REVIEW : Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Warning 1: This post contains a lot of GIFs.
Warning 2: I might have sunk into just an abyss of fangirlism. So proceed with caution.

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If you've watched the trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road, you're probably very weirded out by now. And yes, this film is so weird. And it's absolutely bonkers. What you see from the trailer is practically in the first 30 minutes of the actual movie itself. Think the trailer is crazy?

Trust me, it only get crazier from there.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world in the future, civilization has pretty much crumbled. One cult of remaining humans that still roam the earth are ruled by Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Bryne), a despot who controls the people as he controls the water supply, and he has an army of bald, pale-white War Boys at his disposal. It's the War Boys that capture Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), and it's a War Boy named Nux (Nichoals Hoult) that Max has to serve as a blood bag to. At one point, Max is even chained to the hood of Nux's car to continue feeding him his blood.

But while Max is the titular hero, it's Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa that carries the weight of the film on her shoulders. She's Immortan's best fighter, revered by all. But when he sets her out to scavenge for more resources, in reality, it's a guise for her to smuggle Immortan's Five Wives out from the citadel, as they are treated as breeding livestock that will carry his heirs. It is on the battlefield where all our main characters come together.

Max Bane? Bane Max?

The setting of Fury Road is undeniably bleak and desolate, a wasteland that's essentially a demolition derby. The land has turned sour, and little to no vegetation are allowed to grow. I went into the cinema with a slight hesitation, as I feared that the imagery of the film would be off-putting, despite the critical acclaim and 98% standing on Rotten Tomatoes. But in the hands of director George Miller, it transforms into something that's nothing but beautiful.

I don't know where to start singing praises for Mad Max: Fury Road because this is perhaps the most perfect movie I've watched so far in 2015 (then again, there isn't much competition up until now; and I'm most likely exaggerating my socks off). There are elements in this movie that I would worship but I wouldn't know where to begin. But I'll try, and I'll probably fangirl to the brink of no return.

Ready? Okay, good, Let's go.

I haven't watched the previous Mad Max movies because to be completely honest, I've never even heard about them before Fury Road, and the only George Miller film I've watched was Happy Feet back when it came out. I remember it was good, it was cute because penguins!, and I was still a kid, But in terms of serious work, no, so I didn't know what his films are like.

It's easy to focus on all the louder things in Fury Road: the car chases, the fighting, plenty of things that go boom. But to me what stood out was the ones that were much more silent. Miller could probably teach Christopher Nolan a few tips and tricks on how to be subtle, and how to make the audience be in the loop of things without spoon-feeding them with information. No one really explains how things in this grim post-apocalyptic future work, but the audience still figures them out through the bits and pieces littered all around.

There is beauty in Fury Road's brutality.

Characterisation is especially solid in Fury Road; no one in this film (except maybe Immortan Joe) feels trope-y. Be it Max, Furiosa, Nux, or even the supermodel wives, it's easy to love them because of how real they are. It's Max's offhanded comments about War Boys stealing his car and the grumblings under his breath that made Max likable, despite the lack of actual dialogue he has. Or maybe that's just Tom Hardy being Tom Hardy. (I may or may not be bias) You feel for Nux, and in extension, all the other War Boys when you realise that they're just delusional, deceived into thinking that a grand afterlife awaits them when they sacrifice themselves for a cruel tyrant. But be warned: on more than one occasion, George Miller is like George R.R. Martin, just when you think you're starting to love one character, Miller kills it off in an unflinching fashion.

One does not praise Fury Road without touching on the subject of the stunts and cinematography. Did you know that most of the action in Fury Road are practical effects as in real stunts and there's mnimal CGI? #nowyouknow It's amazing how at it's peak where things are the most chaotic, even when it's all explosions and fires and people launching themselves into midair while clutching onto a pole, it's still easy to make out what's happening. There's never a sense of things being too cluttered in Fury Road, nothing gets muddled together despite how insane things will get.

Composed by Junkie XL, Fury Road's score is of epic proportions. It's loud, and raw, and so exhilarating to listen to, even on its own. But the most important thing is how fitting the entire score is in the background of the film, making the film so much more immersive. I'm usually acutely aware of a film's score for two reasons: it's either absolutely awful, or mind-blowingly good. In Fury Road's case, it's simply mind-blowingly epic. Part of me just couldn't stop thinking: Holy balls, the score is love; the score is life.

It's a rock concert e'rybody

But the icing on the cake for Fury Road has got to be the female characters in this film. Sure you have your guys in Max, in Immortan Joe, his sons and those who fight alongside him in the battle to reclaim his wives, in Nux and the War Boys. But except for a few, they all blend together at some point in the movie. (Like I said, Immortan Joe and co. are quite trope-y and cliched) But the women: the wives, Furiosa, and the Vuvalini women they meet in the latter half of the movie, stand out as individual characters. Women in Fury Road are powerful, they make the movie. Not to mention all of them are just badass af. It's not something you find that often in action blockbusters like this.

