5 Things About ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ That Made Zero Sense and 5 Things About It That Made Perfect Sense

In ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ viewers are thrust into a relentless pursuit, filled with roaring machinery, flying sand, and each decision seeming crucial in determining who survives dehydration. The setting is bleak yet defined, with distinct regulations governing water, fuel, and power. Throughout the film, this intense pressure is consistently maintained on every character from the opening scene to the end.

In a tale that races along at top speed, certain aspects fit seamlessly within reason, whereas others seem to defy the logic of machines, medicine, and travel. Here are five instances that don’t align with expectations alongside five that align perfectly with the functioning and battles in this desolate world.

Zero Sense: Fuel and range

The movie depicts numerous large vehicles, equipped with superchargers, drag tires, and rooftop racks loaded with equipment, traversing vast distances at great speeds. Remarkably, even during the most extended stretches of the journey, the central rig tows a primary tanker and additional fuel containers, all without any apparent pauses for refueling on sand dunes, salt flats, or marshy terrain.

High-performance gasoline engines consume a lot of fuel when running at full throttle for extended periods, and driving on soft sand increases resistance, leading to even more fuel consumption. A heavy articulated truck accompanied by escorts would likely need frequent refueling stations or pre-arranged fuel supplies along the way due to the long distances shown. However, the route only provides brief stops and no evident logistics centers until after the return journey.

Perfect Sense: The Citadel is the prize

As a film enthusiast, I find myself captivated by the portrayal of the Citadel as the singular provider of pressurized subterranean water, agricultural terraces, and seed repositories in this region. The lifts and aqueducts within it grant a ruler the power to regulate water distribution freely, a fact that becomes clear when observing the masses congregating at its base and understanding why outposts aligned with it exchange fuel and ammunition for crops.

In the movie, Furiosa chooses to seize control of the Citadel instead of disappearing into the desert aligns with the on-screen motivations. With Immortan Joe out of the picture, the fortress loses its dominant figure and the War Boys are left disorganized on the roads. Meanwhile, the inhabitants inside the rock, like the platform lifters and the Wretched, can easily take charge once the convoy comes back.

Zero Sense: Day and distance

As we journey through, the scene transitions from day to night and back again, all while the caravan traverses various landscapes such as deserts, canyons, marshlands, and vast plains. The leaps in time suggest a chase that lasts for numerous hours, with frequent pauses due to challenging terrains. Remarkably, the chasers maintain a tight formation with minimal casualties until key scenes of high drama occur.

Traveling through deserts in convoys typically slows down due to factors like extreme heat, tire flotation issues, and frequent navigation checks. Given the size of such a column, it naturally stretches out, necessitating regular halts for cooling vehicles and tire inspections. However, during chases, these realities are compressed to keep all groups close together most of the time, which can be quite challenging.

Perfect Sense: War Rig engineering

The War Rig is equipped with armor plating, a front plow for clearing obstacles, storage space on the roof for spare tires, and high vents to prevent dust intake. Its unique dual fuel system, featuring a large tanker and detachable pods, offers Furiosa flexibility to shed weight, provide fuel for escorts, or lure pursuers. Additionally, the cab has a security system with a coded start and kill sequence to deter theft.

In simpler terms, these details mirror the strategies used by overland haulers to safeguard their assets in challenging environments. Carrying extra spare parts, using dust-resistant intakes, and installing anti-theft mechanisms are sensible precautions. Also, having a modular fuel storage system seems strategically sound for a group that considers gasoline as a valuable resource during mobile combat operations.

Zero Sense: Emergency surgery

In such circumstances on a battlefield following an accident, a hasty delivery of a baby is performed under dire conditions, with no access to sterile equipment, pain relief, or newborn care facilities. This delivery takes place shortly after severe injuries and excessive bleeding, and the medical team can only rely on makeshift blades and rudimentary cloth for the procedure.

