By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Hollywood is in a frenzy of sequels and sequels, but this creates a vicious cycle where successful films spawn another film but sequels are often rare. a lot worse than ever (looking at you, Star Wars). And if the movie is part of a growing franchise, the sequel might not be it’s badbut it’s different enough from what came before that it turns the audience off. That’s what happened Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga. At first, I was disappointed with how different this prequel was Fury Roadbut after re-watching it on Netflix, I decided Furiosa it is a flawed work of art.
Furiosa plot
If you’ve been living under a rock (or in an apocalyptic wasteland), here’s a short list of Furiosa that can help you decide whether to stream it on Netflix. We follow the adventures of the titular singer Furiosa as she is caught up in a violent power play between Dementus and Immortan Joe, each of whom wants to become the supreme leader of a world fueled by water and gasoline. Eventually growing in power and prominence as a member of Joe’s army, the film fully describes his character’s unexpected heel turn. Mad Max: Fury Road.
If you Fury Road fan, watching Furiosa on Netflix may be confusing at first due to casting changes: Anya Taylor-Joy replaces Charlize Theron as Furiosa in the previous film, and Lachy Hulme replaces the late, great Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe. Although he was never in the film, Jacob Tomuri replaced Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, and the cast is rounded out by some memorable newcomers, including Chris Hemsworth in a wonderfully off-kilter performance as Dementus.
The reaction is apocalyptic
Mad Max creator George Miller returned to host this title, and after the success of Fury Road (grossed $380.5 million against a budget of $154.6–185.2 million), hopes were high for another cinematic success. Unfortunately, Furiosa crashed and burned before ending up on Netflix: this $168 million film did not make back its budget, earning a meager $173.8 million box office. The general consensus was that the film failed because it was too different Fury Road (more on this soon), but it won a small theatrical victory: winning over the critics.
In Rotten Tomatoes, Furiosa it has a critical rating of 90 percent, with critics generally praising the film’s unexpected context and the way it provides a rich history of the film. Fury Road. Also with a Popcornmeter rating of 89 percent, audiences generally dig this prequel to the action-packed entry in Hollywood’s weirdest franchise. This goes to show that those who were watching Furiosa many loved it…unfortunately, unless the film takes on a cult following on Netflix, the sad truth is that far too many people will skip this movie altogether.
That’s a shame, though it took me a while to realize that. Full confession: I was one of the many Mad Max fans who were disappointed by this scene because it was so different Fury Roadoffering a sprawling, character-driven story while I waited for another non-stop, high-octane car chase. I once watched Furiosa on Netflix, I saw I it was a problem. I was judging this film not to be a throwback to Fury Road when director George Miller clearly wanted to return to the world-building mission he started kicking into high gear. Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome.
Everyone remembers The Thunderdome with things like the titular Thunderdome showdown against the Master Blaster and Tina Turner’s glorious antics. What’s easy to forget, however, is how deep that poem was in history and world-building, showing us everything from how these post-apocalyptic cities create power to how cults of heroes form around different memories of the apocalypse. It’s uneven and admittedly not as good as the previous film, I Road Warriorbut it gives fans plenty to chew on.
You have to watch Furiosa on Netflix (mostly as part of an engaging double feature Fury Roadalso on the streaming platform), you’ll probably feel the same way: the prequel just isn’t as good as the previous Tom Hardy/Charlize Theron masterpiece, but it’s still amazing. As long as you go in with an open mind (and, well, a healthy love of the Mad Max franchise), you’ll find this movie full of fun performances and fun surprises. If you go in expecting Fury Road: The Prequel, however, you’ll probably echo Immortan Joe and judge this film “mediocre!”
So, will you find Furiosa flawed art like I did when it streamed on Netflix, or will you decide it’s time for George Miller to hang this franchise up like one of Immortan Joe’s blood bags? You won’t know until you spread it yourself. If nothing else, consider this movie review…if our world ever descends into water wars like Max Rockatansky’s world, Anya Taylor-Joy’s battle moves could mean the difference between becoming a warlord or just another Warboy.
Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga is available to stream on Netflix.
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