Likely to be the best action pic of the summer. Makes those bloated comic-book movies just look silly. Literally starts off running, and doesn't let up. Basic plot: Max (Tom Hardy) and a truck-driver (Charlize Theron) need to get themselves and their precious human cargo from Point A to Point B while being chased by bad guys. Bonus pondering material includes: state of post-apocalyptic humanity, options for emotional survival, the exploitive nature of religion and a "radical feminist agenda" that has contemporary men's-rights groups annoyed. Or just goggle at: the excellent car chases, the horrifyingly gorgeous desert of Namibia (standing in for dystopic wasteland) and the crazy stunts. And sure, some 1s and 0s were employed, but a lot in Mad Max got made — freaky hybrid vehicles, outlandish costumes, weapons — and I sure dug that a lot more than green-screen effects. This fourth Max was directed by George Miller, who helmed the original Mad Max way back in 1979, and it's worth the wait.
