STORY: In a bleak, sun-scorched future where the water supply is controlled by a warlord and vegetation is non-existent, the feisty Furiosa (Theron, fantastic) hopes to find redemption in her promised land, beyond the dusty dunes. She finds a partner of sorts in Max Rockatansky, more capable than mad and tougher than ever before.

REVIEW: Fury Road is a relentless, action-packed assault, with not a seeming nanosecond to spare when it comes to crash-and-burn chases involving vehicles that look like they were forged in the Devil’s own backyard.

In this post-apocalyptic fable of reconstruction, Immortan (Byrne) rules from an HQ that looks like a steampunk junkie’s dream dominion. Immortan’s lackeys (War Boys) resemble zombies and are slavishly devoted to him. Max has been captured by them and is used as a blood donor for these War Boys. Furiosa, while in Immortan’s employ, goes renegade one day when she drives a supply truck to his HQ containing fuel and some ‘genetically pure’ handmaidens who are in Immortan’s harem. Two of these – Whiteley as The Splendid Angharad and Eaton as Cheedo the Fragile – are very effective. Max and Furiosa meet when an infuriated Immortan subsequently gives chase, with revenge on his mind.

Tom Hardy carries on the legacy of the character famously played by Mel Gibson – the lone wolf who hallucinates about his daughter and wife. The scriptwriters would have had it easy here – there’s precious little dialogue. After all, why waste words when you can make things blow up in spectacular style?

The cinematography puts you in front and centre, almost feeling every crazy twist and turn in a chase as characters scramble and fight over, under, above and in front of flat-out weirdly pimped out vehicles. Some scenes are just flat-out bizarre. However, the attention to detail is fantastic. On the flip side, the constant barrage on the senses will polarize viewers – you’ll either not like it at all or you’ll love it. So there you have it. If you want your big screen thrill ride this summer, this might just be the ticket.