Mad Max: Fury Road - blockbuster of the year? J.J. Abrams and Sam Mendes may have something to say about that in the coming months, but at the mid-way point it's certainly looking that way. And it's not a consolation prize thanks to the likes of Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Tomorrowland not living up to expectations - George Miller's fourth entry in the post-apocalyptic series, the first in thirty years, is a thrilling spectacle with more innate adrenaline than a whole herd of Indominus Rexes. Primarily, the action is stupendous, over the top and grounded in all the right, respective ways. Clear vehicle designs make a driver's allegiance immediately obvious and the sequences are so meticulously choreographed that you instinctively know what's going on. That sounds like it should be a given for a big budget release, but so many modern action flicks mess up this very simple facet, leading to visually busy, but ultimately empty scenes. It's not just heart-pumpingly real though. Each beat has a clear purpose within the story, either progressing the narrative or telling you more about the characters. Miller is telling a story first and foremost, but has simply chosen to do so using cars and explosions instead of dialogue and raised voices.
