George Miller has become, by his own merits, the best director of action blockbusters in recent years. With Mad Max: Fury Road, the filmmaker managed to captivate audiences worldwide thanks to his skillful use of relentless visual storytelling. And now he has done it again with Furiosa, his prequel.
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Furiosa has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and as confirmed by the first reviews, it has been a spectacle almost as good as Fury Road. The film premiered with a 90% critical approval on Rotten Tomatoes, and although it has now dropped to 87%, it is clear that it has been a success.
A prequel that lives up to expectations
Here are some of the reviews that have come in about Furiosa in this first worldwide screening:
“It is a thunderous roar of a movie, packed with the same improbable vehicles and dizzying chases as the first one, and through the director’s characteristic dystopian wasteland. However, the film is narrated from a perspective that can sometimes seem a bit polished” – Rory O’Connor, The Film Stage
“It’s not necessarily an indispensably prequel, but the director more than delivers with outstanding action sequences and wonderful performances.” – Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray
“Furiosa reminds us of the more expansive nature of the original Mad Max films, but it is also a spiritual work that addresses how humanity reacts to pain and loss… all while delivering the visual spectacle you would expect from Miller” – Esther Zuckerman, The Daily Beast
“The transition from the young Furiosa (masterfully portrayed by Alyla Browne) to the mature adult (Taylor-Joy) is smooth and connects well with the version we have seen before” – Ed Gibbs, Time Out
