Critics Consensus

Critics Consensus: Mad Max: Fury Road is Certified Fresh

Plus, Pitch Perfect 2 hums a familiar but catchy tune, and Wayward Pines is Certified Fresh.

by Tim Ryan | May 14, 2015 | Comments

This week at the movies, we’ve got post-apocalyptic road warriors (Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron) and cutthroat a cappella competitors (Pitch Perfect 2, starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson). What do the critics have to say?

Mad Max: Fury Road

97%

Director George Miller made his name with the original Mad Max trilogy, and spent years trying to get a new installment off the ground. Well, the wait is over, and it was certainly worth it: critics say Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies of recent memory, a blast of exhilarating thrills and spectacular imagery that’s both pulse-poundingly visceral and stealthily cerebral. After defecting from a massive fortress called the Citadel with a group of concubines in tow, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) eventually joins forces with expert driver “Mad” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). They’re pursued by a fleet of heavily armed vehicles, and a symphony of automotive mayhem ensues. The pundits say the Certified Fresh Mad Max: Fury Road is a glorious exercise in pop filmmaking — it’s uncompromisingly bold, breathlessly paced, and a lot of fun. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Hardy’s best-reviewed films, and watch our video interview with Miller, Hardy, Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, and more.)

Pitch Perfect 2

66%

Funny, likeable, and energetic, Pitch Perfect was a surprise hit, thanks to its catchy tunes and girl power esprit de corps. If you were a fan, critics say you’ll probably like Pitch Perfect 2 as well; even if it’s a bit more formulaic than its predecessor, the sequel has enough big laughs and showstopping musical numbers to make for a good time. This time out, the Barden Bellas a cappella group is in hot water after an embarrassing performance in front of a distinguished audience. In search of redemption, our heroines journey to Denmark to compete in an international vocal tournament, and wackiness follows them wherever they go. The pundits say Pitch Perfect 2 is pretty similar to the original, but the cast is game and first-time director Elizabeth Banks keeps the action moving at a steady clip. (Check out this week’s 24 Frames for a gallery of actors and actresses who can sing.)

What’s On TV:

Creepy and strange in the best way possible, Wayward Pines (Certified Fresh at 90 percent) is a welcome return to form for M. Night Shamalyan.

“The Milk and Honey Route” (96 percent) reveals the fate of one of the show’s characters in a manner that is heartbreaking, yet also apt for the penultimate episode of Mad Men.

“Kill the Boy” (100 percent) takes a fresh approach to themes of growth and change, using poignant storytelling to dramatize the challenges of making life-altering choices and struggles with power.

Also opening this week in limited release:

One Cut, One Life, a portrait of pioneering documentarian Ed Pincus, is at 100 percent.
I’ll See You in My Dreams, starring Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott in a dramedy about a retiree who forges several new friendships after her beloved dog dies, is at 95 percent.
Slow West, starring Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smit-McPhee in a Western about a mismatched pair on the run from a band of outlaws, is at 91 percent.
Our Man in Tehran, a documentary about the real-life events depicted in the Best Picture-winning Argo, is at 85 percent.
Animals, a drama about a few days in the life of a heroin-addicted couple, is at 81 percent.
Time Lapse, a time travel thriller about a painter who discovers a machine that captures images from 24 hours in the future, is at 78 percent.
Good Kill, starring Ethan Hawke and January Jones in a drama about a drone pilot whose work begins to tear at his conscience, is at 74 percent.
In the Name of My Daughter, starring Catherine Deneuve in a drama about a love affair that destabilizes a family casino empire, is at 57 percent.
Where Hope Grows, a drama about a down-on-his-luck former baseball player who befriends a young man with Down syndrome, is at 57 percent.
The Film Critic, a dramedy about a film reviewer who finds himself in the midst of a romantic comedy plot in real life, is at 55 percent.
The Connection, starring Jean Dujardin in a crime procedural about a French judge looking to bust a drug kingpin, is at 50 percent.
Dark Star: HR Giger’s World, a documentary about the Swiss artist behind Alien‘s astonishing set design, is at 43 percent.
Echoes of War, starring Ethan Embry and William Forsythe in a period drama about a pair of warring families in post Civil War Texas, is at 20 percent.
Pound Of Flesh, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme in an action thriller about a former special ops agent on the trail of organ thieves, is at 20 percent.
Every Secret Thing, starring Elizabeth Banks and Diane Lane in a thriller about a detective’s relentless search for a missing child, is at 17 percent.
Almost Married, a comedy about a guy trying to hide the fact that he contacted an STD while participating in bachelor party shenanigans, is at zero percent.