As Mad Max: Furiosa revs up its engines for its upcoming theatrical release, critics are sharing their first official reactions and reviews to the prequel.
Officially titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, this film highlights the early years of Charlize Theron’s leading heroine from 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger Furiosa opposite Chris Hemsworth as the terrifying villain Dementus, the prequel shows an epic adventure in the Wasteland as Dementus and Lachy Hulme’s Immortan Joe fight for dominance.
First Reviews & Reactions to Mad Max: Furiosa
Following the first critics' screenings of George Miller's Mad Max: Furiosa, critics and media members shared their first official social media reviews and reactions on X (formerly Twitter).
IndieWire's David Ehrlich bluntly proclaimed Furiosa to be "really, *really* fucking good," taking a different route than Mad Max: Fury Road while making that film "even richer:"
"brings me great joy to report that 'Furiosa' is really, *really* fucking good. operates in an extremely different gear than 'Fury Road' (in ways that i suspect will frustrate some people), but also manages to make that movie even richer while carving its own legend in the wasteland."
Collider's Therese Lacson would "easily watch 15 hours of Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne" in their roles, but criticized the movie for its "inconsistent pacing due to the segmented story:"
"I would and could easily watch 15 hours of Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne as Furiosa, however much of her film struggles with inconsistent pacing due to the segmented story. This won't match up to 'Fury Road''s splendor but it also doesn't need to."
Fandango's Erik Davis described Furiosa as "powerhouse action filmmaking at its absolute best," specifically highlighting the characters and cinematography. he also touched on Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth's performances while teasing one epic sequence with a War Rig:
"George Miller’s 'Furiosa' is powerhouse action filmmaking at its absolute best! A ferocious & relentlessly paced epic that expands the story of Furiosa and the Wasteland while delivering the craziest chases, the most bombastic characters & just plain stunning cinematography. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth equally dive all the way into the Wasteland, and both deliver some incredible stuff. There’s one War Rig sequence that blew my mind - an instant classic. I love the 'Mad Max' movies and I loved this film. Start your engines!"
Forbes' Simon Thompson teased that Furiosa "seems to exceed the canvas" of its IMAX format while also bringing a "deeply affecting intimacy," teasing the vibe of films from the 1950s and 1980s:
"Jesus George Miller! 'Furiosa' engulfs you. At times it almost seems to exceed the canvas of the IMAX format it is THAT big - and yet at times has a deeply affecting intimacy. Echoing cinematic elements from the 50s through the 80s, it’s a rich, smart vision the cast revels in"
Nerd Reactor's John Nguyen saw the movie as "2-and-a-half hours of colorful mayhem," noting its brutality while pointing out how Hemsworth is "like a villainous Thor" with his look:
"'Furiosa' is 2-and-a-half hours of colorful mayhem. Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne both get their fair share of screen time as the title character. Chris Hemsworth is like a villainous Thor with his red cape and long hair. It's one of the most brutal 'Mad Max' films yet."
What Mad Max: Furiosa's Strong Reviews Mean
The Mad Max franchise has a strong history of well-reviewed movies, with George Miller’s 2015 outing boasting an incredible 97% Tomatometer score and an 86% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Particularly since Miller is back at the helm with a new cast of A-list actors, expectations are naturally high for him to deliver again during a relatively rough period for the entire movie industry.
Furiosa also boasts the longest runtime of any Mad Max movie to date at 2 hours and 28 minutes, which is nearly half an hour longer than any of its predecessors.
Given this extended runtime, fans should have more than enough time to dive into Furiosa’s full backstory before her adult years while also getting new insight into the greater world seen in these films.
Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus is also likely to be featured heavily due to his immense star power, with his character having first been revealed nearly two years ago to incredibly positive reactions.
The only real question now is where the franchise goes from here as a whole should Furiosa be a financial hit, with so much territory in this saga still unexplored.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga roars into theaters on Friday, May 24.
Read more about Furiosa below:
First Look at Anya Taylor-Joy In Furiosa's Dark Costume on Mad Max Set
Mad Max: New Photos Reveal Chris Hemsworth’s Villain In Furiosa Prequel
Thor 4 Star Chris Hemsworth Reveals First Photo From Mad Max Prequel Set
