Mad Max Fury Road and Jurassic Park World - Female Action Heros or Lack Thereof in Action Films...

Finally saw Jurassic Park World and Mad Max: Fury Road - both are insanely violent films, although Mad Max is by far the better one, no surprise there. Didn't do as well - in part because it's darker and the violence is less...safe. Let's face it, it's easier to watch fake dinosaurs kill people than motor vehicles and grossly deformed skinheads. Also, kids can go to Jurassic Park not so much Mad Max. (Personally I wouldn't take anyone under the age of 15 to either...but that's just me. (Granted I saw the insanely violent and sexually explicit Excalbur at the age of 14 and survived intact, so who am to judge? It, by the way, was a much better film than either - but mileage varies on this sort of thing. Also it's been a while since I saw it, so my memory of it may be better than it was.)

Of the Mad Max films, and I've seen all of them - this may be the best of the bunch. Although, I have a fondness for Road Warrior and the young Mel Gibson, who portrayed Max. (Not sure why they didn't cast him in this flick - possibly a combination of availability and the fact that Gibson derailed his career after Brave Heart in such a spectacular manner that I can't bear to watch him. He is in short box-office poison. Which took a bit of work considering how popular Gibson was up to and including Brave Heart and about two or three films after that.)

The reason this film is loved - is Charlize Theron, who portrays the badass truck driver/heroine Imperosa Furiousa. And she is amazing in it, she also manages to look beautiful with a shaved head and black eye shadow covering half her face, not to mention a stub for a right arm. Plus, it's rare that we get a kickass/badass female action hero. Usually, the women are pretty and sort of simpering in these flicks or killed in horrific fashion, which was true of the earlier Max flicks. Thunderdome sort of changed things, but it wasn't that good of a movie - the best thing in it was Tina Turner.

Speaking of female action heroes...this is sort of what separates the critically acclaimed action flicks from the lackluster ones ...one of the reasons, people loved Star Wars : The Force Awakens (in fact my brother decided it was better than the original Star Wars and comes second only to Empire Strikes Back...he may be right, it's admittedly been ten years since I saw Star Wars) - is the heroine is kickass, and basically saves everyone else, including herself. She's tougher than Luke, Han and Leia combined. Heck she's tougher than Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's also why people liked The Hunger Games flicks, and Inside Out. Female heroines.

The biggest disappointment in Whedon's Avengers 2 --The Age of Ultron is the man who created the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, basically fell asleep at the wheel when it came to including kickass heroines in his already testosterone-heavy sequel to The Avengers. Not that the first one had that much...but the Black Widow at least had more of a role than...well, the Hulk's love interest.  (My issue with the film was it was far too busy and felt like watching an extended video game - which actually is my issue with 90% of the action movies I've seen in the past few years. Making me miss the 1980s and 1990s action flicks. More character development, less F/X.)

Ironically, it was Whedon himself, who pointed out the biggest flaw in Jurassic Park World -- the lack of a kick-ass or badass female character. Yes, Jessica Chastain's (ETA: apparently this is Bryce Dallas Howard not Chastain) Clair does technically save the hero's ass, at least twice, but in a rather idiotic fashion, and wearing stilettos no less. When I was watching Jurassic Park, I found myself missing the first movie -- which wisely reversed the gender roles. Laura Dern plays a kick-ass heroine in that film that takes on the raptors and saves Sam Neil. She's the badass hero. This film should have switched the Chris Pratt and Chastain roles. She should have been the kickass animal tamer, and he, the corporate nitwit who lost control. It would have made the film far better and more interesting, not to mention less cliche. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable -- it was. Chris Pratt is fun and about the best thing in it outside of the dinosaurs, but it is a pale imitation of the first film, and for that matter the third, with Tea Leoni, William H. Macy, and Sam Neill.

The first film, wisely had a brother and sister - and the sister is older, and again, kick-ass. Here, we have two annoying whiny teenage boys, who don't become likable until after they've almost been killed by the dinosaurs. (Actually at one point I was rooting for them to die, but I knew it would never happen. This film, unlike the first film, went out its way to only kill bad guys or disposable characters that were never developed and had maybe five lines of dialogues -- another big no-no in horror flicks. But its greatest sin is the depiction of the female heroine -- as prissy corporate bitch, that bordered on cliche and was just a tad on the sexist side of the fence. Even the hero was a cliche. Not sure why it did well...probably the dinosaurs? And Chris Pratt who can add depth to cardboard characters. (Thinking about it...Spielberg and Lucas aren't exactly known for their kickass heroines...something their successors, JJ Abrhams and Joss Whedon appear to be a bit better at. It may be a generational thing? Except for one thing -- George Miller, who is Speilberg and Lucas contemporary, and did create a bad-ass contemporary heroine of sorts. And of course, Ridely Scott and James Cameron, who are responsible for Ripley and Sarah Connor. Actually, I think James Cameron is responsible for Ripley and Sara Connor. Not so much Ridley Scott.)

Mad Max - Fury Road does not disappoint when it comes to action -- George Miller still creates the best car chase scenes on film, not to mention the most violent. He also manages to develop his characters up to a point. Max and Imperosa aren't cliches, like Claire and Owen in Jurassic Park World are. Both are to an extent anti-heroes on a path towards redemption. Brutalized along the way.

Max does unfortunately have an annoying character who survives the ride - portrayed by the otherwise excellent Nick Hoult. Here, I just wanted him gone.  The supporting characters, unfortunately aren't as developed as they could be, but that's true of most of the Mad Max films. I think Road Warrior may be the only exception? It's been 10-15 years since I saw it, so I'm not positive. Also the villains in Max are a bit boilerplate or one-dimensional. Let's face it - action films aren't exactly known for complex villains.

For what it is? Mad Max - Fury Road may well be as good as it gets. It has a hopeful message at the end it, but not giving up or losing oneself to the wasteland. And a great heroine. You really can't beat Imperosa. Also, I didn't feel like I was watching a video game, not busy, focused, with some great cinematography. Miller continues to bring the goods when it comes to cinematography.

That said, I enjoyed the busier  Star Wars: Force Awakens a lot more. In part because it felt like visiting an old friend, also it was a lot less violent and not quite as grim. Even if it's cinematography wasn't quite as stellar as Miller's. (I'm also thinking I need to start working on my own female action heroes...which means getting back to those sci-fi novels I've been playing with.)

Still haven't made it to Mockingjay Part 2 --- we'll see what this week brings.