Once pundits gain some perspective on the films of 2024, they’re likely to label it as the year Hollywood misread the room. With FURIOSA as box-office under-performing bellwether for an unheralded line-up of costly misfires (100 to 200 mill budgets) that either flat-out tanked or remain longshots to recoup. (Warners & Lionsgate hit particularly hard.) Non-starters include a musical JOKER sequel; the vanity epic MEGALOPOLIS (a sacrificial film fest fave that fell flat); preordained tax write-off ARGYLLE; the current Yuletide dud RED ONE . . . and we’ve hardly scratched the surface. Of the lot, George Miller’s FURIOSA perhaps the most curious and hard to explain. This origin story for one-armed warrior Furiosa looked like a safe bet to bring in the FURY ROAD fan base, but was no better received than TOY STORY origin film LIGHTYEAR/’22. Was it a case of: ‘‘Haven’t we seen this before’ or simply ‘Accept no substitutions.’ Anya Taylor-Joy losing not only an arm but also Charlize Theron’s charisma. Trying too hard? That’s the case for a lot of the film's problems, including writer/director Miller, pushing eighty and fighting to prove he’s still got the action chops needed for this post-apocalypse tale of rival survivor clans trying to reach a ravaged earth’s promised land. It’s telling that the major set piece, a wonder to behold, concentrates on stupendous vehicles and road action rather than on hardly differentiated characters. At least top-villain Chris Hemsworth sticks out, giving a dastardly go as he tries to locate his inner Laurence Olivier and finds he ain’t got one. He huffs & puffs & growls. In general, casting agents ignored for a line-up of aging WWE types. On the other hand, those who enjoyed FURY ROAD certainly should have a look. Though they may be disappointed to see that Miller seems to have fallen victim to CGI sweetening where he once disdained its use.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: As mentioned above, FURY ROAD/’15. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2015/11/mad-max-fury-road-2015.html
AMBP: The most farfetched idea in the film? Furiosa adjusting instantly to one-armed motorcycle driving. One hard left turn and it’s Wipe-Out.
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