Mad Max: Fury Road

WOW. My initial reaction. Absolutely incredible. This was a blast from the past and a brand new experience all at the same time, and I LOVED every second of it!

From beginning to end this is a visceral and vicious film that any action film fan will enjoy. In a post-apocalyptic world where oil is the desire of Immortan Joe (evil comes to life from Hugh Keays-Byrne), but water holds the real power, Max (embodied perfectly by Tom Hardy) and Furiosa (exquisitely played by Charlize Theron) must team up to escape. Nux (a surprising performance by Nicholas Hoult) is a great addition to the team.

If you enjoy action movies, this is right up your alley. This is the best action movie of the year, if not the decade. It could even be the best action movie of all time. It was fun, nuanced, and amazing. You think in seeing an action film, the character development won't be there, but George Miller brings you into the world perfectly and allows characters to say only the things, which are absolutely needed to tell the story. In an interview Tom Hardy was quoted saying that "you can fit all my dialogue on one page." Initially I scoffed at this statement, but after seeing the film I can't argue with it. It's a rare moment when it's funny because it's true. He has so few lines that his time on screen heavily depends on his actual acting ability and he doesn't disappoint.

Not only is the acting on all accounts fantastic (Charlize Theron brings it home, once again), but the way this was filmed blows my mind. Every stunt was done in real time and was not CGI. This might not sound that impressive, but once you see the film, you will go insane trying to think of all the planning, money, and skill that went into every single shot, stunt, or intense moment of the film.

Throughout the movie I was cheering, laughing, and clapping, probably to the dismay of others in the theater, but I was so invested and involved in the story that I didn't care. Many others were doing the same. It was that much fun. But more often than that, I found myself starring in awe of some of the incredible, beautifully composed shots during this action-packed adventure. The poster above is a part of the opening shot of the film and it pulls you into the world, both literally and figuratively.

One last note, I think this has been the absolute best use of 3D that I've ever seen. Mad Max: Fury Road proves that 3D can still be exciting and add to a storyline as opposed to just being a flash in the pan (*cough-cough* Avatar)

Never forget the importance of water in this world, or (Mad) Max Rockatansky will find you and make you regret your incompetence.

If you like action films, GO SEE MAD MAX: FURY ROAD NOW!

Golden Globes

Although the Golden Globe nominations just came out and I have a few movies to see (18 to see all the best screenplay, acting, and picture nods) it means one thing to me. The best time of the year for movies has finally begun.

As I do every year, I will attempt to see the other 18 movies by the time the awards happen (yet another reason I love winter break!). The Golden Globe nominations are a good place to start if you're looking for those outstanding movies you may have missed earlier in the year and are usually at least somewhat accurate when it comes to predicting the Oscars.

Looking at the nominations so far, four movies clearly stand-out: Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables, and Silver Linings Playbook. The leader of the pack is Lincoln, no surprise to anyone, with seven nominations, the other three falling behind (with four nominations) my least favorite nominee, Argo, and my most anticipated movie of the year: Django Unchained (each receiving five nods).

Of the six mentioned above, I've already seen three and the winners are clear: Lincoln and Sliver Linings Playbook hands down. However the buzz surrounding both Zero Dark Thirty and Les Mis may make me think twice.

If the past few years have taught us anything it's that Kathryn Bigelow knows how to make a war movie not revolve around a war (the main rationale behind her adrenaline junkie focused Hurt Locker taking the big prize at the Oscars). But how can one make a movie about the search for Osama Bin Laden not revolve around war? I don't think it can be done, which makes me think this will end up being reminiscent of past 'war-centered' award winners like Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and The Deer Hunter. Where this movie will be different is the fact that no one in America will be able leave the theater without wanting to chant "U.S.A."

This is what I expect to see surrounding me in the theater:

As much as I love The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow for taking down James Cameron and his precious Avatar"d," (Don't get me wrong, I like Avatar, but I would have liked it better had it been an original story) I think this is an low and easy way to get nominations. Take a story that everyone has at least heard about and make it into a movie. I sincerely hope I fall in love with this movie.

Now onto Les Mis. A musical. The last time a musical won was 2006's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Could this be the year to dethrone a comedy? Possible, but not likely. Either way, it is already being heralded already as one of the musical greats. Probably most famously for having the actors sing live on the screen. In the modern age, yes this is something new and rare, but when film first started, the only way to record sound was to actually have them sing live. Maybe the nostalgia will capture audiences the way it did last year in The Artist. Although for many I think it will add a feeling of watching an actual Broadway production, which will detract some, but attract many more.

Finally there is Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained (for those who don't know, the 'D' is silent). In true 'him-fashion,' for lack of a better word, Tarantino has made what looks to be like the best western in years! I'm especially looking forward to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz (both nominated for Best Supporting Actor) square off in the film. Both are able to carry weighted roles and make them look easy. Seeing Jamie Foxx and what I'm sure will be gratuitous violence through out is definitely exciting as well.

Other movies worth mentioning are the Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt carried Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, the awkwardly adorable Moonrise Kingdom, and the apparently visually stunning Life of Pi (Move over Avatar).

While I still like the Golden Globes they pale in comparison to both the Oscars and the Emmys so no TV talk from me today. Even some of the movies were a surprise. There was talk of The Dark Knight Rises getting some attention, but alas, it went unnoticed. We shall see how these movies hold up through the coming months building up to the Oscars.