Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review
Commissions Earned
Film Title: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Release Date: 2024
Rating: R
Runtime: 148 minutes
Region Coding: Region Free
Distributor: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
High Dynamic Range: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Version Reviewed: 4K UHD Blu-ray
Release Date: 8/13/24
Director: George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, George Shevtsov, Lachy Hulme, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Charlee Fraser, Elsa Pataky, Nathan Jones, Josh Helman
Jump to Sections:
Movie | Video | Audio | Bonus | Closing | Screenshots
Full 4K Tech Specs found at the bottom
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The Movie
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” was a 2024 film produced, directed, and co-written by George Miller. Miller is best known for directing the films “Mad Max” (1979), “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” (1981), “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985), “The Witches of Eastwick” (1987), “Loreonzo’s Oil” (1992), “Happy Feet” (2006), and of course “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) which this movie serves as a prequel.
The screenplay for this movie was a co-writing collaboration between George Miller and Nick Lathouris. Lathouris is best known for co-writing, appropriately enough, “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015). “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” marks the fifth film in the “Mad Max” franchise and the first film not to totally involve “Max Rockatansky.”
This movie focuses on the female character of “Furiosa,” played here (as a child) by Alyla Browne and (as an adult) by Anya Taylor-Joy. As most will remember, we first met the character of Furiosa in “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015). This story starts around 15 to 20 years before the events of that film. When we first are introduced to a young Furiosa, she’s still living an innocent life, picking peaches, in what’s known as “The Green Place of Many Mothers.” The setting is a post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland. She is fortunate to live where flowers, fruits, and trees still grow. Only a moment later, sadly, she ends up being kidnapped by a biker horde. From the early moments after the child’s kidnapping “Mary” (Charlee Fraser), Furiosa’s mother, has been pursuing the bikers in a noble attempt to rescue her daughter from their captivity. Unfortunately, the young girl falls into the hands of the biker horde’s Warlord “Dementus” (Chris Hemsworth) and becomes his slave.
After receiving her torment from Dementus Furiosa will later end up in what’s known as the “Citadel” where things are ruled by “Immortan Joe” (now played by Lachy Hulme). It’s here, in the Citadel, that she will grow a liking for a man known as “Praetorian Jack” (Tom Burke) who drives the massive “War Rig” for Immortan Joe. As she grows in age she disguises herself as a boy and works a basic job, with hopes of being able to someday rise in rank, like Jack, and find her way back home. She’s got a long road to travel before she will eventually make her ranks as “Imperator” in Fury Road.
In this movie you’ll see some familiar characters from the previous film such as “The People Eater” (John Howard), “Rictus Erectus” (Nathan Jones), “The Organic Mechanic” (Angus Sampson), with all of the same actors reprising those roles. A lot of new characters will be introduced like “The History Man” (George Shevtsov), “Rizzdale Pell” (Lachy Hulme), and “Scrotus” (Josh Helman). You’ll also finally get to see locations like “Gastown” and “The Bullet Farm” which were only mentioned in Fury Road.
Movie Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
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Video Quality
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” on 4K UHD Blu-ray is presented in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range.
This movie was shot digitally in 6.5K and 8K resolutions using a variety of the Arri Alexa 65, Red V-Raptor, and Red Komodo cameras. It received a 4K digital intermediate master.
Next, let me get technical, for a bit, regarding the 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc itself here. This release uses a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 85.28 gigabytes total, and 74.5 gigabytes itself for the film. Based on my observations via my 4K UHD Blu-ray player, this seems to run anywhere from peaks at around 87.3 Mbps, to roughly around 65.3 Mbps and then dips down as low as 42/6 Mbps. According to info on the PC side, this seems to have an overall video bitrate of 56.0 Mb/s average.
This 4K video presentation comes with a very sharp amount of detail and a truly beautiful yet dirt gritty visual style, just as with “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), and that’s because of the same superb cinematography by director of photography John Seale who also worked as cinematographer on “Fury Road.” Having the same DP back has definitely added a very nice amount of visual consistency between these two films. So, if you’ve seen that film on 4K, expect something that looks just as impressive.
