Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 4K UHD Blu-ray

The Film

★★★★★ | To Valhalla

Nine years after Fury Road pushed Mad Max into new territory both visually and thematically, George Miller returns to the wasteland by tripling down on the thematic richness of his adrenaline-fuelled masterpiece. Where Max’s running of the gauntlet was a furiously lean chase film, Furiosa is the slower, more deliberate opus that expands the mythology further than the series has gone before.

Furiosa spans 18 years. It begins at the green place, possibly the last paradise on Earth. Furiosa is violently snatched from her mother and taken in by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), who rules a wandering biker gang. For the next nearly two decades, she makes it her mission to return home.

Told in an episodic format with chapter breaks signifying the passage of time, Furiosa immediately sets its pace in a different gear than Max. Those expecting a repeat of Fury Road aren’t getting one, despite some stunning feats of vehicular carnage. Instead, Miller’s latest has more in common with the lyrical oral history of Beyond Thunderdome. As with the legend of the road warrior, we hear this story as it’s passed down throughout time.

Yet this is never a boring film. Even when the villains talk about trade negotiations. Instead, Miller’s focus on how this broken society barely functions serves the story wonderfully. Everywhere you look, there’s something magnificently horrific to admire. It’s part The Wasteland, part Dark Tower, wrapped in the bleak humor of Nick Cave’s murder ballads.

Thankfully, Miller never loses sight of his characters in the immense world-building. With fantastic performances from Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth anchoring the madness, every bit of the maximalist carnage feels grounded and real.

Some may sniff at the two-and-a-half-hour length; others will whinge about Miller’s unapologetic emphasis on feminist themes. But those willing to explore the wasteland beyond the iconic road warrior will discover a smart, deeply effective adult fairy tale worth exploring. This world feels alive and dangerous, and it, in turn, makes Fury Road and Max’s other adventures that much more potent.

It’s the perfect companion piece to the saga, a brave and audacious biblical epic that redefines what Miller’s nightmarish future looks like once again.

Technical Specs & Presentation

★★★ | Solid

The Nordic release for Beetlejuice is a sadly sparse affair compared to other countries. We only get a single 4K disc, which means no Blu-ray and certainly no digital code. The packaging comes with the newly made poster art that is just meh. Luckily, the disc itself has the patented Burton visuals down perfectly. They're both little things, but for a film like this, I wish the releases would capture the same whimsy in looks as well.

Video

★★★★★ | A terrible beauty

Furiosa looks nothing like Fury Road, opting instead for a more vivid, operatic presentation that pops in 4K. This is a disc that looks pristine and perfect no matter what TV or monitor you view it on. Shot in native 4K, every aspect of Miller's raw odyssey is vibrant and full of life.

I saw Furiosa first at Cannes, then in IMAX, and once more in a state-of-the-art laser projection, and this home release stands proudly alongside each of them. What you lose out in image size, you gain back in clarity and immediacy. Viewed at home, Furiosa practically roars off the screen at every turn. From the lush green place to the nightmarish visions of Gas Town, there isn't a single moment that didn't impress.

As an example, look for the bravura sequence where Furiosa's convoy comes under attack by flying bandits. There are numerous moving elements throughout the picture, and each one looks clear and distinct from the background. The explosions have great dynamic range, and even the CGI-elements, such as the sky and wire removals, look natural. That's not an easy feat to achieve, as CGI is a 2K intermediate, which is upscaled for the final release. Often, these elements rub against each other, but not here.

In quieter scenes, such as the one where the Storyman and Furiosa converse during the night, you can easily pick out the fine details in clothing and tattoos. They amplify the textured world of Miller's fantasy, and make Furiosa a richer experience all around.

Audio

★★★★★ | Fang it!

This is a loud, aggressive, and boisterous mix that will make your neighbors hate you. I say that as a compliment. Furiosa sounds as good as Fury Road, and then some.

The engines roar with ferocity, sand trickles through every atmos speaker, and things like chains and or metal scraping on metal send shivers down the spine.

My favorite scene to demo is once again the momentous highway attack. You've got numerous flying bad guys, explosions in every channel, gunshots, engines, and parachutes, and none of it sounds like a mess. Instead, there's a clear harmony that comes through even on lesser systems, which makes Furiosa an operatic feast for the ears. Where Fury Road beat audiences into submissions with an aggressive front-loaded mix, I find Furiosa a different beast altogether. It's richer, more complex, and a terrible beauty to behold.

Extras

★★★ | Fair dinkum

Like Fury Road, this first edition of Furiosa comes with decent enough extras, but you can bet on a more comprehensive set down the line. This version doesn't come with the now-obligatory Black and Chrome cut, either.

But what is here is worth a look. The documentaries are short but passionate and full of tidbits that make these such a joy to learn from. The "Metal Beasts and Holy Motors" featurette is a personal favorite, as it dives into the making of the gargantuan monsters that Dementus and crew ride in the film.

There isn't anything as comprehensive as the documentaries on the anniversary edition of Fury Road, but that's kind of expected. It took almost a decade for Miller to finish his vision for Furiosa, we're bound to get a better look into that production process as time passes. Right now, this is as good as we've got, and it's a surprisingly bountiful first pass.

Overall

★★★★★ | A fantastic edition of a modern classic

Furiosa is one of my favorite films of the year, and a superlative addition to the Mad Max saga. It's a daring vision that steers in a wholly different direction than you'd expect from Miller. But in doing so, it proves a richer experience that is in many ways more rewarding than anything a traditional prequel could deliver.

The 4K release is a good one, too, with demo-worthy audiovisual quality and decent extras. It will happily satisfy even casual fans of the film, and sate the appetites of those ultra-fans who hunger for the big, complete edition in years to come.