In these difficult circumstances, the chances of both mother and baby surviving are very slim due to the need for immediate timing, sterile procedures, airway assistance, and skilled personnel. Without proper facilities, cleanliness, and essential resuscitation equipment, the likelihood of a successful outcome is minimal. Unfortunately, there seems to be no intermediate care measures provided in this scenario, as the situation quickly progresses from extraction to declaration without any intervening medical support.

Perfect Sense: Control and loyalty

In Immortan Joe’s regime, water distribution is linked to grand spectacles and warriors are bound together by a faith in valiant death and subsequent rewards. The movie portrays steering wheels kept as sacred artifacts, bodily markings indicating initiation, and ceremonial instances that depict self-sacrificing attacks as noble acts of duty towards the community.

In simpler terms, these components mirror common methods of influence in communities with limited resources. Shortages lead to reliance, public ceremonies foster a sense of belonging, and the promise of future rewards after death make dangerous tasks seem less costly, which is likely the reason why War Boys attack aggressively despite unfavorable chances.

Zero Sense: The Green Place plan

As I embarked on my journey, following Furiosa’s lead towards the Green Place, I could only guide us by old memories and a rudimentary childhood map, lacking any recent surveillance data. It wasn’t until we crossed paths with local riders and subsequently met the Vuvulini that we discovered our destination had transformed into a toxic marshland. To our dismay, they informed us that the Green Place, our objective, was no longer in its original form.

Lack of new data leads to foreseeable danger in a terrain undergoing drought and pollution, where conditions are constantly evolving. This approach sends limited resources like fuel, ammunition, and personnel towards an unsuitable destination with no indications of prior exploration, signaling, or confirmation before the journey begins, as the movie fails to demonstrate.

Perfect Sense: Turning back works

Upon learning the truth about the Green Place, the group determines that the Citadel is vulnerable as the primary war factions are away from their base. The journey back employs established trails, trusted contacts at the pass, and the understanding that the elevator system regulates public water flows, thus making a swift takeover more feasible than a blind trek across the salt flats.

This decision follows a mathematical approach related to vehicles and resources. By traveling lightly, we can save fuel, utilize available resources, and reach a fortress that’s already operating under strain without its leader. Meanwhile, those beneath the cliffs are eager to welcome anyone who can restart the flow of essential supplies.

Zero Sense: Sound and fire on the move

The Doof Wagon is equipped with a wall of speakers, rhythmic platforms for percussion, and a flamethrower guitar that bursts into flames frequently when moving at high speeds across rugged landscapes. To maintain functionality, it requires a steady power supply for amplification and a safe, pressurized fuel line for the fire effects. The vehicle endures bumps, twists, and absorbs shocks as it navigates through its journey.

The Doof Wagon has an array of speakers, platforms for playing percussion, and a guitar that shoots flames, which ignite frequently during fast-paced travel over challenging terrains. The setup necessitates constant electric power for amplification and a dependable pressurized fuel line for the fire, while the vehicle handles vibrations, swerves, and collisions along its course.

Larger speaker systems often need secure supports and protection from shocks to prevent connections from breaking, while flame systems depend on steady flow and reliable ignition sources. The vehicle depicted in the image may struggle to maintain stable output due to vibration, dust, and heat, yet it manages to perform effectively for extended periods during combat without any apparent maintenance.

Perfect Sense: Pole cat tactics

The attackers, using pole-like structures that can adjust, bypass defensive gunfire by reaching higher, and make use of vehicle speed to land and depart swiftly. The image depicts counterweights, harnesses, and teams managing the bases, ensuring accurate timing as the poles bend towards targets and then snap back for retrieval.

In my view, that technique mirrors the approach taken by boarding and rescue squads as they traverse gaps using strategic leverage and calculated swings. With ground teams regulating pace and weight, these units can swiftly deploy fighters onto moving objectives, snatch them along with confiscated loot, and maintain pressure on a convoy without halting their own vehicles.

Please share the scene from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ that left the biggest impression on you, and express your thoughts about the aspects of the movie that seemed incomprehensible (or illogical) or completely clear (or sensible).

2025-08-27 21:33