George Miller (again!) to the action film genre and its audience:

Just my two cents, but ‘Fury Road’ is the best kick in the ass to the genre since the first ‘Bourne’ film (i.e., ‘the rest of you have gotten lazy and keep falling on the same cliches, this is how you keep the audience fired up and engaged for 2 hours.)

I’ve been down for Tom Hardy going back to ‘Warrior’ at least.  Hooking up with the genius Christopher Nolan for ‘Inception’, and bringing cinematic redemption to Bane certainly won a lifetime of respect with yours truly. Getting to play Mad Max as an internally tormented survivor who rarely speaks…my actor envy/film geek admiration was in the red for the whole movie.  He’s earned this headlining spot.

Speaking of earning the right to be here, Charlize Theron.  Been around for a minute and a half, forever pretty enough to collect them checks playing ‘The Girlfriend/Wife’ to the main character of whatever you got.  The title of this film got it financed and put asses in the seat, but without question this is her (character’s) movie.  Beyond empathy, I don’t know if it’s my place to go too deep into the feminism angle I’ve heard thrown around a lot with this film. But it was not lost on me that the weakest character in the film is the bride who had no sense of self without her man.

There’s still so much I haven’t even covered.  That cinematography and those images!  The overall style in general!  That MF just posted up to play rock guitar during the chase scenes!  Zoe Bella Kravitz!  (Oh yes, I saw you young lady.  Your mama still fine?  I’m just teasing, but next time you go by the house, tell her Mister Aziz said hello.)

As much as it’s my natural instinct to rebel when ‘everybody’ likes something, in this case everybody was right.

Go see ‘Fury Road.’  If you’ve seen it, go see it again.