourage you to perhaps write a best selling novel or comic book, or to try and make a low budget film at the very worst.

You said yourself that if you wrote this script it would have been thrown in the bin. We are not going to get a £220M film made. Miller did because he made a low budget film, Mad Max, that became legendary  and has continued to work in the Industry.

Critics are critics. They have their opinion. I honestly couldn't care what they say. Often the films they like disappear, and the ones they didn't become classics.

You can find reviews that for me are more realistic:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-reviews/mad-max-fury-road-review-5699340

It's subjective. All I know is that I was bored watching it. Which is the cardinal sin of any kind of film.

Ultimately if you find something boring, no-one will convince you of its value.

Rick

Quoted from jwent6688 Just a quick question Rick, Dustin. If you watched Fury at the same age you saw the original, do you think you would dislike it as much?

I have four boys. 11, 10, 8 and 7... not one of them could watch it either.

This is Mad Max, not Fast and Furious. Fast and Furious has always been a cheesy joke and I only watched the last one because my kids wanted to watch it. This concept deserves so much more.

In my opinion, some critics are paid to give good reviews on certain films. I also believe the ratings are enhanced over at IMDb. When The Interview first came out it too received glowing reviews and was rated at almost 9 on IMDb. It's now a 6 or something.

Don't look at the critics, don't look at the IMDb ratings unless the film is almost a year old. IMO, they're there to force an opinion into your mind that you wouldn't otherwise have had.

The video game based on this coming out soon looks pretty cool.