The first thing you’re going to notice about this 4K presentation is how much the HDR (high dynamic range) can make all of the colors pop, even in a wasteland, and how solid the black level can be. The film takes place primarily during the daytime and that brightness helps show off the crazy detail on all of the characters and over-the-top vehicles. But there remains an excellent amount of detail to be found in darker nighttime scenes, especially closeups. The flesh tones here appear accurate and you’ll see an incredible amount of detail in facial closeups.
All and all, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” on 4K UHD Blu-ray is a 4K Ultra HD visual feast for the eyes with enough expected insane action and stunts to keep you thrilled all the way. That said, this release merits a perfect 5 rating for video quality.
Video Quality Rating: 5 (out of 5)
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Audio Quality
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos sound mix, including a lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core for those unable to decode the sound format, as well as a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound mix. I’m not entirely sure why the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix was included when Dolby TrueHD 7.1 holds a 5.1 Dolby Digital core itself, for those even unable to decode that lossless sound format. Perhaps someone (possibly George Miller) wanted a 5.1 mix specifically for reasons unknown.
This Dolby Atmos mix fires on all cylinders and is undeniably an amazing listening experience that we have come to expect on home video for the franchise after “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) was released. This mix may not be as loud overall in comparison to the aforementioned film that it’s a prequel to but it sure as all hell gets the job more than done.
One of the first things that you’ll hear and feel is that there is a tremendous amount of LFE via the subwoofer here all throughout this film in Dolby Atmos. Dialogue is delivered spot-on from the center channel speaker throughout the film. The majority of the sound effects and the musical score (composed by Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL) are delivered in a very loud and extreme manner through the front left and right channel speakers. Having Holkenberg back as the composer adds some very important consistency with the sound of the film. You’ll find at times that specific sound effects or music will be used appropriately in the height and rear channel speakers. This is one very intense high-octane immersive sound mix that puts the pedal to the metal and will definitely leave you extremely impressed. There are a sheer abundant amount of different scenes here that each prove to be true examples of “demo material.”
This is certainly one of the finer Atmos mixes that I have heard since the introduction of the sound format. That being said, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” on 4K UHD Blu-ray sounds absolutely fantastic and earns every bit of a perfect 5 rating for audio quality.
Audio Quality Rating: 5 (out of 5)
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Bonus Materials
A Digital Copy of the film in 4K resolution is included (via paper insert) which is compatible with Movies Anywhere. That means you can use it across online video services such as VUDU, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, and even on smart TVs from television makers such as LG & VIZIO. The digital copy on AppleTV (iTunes), VUDU (Fandango at Home), and Movies Anywhere is in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision (or HDR10) and Dolby Atmos sound and includes all of the extras. The AppleTV version also includes three different trailers for the film.
Bonus materials included on the 4K UHD Blu-ray are listed below.
- “Highway to Valhalla: In Pursuit of Furiosa“ (57 minutes – HD) includes glimpses at the script, concept artwork, rehearsals, and tons of behind-the-scenes footage as well as interviews with George Miller (writer/producer/director), Doug Mitchell (producer), PJ Voeten (first assistant director), Colin Gibson (production manager), Anya Taylor-Joy (“Furiosa”), Lachy Hulme (“Immortan Joe” / “Pizzdale Pell”), Tom Burke (“Praetorian Jack”), Ian Roberts (“Mr Harley”), Chris Hemsworth (“Dementus”), Quaden Bayles (“War Pup”), CJ Bloomfield (“Big Jilly”), Jenny Beaven (consume designer), George Shevtsov (“The History Man”), Lauren Reyhani (associate costume designer), Josh Helman (“Scrotus”), Larry Van Duynhoven (prosthetics designer), Lesley Vanderwalt (hair and makeup designer), Chris Marinovich (salvage artist), Andrew Jackson (visual effects supervisor), Guy Norris (action designer/second unit director/additional story contributor), Simon Duggan (director of photography), Tom Holkenborg (composer/re-recording mixer/orchestrator), and Robert Mackenzie (supervising sound editor/sound designer/re-recording mixer). This excellent Featurette was produced and directed by Cory Watson.
- “Darkest Angel: Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa“ (10 minutes, 19 seconds – HD) features discussion about and an interview with the actress portraying the lead character in this film.