I could go on, but I believe this article sums up my view on Fury Road's feminist sentiments quite nicely.

WE ARE NOT THINGS.

To some, Mad Max: Fury Road is one messy affair of monster car chases in an ugly and barren land; to me and many others, it cannot be more perfect. It may be an action-packed summer blockbuster–albeit an unconventional one–but I'll be damned if it doesn't deserve an Oscar nomination for its ingenuity, if not the actual award itself.

Mad Max: Fury Road - Like Fast and Fruious that's very much high.

I rate it : 10/10 stars

THE GOOD : Everything

THE BAD : Nothing

WATCH IT IF YOU...

• Don't watch it if you're not a fan of just generally very loud actions, but if you don't mind them, THEN THERE IS NO REASON FOR YOU TO NOT WATCH THIS FILM

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)

Genre : Action Adventure

Runtime : 120 mins

Director : George Miller

Cast : Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz

REVIEW : Warrior (2011)

It's easy to go into Warrior for the sake of watching Tom Hardy, because that was true for me. Another chance to watch him break someone in a brawl? Count me in.

(Granted, his role as the Bat Breaker came in 2012 while Warrior is a 2011 film.)

Here's what you know first thing going into Warrior: nobody is really friends with anybody. It revolves around the three damaged men in the Conlon family in which no one is one speaking terms with the other person. 

On one side, you have Tommy (Tom Hardy), an ex-marine who returns to his father's house in Pittsburg. It's not a family reunion as one should know when it is revealed that he's dumped the Conlon last name for his mother's maiden name. As much as his dad wants to make things right between them, Tommy wants none of it. The only thing he wants from his old man is training for an upcoming MMA competition that's offering a winner-takes-all $f million cash prize. There's a reason for his decision and I won't spoil it for you. 

In the middle, isolated, you have dad Paddy (Nick Nolte) who tore his family apart by being an abusive alcoholic in the past and is now looking for a reconciliation that neither of his two sons want. When we're first introduced to him, Paddy is in his 1000 days of being sober, and he is eager for his sons' redemption, it's just too bad that past wounds prevent them from ever trusting him. But really, every scene with Paddy trying to reconnect with his sons is sad, it's hard to hear that desperation in his voice without having it tug at your heartstrings. Nolte deserves that Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination he received for his role. 

I'm not too good at dealing with old people begging for forgiveness. Nolte's performance is especially heartbreaking. 

Then in the other corner there's Brendan (Joel Edgerton)—husband, father, teacher, and former UFC fighter—who is close to losing his house after paying for his daughter's heart surgery. He takes up fighting in the parking space of strip clubs to earn a couple of extra bucks,and he end up getting suspended from his teaching job. This leads him to an old friend Frank (Frank Grillo) whose unorthodox method of training fighters involve using Beethoven. Brendan trains and fights, step by step, eventually leading to him standing in the cage opposite his own brother who hates him for not leaving their father when he had the chance. 

For a movie that's about the unrefined sport that is MMA fighting, Beethoven's name sure gets thrown around a lot.

So much praise can be given to Warrior. Overall, it's high on the entertainment factor. The characters are well fleshed-out, they are complex; partly due to the writing, partly due to amazing acting. It's rare to find a movie where there are two protagonists who both start with equal footing. Director Gavin O'Connor pulls no punches in making us connect with the brothers, understanding their motivations, and making an emotional investment in their stakes. 

A movie about MMA fighting will not be one without scenes of sweaty men going at each other and Warrior does these scenes right. Every throw, every punch makes you wonder how anyone in real life can still function normally after going through all that abuse.  It's interesting to see the contrast between the two brothers, and that the way they fight mirrors their personality. Tommy fights brutal, his wrath is all in the muscles and the rock solid punches he throw; for Brendan it is all in the technique, wait out the punches the kicks the throws, then wait for the perfect moment to turn the tide and make the other guy tap into submission. 

You can view Warrior two ways: no doubt it's a sports film that shines light on the underdog's journey to achieve success, greatness. But it's a drama film about family and redemption as well, and sometimes that side of the movie gets a bit more emphasis than the sports/competition side of things. While the fights are absolutely gripping and brilliant, in the end what proved to be more moving and heartfelt was the relationship between the three Conlon men.

In retrospect, when the adrenaline has died a little, it's not hard to see that Warrior offers little deviation from other films of the same genre, whether it be fighting films or sports films in general, but it pulls you in deeper than all the others by establishing the backstory and dramarama behind each brother's lives because it makes them human—something in films that will always have good graces in my books. It's rare for a movie like this to have the viewer root for both sides of the fence, wanting both to win even when there can only be one. In this field, Warrior definitely transcends all the others. While it may not be hard to predict the eventual outcome, but it doesn't make it any less powerful, it doesn't make this two-hour ride any less thrilling. 

