Release Date: May 15, 2015 Tom Hardy must have a lot of faith in the first movie in this upcoming franchise reboot, given that he's already signed on to appear in at least three installments (should this one do well). Mad Max isn't the most popular movie series of all-time, but it has entered the pantheon of "great franchises" because it's inherently iconic: the inclusion of Mel Gibson coupled with the fact that all three existing movies are of good quality (especially the first two) means that Mad Max is thought of as being one of very few franchises that never really ended up feeling bloated or ruined. That could change, of course, with Mad Max: Fury Road. That's not to say that folk shouldn't have faith in the upcoming reboot: there is, after all, George Miller (the director of all three previous Mad Max installments) and Tom Hardy, arguably one of the best actors of his generation, taking on the role previously immortalised by Mel Gibson. But Miller hasn't made a Mad Max movie in 30 years, people. And Tom Hardy hasn't exactly showcased a talent for picking the best movie roles over the last few years (seriously: doesn't this guy pick the most bizarre roles?). There's also the little fact that, for all intents and purposes, Mad Max i a franchise that originally worked on its raw, makeshift production values; indeed, Thunderdome suffered somewhat because there was probably too much money involved. So whilst it would be great if this movie to turn out brilliantly, it's also a dangerous play; here Warner Bros. risk the legacy of Miller's iconic franchise on the back of an overblown reboot. Have faith, then - but don't believe the hype.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