- “Motorbike Messiah: Chris Hemsworth as Dementus“ (10 minutes, 2 seconds – HD) features discussion about and an interview with the actor portraying the villain character in this film. This also includes interviews with George Miller (writer/producer/director),
- “Furiosa: Stowaway to Nowhere” (11 minutes, 13 seconds – HD) includes interviews with George Miller (writer/producer/director), Doug Mitchell (producer),
- “Metal Beasts and Holy Motors” (14 minutes, 42 seconds – HD) gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the cars, trucks, and motorcylces used in the film. This includes interviews with George Miller (writer/producer/director), Anya Taylor-Joy (“Furiosa”), Doug Mitchell (producer), Colin Gibson (production designer), Charlee Fraser (“Mary Jabassa”), Chris Hemsworth (“Dementus”), Guy Norris (action designer/second unit director/additional story contributor), Tom Burke (“Praetorian Jack”), Michael Xuereb (monster trucks), and Sam Xuereb (monster trucks).
Overall, the bonus materials here prove to be somewhat lengthy, enjoyable, and informative. These extras all together total up to roughly an hour and a half in length.
The only thing missing is the “Black & Chrome Edition” of this film, but that’s going to be released individually on 4K and with a “Mad Max 5-Film Collection” on 4K later this year (September 24th). So, you’ll have to purchase it separately instead of getting the Black & Chrome Edition and you cannot expect it to be included simply as an extra feature. You need to remember that Warner is marketing that version as an entirely different experience than this release. That all being said, I rather enjoyed these bonus materials.
Bonus Materials Rating: 4.25 (out of 5)
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Closing Thoughts
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” proves to be a very enjoyable prequel to the 2015 film (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) that George Miller used to take the franchise in a whole new direction. This film continues to go in the different direction that the previous first three films in the franchise and it’s a spin-off that proved to be successful with the fans. Let’s face it, we can’t help but simply love and also hate some of these characters that Miller has co-created. The acting here is great, most especially from the lead Anya Taylor-Joy and costars Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke.
It’s most certainly worth noting that this movie is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. The film ended up grossing worldwide nearly its budget. It was by no means a box office success nor a failure but it sure held up well with both the critics and audiences as well. That said, even another film from George Miller, “Mad Max: The Wasteland” is already said to be currently in production according to IMDb and should be coming soon. This movie truly shows us that the “Mad Max” franchise is alive and well. It also shows us that filmmaker George Miller, over the years, hasn’t lost his touch one bit.
In terms of video quality, this delivers one stunning 4K presentation from start to finish. Every scene looks downright jaw-dropping in terms of visual style and its unique artistic nature. The colors are as bright and bold as the action, especially with Dolby Vision, possessing a black level as solid as ink. There’s an exceeding amount of detail to be found in every shot and you’ll find this to be one perfect 4K viewing experience.
In terms of audio quality, this Dolby Atmos mix is the sheer definition of “demo material” from start to finish. You’ll hear some incredible use of the height and rear channel speakers, leaving you feeling completely immersed in the action. The subwoofer will also be roaring through the film, as dialogue is delivered distinctly via the center channel and music and sound effects make primary use of the front left and right channels. This audio presentation kicks ass.
The bonus materials here include a digital copy (in 4K) and roughly around an hour and a half of supplemental materials. I for one was pleased with the quality of these extras.
Overall, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” on 4K UHD Blu-ray looks and sounds spectacular. This comes as one Highly Recommended “Demo Disc.”
In terms of 4K UHD Blu-ray release, this gets:
5 (out of 5) for video quality
5 (out of 5) for audio quality
4.25 (out of 5) for bonus materials
Overall Verdict:
Highly Recommended “Demo Disc”
Available As:
2024 4K UHD Blu-ray Release
Available at: Amazon | GRUV | Walmart
2024 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Release
Available at: Amazon | GRUV | Walmart
2024 Blu-ray Disc Release
Available at: Amazon | GRUV | Walmart
Commissions Earned
4K UHD Blu-ray Screenshots:
4K UHD Blu-ray Technical Specifications:
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Exact Runtime(s): 2:28:12
Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos (with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core), Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish,
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Disc Size: BD-100
Disc Use: 85.28GB total / 74.5GB for the film
Video Bitrate: 56.0 Mb/s