It's going to take a lot more than "I'm sorry" to make these two friends again.

I rate it : 8/10 stars

THE GOOD : Great characters, brilliant acting; love the music, especially the use of The National's About Today at the end.

THE BAD : It's somewhat predictable, as are most if not all movies of the same genre.

WATCH IT IF YOU...

• ...enjoyed movies such as Rocky, or the Hong Kong equivalent, Unbeatable. 
• ...would like to watch Tom Hardy kicking ass; which he does beautifully. 

WARRIOR (2011)

Genre : Sports Drama

Runtime : 140 mins

Director : Gavin O'Connor

Cast : Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte

REVIEW : Helios - 赤道 (2015)

The one thing that sets Helios apart from other Hong Kong action movies is how big it is. Spanning half of northeast Asia and boasting an impressive multinational cast, director duo Longman Leung and Sunny Luk return from their 2012 film Cold War with something extremely big and incredibly loud. Helios is nothing if not ambitious; some might even argue it’s overambitious.

The Koreans have built he world’s smallest nuclear weapon in the form of DC8 but all hell breaks loose when it is stolen be the infamous criminal, Helios (Chang Chen 张震) and his sidekick/assistant who is never given a name (Janice Man 文咏珊). Ji Jin-hee and Choi Si-won enters the game as two agents from South Korea tasked to retrieve the WMD that has been brought to Hong Kong. The two are joined by Counter Terrorism Response Unit inspectors Lee Yin-ming (Nick Cheung 张家辉) and Fan Ka-ming (Shawn Yue 余文乐) to track down and recover what was stolen. Physics professor Siu Chi-yan (Jacky Cheung 张学友) joins the ever growing team as a consultant.

And then there are also Chinese official Song An (Wang Xueqi 王学圻) and his assistant Yuan Xiaowen (Feng Wenjuan 冯文娟) who play the part of Great China, the wise big brother that swoops in and cleans the mess up, all with the greater good in their thoughts, even if their methods might not be everyone's favourite.

I hope I haven't lost you so far.

Eye-candies from Korea cast for very obvious reasons.

It’s hard to say who the main focus in this movie is since there are so many characters to juggle in the span of around two hours; it’s easy to say that the producers of this film have obviously bitten off much more than they could chew. The cast is huge with each name carrying a heavy bit of weight, filming locations are spread out in numerous countries, more twists and turns and plot points were added as the story progressed. The plot gets tangled up and it becomes convoluted very fast, and it doesn't help that there is almost zero character development since everyone's fighting for screen time. The big names are useless here as everyone plays stock characters with stock personalities that are as two-dimensional as characters get. You can easily replace the two Cheungs with someone of lighter credentials and it probably wouldn't change much.

Except losing the fame and attraction that comes with the big names.

Highly replaceable in terms of acting; not so much in terms of fame and popularity.

I’m not going to lie: I personally enjoyed Helios, even if it is loud and flashy. I think this is largely due to the well-choreographed fight scenes by Chin Ka-lok, especially the one between Nick Cheung and Janice Man. Girl can seriously kick some ass while Cheung fights back with the skills learned from his 2013 MMA film Unbeatable. The action sequences in the second half of the film is riveting once you learn to ignore and forgive the incredulity of everything—such as robbing a nuclear plant and smuggling the weapon into Hong Kong by commercial flight. Fighting in Helios, whether it be with fists or with guns, is rapid, it's brutal, and it can get very gory for a Hong Kong action movie.

For someone with no name and little to no dialogue, Janice Man(Left) is the perfect kick-ass sexy-hot babe who is not to be trifled with.

There's a little bit of everything in this movie: robbery, nuclear warfare, epic gunfights, political bickering, and the likes. Of course, no Hong Kong crime action film will be complete without some treachery, But I won't spoil that bit for you.

Helios probably won't win any points in the writing department, but it is highly entertaining. I will probably be anticipating the sequel promised by how the ending is set-up . As said in the epilogue, Helios is only the beginning.

As they say in Chinese: better to offend a villain than a woman. Things get even worse when that person is both.

I rate it : 8/10 stars

THE GOOD : It's pretty high on the entertainment factor; fight scenes are sleek and well-choreographed

THE BAD : Zero character development; things get real complicated real quick, quite unnecessarily might I add.

WATCH IT IF YOU...

• ...fancy a good, new Hong Kong film of the genre.
• ...want to watch Nick Cheung gets his ass kicked by a very pretty (read:hot) girl.
• ...are not going into JUST for the Korean actors -coughSiwoncough- Things will not end well for you emotionally. 

HELIOS - 赤道  (2015)

Genre : Action Crime

Runtime : 118 mins

Director : Longman Leung, Sunny Luk

Cast : Jacky Cheung, Nick Cheung, Choi Si-won, Ji Jin-hee et al.