WHAT A DAY, WHAT A LOVELY DAY.

Mad Max returns to the cineplexes with Mad Max: Fury Road, the continuation of a franchise that began all the way back in 1979 as a small A$400,000 Aussie flick by George Miller starring a then-unknown Mel Gibson. Two more sequels then followed in the eighties, again directed by Miller and starring Gibson, with the first sequel, Mad Max: The Road Warrior setting the high bar for the franchise, with its great chases and carnage on display, putting both men on the Hollywood radar.

Warner Bros. has since decided to dig up another old franchise in hopes that public nostalgia can earn them a sweet profit, and as history suggests, movie studios' active franchise-reviving activities, like a manic grave digger, has yielded mixed results (for every Star Trek, Planet of the Apes and 21 Jump Street, there's a Robocop, Terminator, Total Recall...). With Miller (who has directed many similar action flicks since such as... Babe: Pig in the City and Happy Feet?) back in the director's chair, is his original vision realised in this quasi-sequel/reboot with a $150 million budget and a new Max this time around?

Set between The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome, the story kicks off as Max (Tom Hardy) is pursued in his classic V8 Interceptor, and is eventually captured and brought to the Citadel, ruled by Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Meanwhile, en route to claim gasoline (in a world where water is the equivalent of money), Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron ) makes off with Joe's prized possession, and a great chase in the empty desserts ensues. Max and Furiosa soon cross paths amid all the chaos, and both work together to arrive at the "Green Place".

While the story seems plain on paper, George Miller more than makes up for it with spectacular action pieces and powerful characters worth rooting for. The pacing stops for no one, with every action scene following one another in rapid succession. The cars in the film, such as the massive War Rig tanker and the GigaHorse (two Cadillacs piled on together), makes you wonder if this was an adult version of Wacky Racers set in the world of Death Race. The entire story plays out as one enormous chase scene (echoing The Road Warrior), with multiple gangs (the chainsaw-wielding, rally bombers kind) joining the fray as the film progresses, ensuring no shortage of explosions and vehicular carnage throughout, enough to make Michael Bay cream his pants. All we need now is someone to fast forward the film with a Benny Hill track playing in the background.

The film is beautifully shot, and credit must be given to editor (Margaret Sixel) and cinematographer (John Seale), the latter actually coming out of retirement to work on this, so he'll be in pretty high demand after this beauty of  a film. Chunks of the film's effects were all practically done, giving the film a great sense of realism, but not withholding on what is possible with camera/stunt works, and the end result is a gorgeous mess of the best kind. The only instance where CG was needed was the torrential sandstorm scene, which fitted in perfectly with the rest of the film (Much has been said - by yours truly, on some poor-looking effects in recent blockbuster movies). From the orange days to the blueish nights, the contrast in colour palettes shows the great desert landscapes. If you're not convinced, the trailers doing the rounds over the past year will are only a taster of what to expect in Fury Road.

No Mad Max movie would be complete without a range of zany characters, from the War Boys, a religious horde of white underlings who serve under Joe, to the deformed warlords of the Fury Road. Every role is filled with character that all of them gets a standout moment in this two-hour caper. And yes, the guitar/flamethrower guy is an absolute scene-stealer.

Despite having his name as the title, Tom Hardy has barely anything to do as the Road Warrior, almost acting like a supporting character from the very first scene. That aside, Hardy still displays the gruff tones and few-words-spoken vibes exuded by the O.G. Mad Max, Mel Gibson himself. He even gets a Bane homage by having a mask strapped to his face for the first half an hour of the film! Considering Tom Hardy's brilliant acting chops, you'll think he should be further utilised in the entirety of the film. Alas, maybe the sequels will give him more to do. Aside from Hardy, Nicholas Hoult shines as the unrecognisable Nux, a manipulated Warboy who only seeks the after life. Rounding out the male cast is the aforementioned Immortan Joe played by Hugh Keays-Byrne, who returns to play an even more menacing villain after first appearing as Toecutter in the original Mad Max.

However, Fury Road isn't about our post-apocalyptic hardmen, as much has been mentioned about the feminist stance the film is taking, but it's really just a film with a powerful female protagonist going up against the dominating male empire (oh). Regardless, Charlize Theron steals the leading role with aplomb as the tough as nails Imperator Furiosa, Immortan Joe's rouge henchwoman. Her character's importance to the story, and her ability to stand up against absolutely anyone, even Mad Max (often winning on most occasions), makes this one of Theron's best role in ages. In tow with Furiosa are the Wives, Immortan Joe's breeders who seek better pastures elsewhere, which includes Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (last seen in Transformers 3) and Zoë Kravitz (last seen in X-Men: First Class and Divergent).

Fury Road is visual storytelling at its 'furiest', and Warner Bros. should be commended for giving George Miller another crack at his franchise set in an Australian wasteland, and it can proudly sit alongside its older trilogy siblings. Much of the "best action movie" accolades the film's been receiving were due to the reliance on practical effects over CGI to create a heart-pumping caper, again, the stunt crew and those off the cameras should be given due credit for making this such a beautiful blast to watch. The ending leaves plenty of opportunities for more film (whilst still completing the current storyline), and it'll be exciting to see the further adventures of Max Rockatansky and even Furiousa.

Mad Max is back, and the world is just as crazy for it after its dormant 30-years absence.