May Movie Pick: 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'

Even with a fake nose and homicidal tendencies, there is no chance of making Chris Hemsworth unsexy. Just like Tom Hardy in the first film, Hemsworth plays the eye candy here. I say the first movie because I don't remember anything from the first three movies except the late Tina Turner. I don't know if I can go back and watch Mel Gibson in anything at this point; he has proven to be much better behind the camera. But after seeing "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" yesterday, my interest in the whole franchise is rising.

I remember playing "Mad Max: Fury Road" as a casual "I have nothing better to watch" movie, and it completely blew my mind with how good it was and still is. This might be the most artistic action film I had ever seen back then and is still the movie to beat. So, imagine my fear when I saw the first trailer for "Furiosa": something about the colors and the VFX seemed off. And, of course, the absence of the two main actors was noticeable. But after seeing this movie, I can see both films as a continuous story that I will eventually watch one after the other.

I feel like this movie was able to capture some of the best parts of "Fury Road" while imagining some new action scenes that extended the world of Mad Max. Who would have thought that this rusty, dying world would be so interesting? Now, I feel like I want to be there and explore more stories.

In this part of the story, we follow Furiosa and her journey to becoming what Charlize Theron brought to life in the first movie. Both actresses playing her here were incredible, but something overshadowed their muted performances. It’s not that they were entirely muted; rather, Hemsworth's performance was so "on" all the time that it overshadowed everyone else. The villain, played by the Australian hunk, was mesmerizing and full of life.

Here, we discover what happened to Furiosa, where she comes from, and how she lost her arm. Additionally, we get to know her mother and her love interest, Praetorian Jack, who became her mentor and taught her everything she used in "Fury Road," making her one of the most iconic action stars alongside Sigourney Weaver (Alien) and Linda Hamilton (Terminator). There was a missed opportunity to invite Charlize Theron at the end, as she was a huge part of why the first movie became such a big sensation.

This new movie falls a bit short, but I had a blast yesterday. Hemsworth's performance absolutely elevates him as an actor and reveals a side of him that I am eager to watch.

Iliya Badev