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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Hollywood has a mania for prequels and sequels, but this creates a vicious cycle where successful films guarantee another film but the sequel often happens. a lot worse than what came before (looking at you, Star Wars). And when the film is part of a sprawling franchise, the sequel may not really be that badbut it is different enough to what has come before that it turns audiences off. That’s what happened with Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga. At first, I was disappointed by how different this prequel was Fury Roadbut after re-watching it on Netflix, I’ve decided Furious is a flawed masterpiece.
Furiosa plot
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or in an apocalyptic wasteland), here’s a quick summary of Furious that can help you decide whether to stream it on Netflix. We follow the adventures of the titular Furiosa as she is caught in the violent power play between Dementus and Immortan Joe, each of whom wants to be the supreme leader of a world fueled by water and gasoline. Ultimately, she grows in power and prominence as a member of Joe’s army, with the film fully explaining her character’s unexpected heel turn in Mad Max: Fury Road.
If you are a Fury Road fan, watch Furious on Netflix it might be confusing at first because of the casting changes: Anya Taylor-Joy replaces Charlize Theron as Furiosa in this prequel film, and Lachy Hulme replaces the late, great Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe. While barely in the film, Jacob Tomuri replaces Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, and the cast is rounded out by other memorable newcomers, including Chris Hemsworth in a remarkable performance as Dementus.
The Reaction is Apocalyptic
Creator of Mad Max George Miller back to helm this prequel, and after the success of Fury Road (which earned $380.5 million against a budget of $154.6-185.2 million), hopes were high for another cinematic success. Unfortunately, Furious crashed and burned long before it ended up on Netflix: this $168 million film barely made back its budget, earning a relatively paltry box office of $173.8 million. The general consensus was that the film failed because it was too different from Fury Road (more on this soon), but he won a minor theatrical victory: winning over the critics.
Ar Rotten tomatoes, Furious with a critical score of 90 percent, with critics generally praising the film’s unexpected emotional core as well as how it provides a juicy backstory for Fury Road. It also has a Popcornmeter score of 89 percent, with audiences generally digging this prequel for being an action-packed entry in Hollywood’s weirdest franchise. This shows that those who watch Furious overall loved it…unfortunately, unless the film garners a cult following on Netflix, the sad fact is that far too many people will skip this film altogether.
That’s a shame, although it took me a while to realize that. Full confession: I was one of the many Mad Max fans who was disappointed with this prequel because it was so different from Fury Roadoffers a sprawling character-focused origin story when I was expecting another non-stop, high-octane car chase. Once I watched Furious on Netflix, I realized i was the problem. I was criticizing this film for not being a retread of Fury Road when director George Miller was clearly keen to return to the ambitious world building he first kicked back into high gear. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
Everyone remembers Thunder for things like the Thunderdome title match against Master Blaster and Tina Turner’s magnificent overacting. What’s easy to forget, however, is how much that sequence was steeped in lore and world-building, showing us everything from how these post-apocalyptic towns create energy to how cults heroes forming around the fragmented memories of the pre-apocalypse. It is uneven and admittedly not as good as the previous film, The Road Warriorbut it offers fans plenty to chew on.
Should you watch Furious on Netflix (especially as part of a double feature that includes Fury Roadwhich is also on the streaming platform), you’ll probably feel the same way: the prequel isn’t as great as the earlier Tom Hardy / Charlize Theron masterpiece, but it’s still amazing. As long as you go in with an open mind (and, ideally, a healthy love of the Mad Max franchise), you’ll find this a film full of fun performances and delightful surprises. However, if you go in expecting Fury Road: The Prequel, you’ll probably echo Immortan Joe and judge this movie as “mediocre!”
So, will you find Furious flawed masterpiece like I did when you stream it on Netflix, or will you decide it’s time for George Miller to hang this franchise up like one of Immortan Joe’s bloodbags? You won’t know until you stream it for yourself. If nothing else, consider this film research… if our own world ever descends into water wars like Max Rockatansky’s, Anya Taylor-Joy’s fighting moves can mean the difference between becoming a warrior or just is another Warboy.
Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga available for streaming on Netflix.
