“Mad Max: Fury Road” is a volatile piece of filmmaking that may be taking second chair to “Pitch Perfect 2” in terms of box office numbers, but it has undoubtedly won both critical acclaim and the hearts and minds of long-time fans of the franchise.

I will share in the critical acclaim for “Fury Road,” but I can’t claim a seat amongst “Mad Max” die hards. I respect the earlier films, but the post-apocalyptic “carmageddon” genre has never been my cup of tea.

This film has been hailed as a “once in a generation” film-going experience, amongst such titans as the original “Star Wars,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “Avatar” I wouldn’t go that far. “Fury Road” is high-octane spectacle with a laser-sharp sense of world design and narrative direction, but it’s not a game-changer.

To the film’s great credit, once the theatre lights go dim, there is no escaping the dust-churned world of “Mad Max.” Everything from the costume and makeup design, to the vehicles, to the music, to the erratic, nearly- seizure-inducing camera work stitches this patchwork world together with no loose seam to be found. The force of vision that drives this movie is unstoppable.

Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron drive the movie forward with great performances and are pursued by a fantastic villain, full of presence and menace – played wonderfully by Hugh Keays-Byrne.

“Fury Road” isn’t for everyone. It’s a spectacular piece of filmmaking, but it is very much intended for the group of movie-goers who already enjoy this kind of experience. The real game-changers, the real “once in a decade” type films are the ones that change the game for everyone. “Avatar” was a game changer because it awed my mother, who wouldn’t watch the SyFy channel if you paid her. “Mad Max: Fury Road” isn’t a game-changer, it’s an incredible entry into the post-apocalyptic genre.

5 of 6 stars