The “Fury Road” prequel is a satisfying return to the world of the demented 2015 film—but there were two missed opportunities, relating to Immortan Joe’s Wives and Furiosa’s revenge.
Thanks for the shoutout! On the subject of the wives, I'd say one reason we don't see much of Furiosa's relationship with them is because it has been covered in comic book form. I haven't read it, but I do believe the comic is supposed to be canon - at least for the moment - and from what I've heard it establishes that Furiosa initially resented the Wives until something happened to make her see them differently.
Thanks for the useful reality check on an important point! I was just reading your piece on deleted scenes in The Matrix when your comment landed. You’re doing some really interesting work (I’m reminded of the work of a friend who does a lot on science fiction and Bible movies).
Your point about the comic books is exactly what I would expect from you! For my part, while I’m always interested in whatever insights can be gleaned from kind of multimedia franchise storytelling the Wachowskis in particular tried to do, my personal aesthetic bias is that when a franchise grows beyond its original medium and embraces other mediums, I want the version or the subset of the story that exists in the original medium to stand on its own, and to be able to evaluate the story in that medium on its own.
So go ahead and add comics or web shorts or whatever, and if they enhance the story I know from the movies, that’s great—and obviously I have no expectation that the comics or web shorts should stand on their own as the movies should! That’s up to the storyteller. What I don’t like is when a project that starts as a movie series (or a comic book, for that matter, although no examples come to mind) evolves to the point where I’m told that the value of the movie in some way depends on another medium.
I’m also honestly unsure that the concept of “canon” makes that much sense with a franchise as slapped-together and fuzzily constructed as Mad Max—but I suspect your thoughts on that topic are far more insightful than mine!
Thanks! I think in transmedia franchises, a fully standalone experience in one medium simply isn't that viable anymore. That said, I find that the quality of an individual text isn't generally reliant on another text. Eg. The problem with the Matrix sequels isn't that they don't stand alone but rather that they are poorly written and executed in and of themselves.
Re: Max, Miller had something like 10 or more years to conceive story material and thus establish the groundwork for what would become Fury Road, so there's definitely a much stronger sense of continuity/canonicity between the Max works he's releasing now, even across different media.
But they def-ly take place in an alternate timeline from the first 3 Max movies, a move necessitated in part by Gibson aging out of the role following the production delays. If you're interested in these topics, I'd suggest watching some essays by Mad Max Bible on YT: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtzkiId-MSBjdcCx2pn5itesYMxJJhacJ
As I see it, your take that “in transmedia franchises, a fully standalone experience in one medium simply isn't that viable anymore” as objectively as valid as mine. As I said, my stance is ultimately an aesthetic preference, though I might frame it provocatively as a question: “Who are you making the movies for, anyway?” Up till now, I think every Mad Max movie has worked fully on its own terms, not only as regards the screen series, but even if you hadn’t seen any other Mad Max movies, which does not go without saying. Action movie fans who had never seen a Mad Max film were blown away by Fury Road, and people like me who had seen the prior Mad Max films found in Fury Road not only a continuation and reinvention of the material, but a kind of critique offering welcome moral perspective on the franchise to date (analogous in that respect to the 2006 Daniel Craig Casino Royale, even if that was a purer sort of reboot).
If Miller’s position is effectively “Up until now I’ve been making movies for movie fans generally and Max Max movie fans, but from this point on you have to buy at least somewhat into the transmedia franchise,” it’s his property and he can do what he likes with it. To that extent he’s dealing me out as a guy who’s been there from the beginning, which, again, is his right. I see it as my right to respond to his latest work based on the level of commitment I’ve had to the franchise to date, the genre, and the medium up until now. I’m speaking as the person I am for people who either have a similar perspective or who find such a perspective in some way illuminating. For people who want a different perspective, there’s Textual Variations and other resources!
I had thought that the thematic richness and moral perspective of Fury Road represented a kind of reappraisal of the role of sexual violence and revenge in the Max Max franchise. I am now forced to consider the possibility that it was a fluke.
Hmm, that is indeed frustrating. Makes me want to watch Fury Road all the more and skip the previous entries! (I still have not seen Fury Road, but I got it on blu-ray for cheap, so hopefully soon I can watch it.)
I’m overdue to revisit the earlier films, and hope to do so soon. I am most interested in rewatching Beyond Thunderdome, which I haven’t seen since the 1980s.
