Five Elements That Make Mad Max: Fury Road Unique

Mad Max: Fury Road hit theaters this weekend, blowing critics and audiences away. Fury Road is a continuation of the Mad Max franchise which hasn't seen a new installment in 30 years. Director George Miller returns to his precious saga in fantastic form. We've compiled five of the film's elements which we think are what makes Mad Max: Fury Road the unique, mind-blowing success and milestone of a movie it is.

The Characters
To discuss the best parts of this movie without naming the title character, Max (Tom Hardy), as one of them would obviously be a mindless claim. To start the film, Max sets the tone as he stares out of a barren desert before snatching a two-headed lizard snack from the dirt beneath him. Instantly the atmosphere was established with Max fleeing from the wild men who eventually capture him.

Max doesn't get to take all the credit though. Furiosa (CharlizeTheron) and Nux (NicholasHoult) were characters who played crucial roles, if not more so, in making this film the spectacle it turned out to be. Furiosa was a brutally strong and empowered woman, guiding other women and at one point literally putting Max in the back seat. Nux was such a refreshing character, portrayed brilliantly by Hoult. His inner conflict made his personal struggle relevant among the grander survival scheme of the movie. When a movie can have a strong title character (in this case Max) but  two others (Furiosa and Nux) in contention for being the "best," a film has done it's job and a marvelous story has been told.

Musical Score
Junkie XL truly outdid himself. Film makers and fans alike both know the importance of music in movies. Music can trigger emotions, scare you, or like it did in Fury Road, create a sense of intensity throughout the movie theater which is unmatchable. The beautiful symphony Junkie XL strung together paired with graceful cinematography resulting from George Miller's direction hurled the audience directly into the scene. When an audience leaves a theater and has music with no lyrics implanted in their minds, the composer did their job.

Establishing The Mythos
Fans who haven't seen the first three installments of the Mad Max saga need not worry thanks to the brilliant story-telling displayed in Fury Road. George Miller truly creates a world, one which would seem unimaginable and certainly not relatable, which the audience has no choice but to feel a part of. From Max eating his scaly lizard snack, to the Redeemer and his promises of Valhalla, to the innocent wives living with hope of the Green Place, to the different tribes, each with their own memorable characteristic - Miller immersed the audience into such an unbelievable world.

The Massive Orchestration
I can confidently say that I've never seen blocking on a set that can compare to the madness George Miller orchestrated in Mad Max: Fury Road. At times, well over a dozen vehicles with multiple actors in or on each were shot in the same frame. Men swung from poles atop the moving vehicles. Dirt and dust clouded the air. Men were tossed from cars and vehicles exploded as the rest of the shot carried on. Miller made it look so easy as if he were a puppet master playing with little figures. Try to imagine organizing such a massive set, where the vehicles become characters themselves, and commanding the crew behind the cameras, all while conveying such flawless mayhem to be represented on screen. Round of applause for Mr. Miller.

Humanity Amongst Brutality
The moment where Max gets shot with the arrow as he raises his hand terrified of the memory of his fallen little girl displayed such different sides of this Fury Road's spectrum. While it's easy to see the brutality and violence that comes from humans being reduced down to one primal instinct - surviving - it also conveyed the humanity which could never be lost. Max's memory of his little girl which he cursed as a haunting actually saved his life. Then of course, there's the bit of how badass it was when he snapped the arrow and continued his rampage of survival.

While Max's near death moment touches upon this element, Nux's character screams it at the top of his lungs. At first glance Nux was nothing more than a maniac who literally had a death wish. Once he realizes that his insane dream of reaching the heavenly gates of Valhalla is built on false grounds, he reveals his inner struggle to one of the wives. Immediately, one of the film's most diabolical characters became the easiest to sympathize with and possibility a fan favorite.

What do you think was the best part of Mad Max: Fury Road? Surely, there are more than five aspects which deserve praise, so share your thoughts in the comment section.

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