Mad Max: Fury Road

I have been a huge fan of the Mad Max franchise.  The first movie was an obscure Australian cult classic that I watched over and over on cable when I was in Jr. High because I had a major crush on the young Mel Gibson (I loved the movie Gallipoli).  I was very intrigued about this new installment and, when my Mom mentioned that she wanted to see it, I eagerly bought tickets for Saturday afternoon.  My Mom is so cool!  Mad Max: Fury Road is an adrenaline rush that never lets up from the opening credits to the final scene and let me tell you now that it is intense!  I loved it and so did my Mom who kept saying, "Wow!"   Like its predecessors, the movie is set in a post-apocalyptic future in Australia where resources are scarce and small communities run by overlords exist throughout.  Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy replaces Mel Gibson in the title role) is captured by the War Boys who serve Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).  Max is designated as a universal blood donor and is needed by the dying War Boy Nux (Nicholas Hoult).  Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who drives a War Rig to other communities to barter for gas, veers off course while on a routine run and Joe soon discovers that his five wives, selected for breeding purposes, are missing.  Assuming, correctly, that his wives are with Furiosa, Joe sends his War Boys after her.  Lux, needing his blood, brings Max along on the high speed chase.  After an incredible battle in a sand storm, Max escapes and tries to steal the War Rig; however, Furiosa created a kill switch which means it is inoperable without her so Max reluctantly joins forces with her.  They then battle other gangs who are loyal to Joe in some of the best action sequences I have ever seen (of which, the vast majority were practical effects rather than CGI and many of the stunts were performed by members of Cirque de Soleil) as they search for the "Green Space" Furiosa remembers from her childhood.  While the action sequences are incredible (there were times when I couldn't catch my breath), the story of hope and redemption is compelling and the performances of Hardy and Theron are fantastic!  The bar has been set very high for the rest of the summer blockbusters!