By Chris Snellgrove | Updated
Hollywood has a mania for prequels and sequels, but this creates a vicious cycle in which successful films warrant another film, but the follow-up is often a lot worse than what came before (looking at you, Star Wars). And when the film is part of a sprawling franchise, the sequel might not really be it. badbut it’s different enough from what’s come before that it’ll put the audience off. This is what happened with Furiosa: A Mad Max saga. At first I was disappointed by the difference between this prequel and Fury Roadbut after watching it again on Netflix, I decided Furious is an imperfect masterpiece.
Furiosa’s plot
If you’ve been living under a rock (or in an apocalyptic wasteland), here’s a brief overview of Furious this can help you decide if you’ll stream it on Netflix. We follow the adventures of the titular Furiosa as she finds herself caught in the violent power play between Dementus and Immortan Joe, each of whom wants to be supreme leader of a world powered by water and gasoline. She eventually gains power and importance as a member of Joe’s army, with the film fully explaining her character’s unexpected heel turn. Mad Max: Road to Fury.
If you are a Fury Road fan, I watch Furious on Netflix can be confusing at first due to casting changes: Anya Taylor-Joy replaces Charlize Theron as Furiosa in this prequel film, and Lachy Hulme replaces the late Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe. Although he’s 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 wonderfully offbeat performance as Dementus.
The reaction is apocalyptic
Mad Max creator George Miller returned to helm this prequel, and after the success of Fury Road (which grossed $380.5 million on a budget of $154.6-185.2 million), hopes were very high for another cinematic success. Unfortunately, Furious crashed and burned long before it arrived on Netflix: this $168 million film barely made back its budget, earning a relatively paltry $173.8 million box office. The general consensus was that the film failed because it was too different from Fury Road (more on that soon), but he scored a minor theatrical victory: convincing the critics.
On rotten tomatoes, Furious has a 90 percent critical rating, with critics generally praising the film’s unexpected emotional core as well as the way it provides a juicy backstory for Fury Road. It also has a Popcornmeter rating of 89 percent, with audiences generally enjoying this prequel as being an action-packed entry in Hollywood’s strangest franchise. This shows that those who watched Furious most loved it…unfortunately, unless the film becomes a cult favorite on Netflix, the sad reality is that far too many people will completely ignore this film.
It’s a shame, although it took me a while to realize it. Full confession: I was one of the many Mad Max fans who was disappointed by this prequel because it is very different from Fury Roaddelivering a sprawling, character-driven origin story when I was expecting another non-stop, high-octane car chase. Once I looked Furious on Netflix, I realized I that was the problem. I judged this film for not being a retread of Fury Road when director George Miller clearly wanted to return to the ambitious world-building he first kicked into high gear. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
Everyone remembers Thunderdome for things like the titular Thunderdome showdown against Master Blaster and Tina Turner’s gloriously awkward overacting. What’s easy to forget, however, is how steeped in lore and world-building this sequel was, showing us everything from how these post-apocalyptic cities create energy to how hero cults form around fragmented memories of the pre-apocalypse. It’s uneven and certainly not as good as the previous film, THE Road Warriorbut it offers fans plenty to chew on.
Should we look Furious on Netflix (notably as part of a double feature involving Fury Roadwhich is also on the streaming platform), you’ll probably feel the same way: the prequel just isn’t as great as the previous Tom Hardy/Charlize Theron masterpiece, but it’s still great. As long as you go in with an open mind (and, ideally, a healthy love of the Mad Max franchise), you’ll find this film full of fun performances and delightful surprises. If you’re expecting Fury Road: The Prequel, you’ll probably echo Immortan Joe and deem this film “mediocre!” »
So will you find Furious a 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 like one of Immortan Joe’s blood bags? You won’t know until you stream it yourself. If nothing else, consider this cinematic research…if our own world one day descends into water wars like Max Rockatansky’s world, Anya Taylor-Joy’s fighting moves could make the difference in whether you become a warlord or just another Warboy.
Furiosa: A Mad Max saga is available for streaming on Netflix.
