Movie Review Furiosa A Mad Saga

Furiosa A Mad Max Saga 

Directed by George Miller

Written by George Miller, Nico Lathouris

Starring Anya Taylor Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke

Release Date May 24th, 2024 

Published May 27th, 2024 

Furiosa rocks. It's a really great movie. I have been struggling with writing this review for a few days because, I wasn't sure I had much to add to the Furiosa discourse. It's a killer movie and most critics have already told you that. So, to try and make my review a little difference, I am just going to pick a part of the movie I like and use that to illustrate why Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is so good.

So, a brief plot description and set up. As a child, Furiosa, yes that's her actual name, it's not something she adopted like a nickname, get over it. As a child, Furiosa was kidnapped by marauders. Her mother gave chase and nearly rescued her. Mom gets killed and child Furiosa begins a banger of a revenge arc. She will spend the rest of her life trying to find and kill the leader of these evil marauders, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).

Years later, Furiosa gets traded to Immortan Joe. It's part of a deal with Dementus who has captured the kingdom of Gasland, where all the gas in this post-apocalyptic wasteland is produced. Dementus gives Furiosa to Joe as a gesture of peace. Soon after, Furiosa escapes and becomes a slave of the Citadel, pretending to be a boy to prevent being a wife of Joe. After years of this, she gets her chance to escape after she helps build the prototype of the War Rig, Immortan Joe's most important vehicle, a truck that carries supplies in trade for gas and bullets.

The best scene in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has Furiosa tagging along on the first run of the War Rig. She's hidden herself beneath the rig with a motorcycle tied to to the bottom. When the rig stops, she will escape on her motorcycle and try to find her way back to her childhood realm, a place of abundance that her mother died to protect. Furiosa's bold escape plan is foiled when the War Rig is attacked by marauders who deal some damage to the rig and Furiosa is forced to defend the rig to save herself.

Find my full length review in the Geeks Community on Vocal. Find my full length review in the Geeks Community on Vocal. 

Movie Review Happy Feet 2

Happy Feet 2 (2011) 

Directed by George Miller

Written by George Miller, Gary Eck

Starring Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Pink, Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Common, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara

Release Date November 18th, 2011

Published November 18th, 2011

Pop junk is a little harsh for a movie as harmless as "Happy Feet 2" but it is nevertheless a fitting pronunciation. "Happy Feet 2" is junky; filled to overflow with dull pop songs and boring perfunctory messages about finding your place, growing up, family and global warming.

The original "Happy Feet," also a fluffy piece of pop junk, followed Mumble (Elijah Wood) as he learned to dance with the aid of his pal Ramon (Robin Williams) and the love of a female penguin named Gloria (Brittany Murphy). Five years later, Mumble and Gloria, now voiced by pop star Pink, have a son (Ava Acres) named Erik who struggles to find his place in the world.

The plot kicks in when Uncle Ramon decides to return to his penguin flock on the other side of the mountain. Unknowingly, Ramon is trailed by Erik and his pals. They follow Ramon back to his old family where they make a fascinating discovery; a penguin who can fly.

While Mumble tracks down his son and also confronts The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria) a massive glacier crashes into Mumble's home and traps his friends and family, including Gloria. With his home cut off from the ocean Mumble must find a way to get food to his friends and a way to get them out of the hole they're in.

In a minor and surprisingly entertaining subplot a pair of Krill named Will (Brad Pitt) and Bill (Matt Damon) leaves their swarm behind in search of adventure and an identity of their own. Will wants to become a predator and is determined to take a bite out of something; Will is along for the ride with his best friend.

This subplot is funny not because it's wildly inventive or well written but because Brad Pitt and Matt Damon throw dignity to the wind and give full throat to a pair of sweet, strange performances. How strange are they? Pitt and Damon each sing, quite badly but with complete abandon and joy.

Pitt and Damon are the standouts in an otherwise by the numbers effort that recycles cloying cuteness, boring, overplayed pop songs and good intentions. There's nothing wrong with the messages ``Happy Feet 2" intends to pass along. The problem is the method of delivering these messages has no freshness and thus lacks resonance.

Rather than waste the price of a movie ticket on "Happy Feet 2" I recommend you grab your DVD of the original off the shelf and toss that in the DVD player. All you're losing in the experience is the chance to pay big money at a movie theater for a movie you've basically seen already.