Thanks for the shoutout! On the subject of the wives, I'd say one reason we don't see much of Furiosa's relationship with them is because it has been covered in comic book form. I haven't read it, but I do believe the comic is supposed to be canon - at least for the moment - and from what I've heard it establishes that Furiosa initially resented the Wives until something happened to make her see them differently.
Thanks for the useful reality check on an important point! I was just reading your piece on deleted scenes in The Matrix when your comment landed. You’re doing some really interesting work (I’m reminded of the work of a friend who does a lot on science fiction and Bible movies).
Your point about the comic books is exactly what I would expect from you! For my part, while I’m always interested in whatever insights can be gleaned from kind of multimedia franchise storytelling the Wachowskis in particular tried to do, my personal aesthetic bias is that when a franchise grows beyond its original medium and embraces other mediums, I want the version or the subset of the story that exists in the original medium to stand on its own, and to be able to evaluate the story in that medium on its own.
So go ahead and add comics or web shorts or whatever, and if they enhance the story I know from the movies, that’s great—and obviously I have no expectation that the comics or web shorts should stand on their own as the movies should! That’s up to the storyteller. What I don’t like is when a project that starts as a movie series (or a comic book, for that matter, although no examples come to mind) evolves to the point where I’m told that the value of the movie in some way depends on another medium.
I’m also honestly unsure that the concept of “canon” makes that much sense with a franchise as slapped-together and fuzzily constructed as Mad Max—but I suspect your thoughts on that topic are far more insightful than mine!
Thanks! I think in transmedia franchises, a fully standalone experience in one medium simply isn't that viable anymore. That said, I find that the quality of an individual text isn't generally reliant on another text. Eg. The problem with the Matrix sequels isn't that they don't stand alone but rather that they are poorly written and executed in and of themselves.
Re: Max, Miller had something like 10 or more years to conceive story material and thus establish the groundwork for what would become Fury Road, so there's definitely a much stronger sense of continuity/canonicity between the Max works he's releasing now, even across different media.
But they def-ly take place in an alternate timeline from the first 3 Max movies, a move necessitated in part by Gibson aging out of the role following the production delays. If you're interested in these topics, I'd suggest watching some essays by Mad Max Bible on YT: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtzkiId-MSBjdcCx2pn5itesYMxJJhacJ
As I see it, your take that “in transmedia franchises, a fully standalone experience in one medium simply isn't that viable anymore” as objectively as valid as mine. As I said, my stance is ultimately an aesthetic preference, though I might frame it provocatively as a question: “Who are you making the movies for, anyway?” Up till now, I think every Mad Max movie has worked fully on its own terms, not only as regards the screen series, but even if you hadn’t seen any other Mad Max movies, which does not go without saying. Action movie fans who had never seen a Mad Max film were blown away by Fury Road, and people like me who had seen the prior Mad Max films found in Fury Road not only a continuation and reinvention of the material, but a kind of critique offering welcome moral perspective on the franchise to date (analogous in that respect to the 2006 Daniel Craig Casino Royale, even if that was a purer sort of reboot).
If Miller’s position is effectively “Up until now I’ve been making movies for movie fans generally and Max Max movie fans, but from this point on you have to buy at least somewhat into the transmedia franchise,” it’s his property and he can do what he likes with it. To that extent he’s dealing me out as a guy who’s been there from the beginning, which, again, is his right. I see it as my right to respond to his latest work based on the level of commitment I’ve had to the franchise to date, the genre, and the medium up until now. I’m speaking as the person I am for people who either have a similar perspective or who find such a perspective in some way illuminating. For people who want a different perspective, there’s Textual Variations and other resources!
Definitely sounds like a more thematically rich movie (and better prequel). What a pity.
I had thought that the thematic richness and moral perspective of Fury Road represented a kind of reappraisal of the role of sexual violence and revenge in the Max Max franchise. I am now forced to consider the possibility that it was a fluke.
Hmm, that is indeed frustrating. Makes me want to watch Fury Road all the more and skip the previous entries! (I still have not seen Fury Road, but I got it on blu-ray for cheap, so hopefully soon I can watch it.)
I’m overdue to revisit the earlier films, and hope to do so soon. I am most interested in rewatching Beyond Thunderdome, which I haven’t seen since the 1980s.
Oh, really? Isn’t Beyond Thunderdome much maligned?