"I really don't understand why so many people worship Steven Spielberg, even using words like 'great' to describe this mediocre director. Schindler's List is clearly an overrated example, made entirely to win awards. Playing on the theme is one of the major reasons the film won accolades. Later, Spielberg seemed to enjoy this approach, continuously shooting various political-themed films to fool the Academy judges. Films like Munich are all such mediocre works..."
"The Terminal and The Adventures of Tintin both prove that he's past his prime or rather, that he's been revealed for what he truly is. The Adventures of Tintin reflects his real level. I've always been puzzled why he's compared with Kubrick. From that one film alone, it's evident Spielberg only scratches the surface of being a true master..."
Of course, these weren't Duke's words to a reporter, but rather an online critique of Spielberg that he read on the plane.
In the minds of a small group of people, Spielberg is certainly inferior to Stanley Kubrick. But in the eyes of most audiences and even the Academy, Kubrick isn't even in the same league as Spielberg.
Especially in Hollywood's film industry, that's even more the case.
People who reach the level of Duke, James Cameron, and Steven Spielberg won't casually attack others. Particularly Duke and Spielberg what they represent is far more complex than Cameron. If they wanted to confront each other, it wouldn't be through trash talk.
In fact, trash talk is of no use whatsoever.
Anyone who gets to this point is no fool. Even if they weren't originally sharp, they'd have been honed into elite minds over the long journey.
When faced with a reporter's question about Spielberg, Duke naturally offered full praise.
"Steven is a true genius and master. Jaws, which pioneered and established Hollywood's summer blockbuster season. E.T., which created a new style of science fiction. Both fully prove his greatness and his importance to the development of the Hollywood film industry!"
While these words may not be entirely heartfelt, they're not complete nonsense either. In terms of overall significance to the Hollywood industry, Spielberg utterly eclipses Kubrick. Just like Titanic, within the Hollywood circle, few dare to disparage Spielberg's Jaws, because both brought pioneering developments to the industry.
Titanic opened global markets for Hollywood, pushing its globalization forward. Jaws created the summer blockbuster model, laying the foundation for Hollywood's global dominance.
Critics might look down on these two films and mock them, but those in the industry will not.
Duke is one of those people.
As they arrived in Phoenix, the promotional campaign for Fury Road launched a global bombardment—not only through online chatter but also by dominating prime TV slots with commentary and reports.
NBC's weekend evening program At the Movies focused heavily on this film. It noted that every technique in visual and audio storytelling axis lines, direction, dynamic editing, rhythm shifts, shot composition, camera movement could be found in Fury Road. Despite the countless cars, characters, and intense chases, everything was clearly visible and comprehensible; it all flowed seamlessly.
The popular morning show Good Morning America interviewed ordinary moviegoers to offer non-professional takes on what made the film appealing.
"No cringeworthy bedroom scenes before a big battle. Not even a love story."
One fan after another appeared on screen, sharing what they liked about Fury Road.
"No forced monologues or emotional manipulation before the climax."
"No useless teammates making things harder to highlight the protagonist's godlike abilities."
"No scientifically absurd action where people walk unharmed through gunfire."
"No exaggerated, physics-defying stunts—enough with cars crashing into planes!"
"No deliberately cool or pretentious shots."
"No dawdling flashbacks or wasted dialogue. The women never freeze up or scream during danger. Everyone does their utmost to survive…"
"All there is, is pure, raw action! Action! Action! Nonstop thrills from start to finish!"
Ultimately, Fury Road still fits within a certain genre, and its audience is limited. Those who dislike the style won't force themselves to enjoy it. But the film's promotion aims to stir interest among potential viewers to attract as many as possible to spend their money.
Online promotion became even more diverse. After years of development, Duke's online marketing team could now employ more creative methods.
For example, a few memes crafted around Fury Road went viral on Instant Share.
"After silently watching Fury Road, several directors including Michael Bay, Robert Zemeckis, and Zack Snyder, all of whom thought themselves masters of visual filmmaking—went home, tore up their storyboards, ordered extra chicken legs, and decided to start over from scratch… Only hall-of-famers like James Cameron calmly whispered to themselves, 'Stay the course, stay the course…'"
"After the Fury Road screening, Alessandra Ambrosio received a call from Michael Bay, her old director on The Island: 'How was the film? Heard you had lots of chase scenes—like my style, right?' With tear-streaked cheeks, the supermodel choked out, 'The number you have dialed is not in service…'"
All this was designed to hook people's interest.
To hype up a film, many things get twisted along the way this is a common tactic in Hollywood. For example, Duke had registered the script as early as 2004, yet talk of the film being "five years in the making" was a routine exaggeration.
To further distinguish itself from the CG-heavy action films of today, Fury Road constantly promoted its use of practical effects as a selling point.
In reality, Duke never rejected CG technology. Neither did the original director. Just like George Miller, Duke used nearly 2,000 CG composite shots in the final version of Fury Road.
But just as Warner Bros. once advertised, this was a practical effects film and that hook attracted quite a few viewers.
In movie promotion, saying something fake with utter conviction is a tactic used all over the world.
The entire crew of Fury Road was already in on this unspoken agreement.
During interviews, when Duke was asked about Charlize Theron's look, he didn't mention that it was his idea but attributed it to Charlize, whose involvement would attract more attention.
"I remember when Sally first got the script, she studied the role repeatedly and felt that something was off. Finally, she had an epiphany and told me she wanted to appear with short hair, stripping away external gender cues. Of course, I agreed, and that's how we got the epic Furiosa we see today!"
When talking about this, Duke didn't even need a draft. "Charlize Theron brought a fierce heroic spirit to this summer. When those bright, glowing eyes of hers look directly at you through the camera, you can't help but be captivated. Even more enchanting than this visual appeal is the power of intelligence, courage, and love that she radiates through the character!"
This is a role that could very likely make waves during award season, and Duke didn't mind praising Charlize Theron a bit more.
For every film that gets praise, there will always be criticism.
The Washington Post, which has always had a rocky relationship with Duke, ran a related commentary in a prominent spot in its Sunday edition.
"Fury Road — An Overrated Work Amid the Hype!"
The article employed a backhanded compliment approach, first praising the film's action scene design, saying the continuous motion of all action scenes enhanced the tension of the viewing experience, but deemed all other techniques in the film unworthy.
"Showing a large number of deformed people and disfigured faces is a common tactic used in many similar B-grade movies, and we saw the same in this film such as the dwarf lookout and the all-white villain soldiers. At best, Fury Road is just a big-budget B-grade movie!"
The Washington Post also refuted the view held by many media outlets that Fury Road is a milestone in action cinema.
"Beyond its thrill factor, Fury Road hasn't done much to innovate the action film genre. The overly bright color palette and heavy use of undercranking (slow motion) all aim to diminish the film's seriousness. Especially when the fast-forward-style shots keep bombarding the audience's eyes, it's like the film is shouting at you: 'This is just a pure B-grade flick don't overthink it, just enjoy the ride!'"
However, this article was powerless to stop Fury Road's reputation from spreading like wildfire. Two days after its release, its IMDb rating had skyrocketed to 9.8, surpassing The Dark Knight and temporarily sitting in first place.
Even if it wouldn't hold that position for long, it was enough to prove that a large group of people loved this film.
According to CinemaScore statistics, 92% of theater audiences rated it positively, with an average score of 'A+'. MetaCritic's 55 media critics gave it a whopping 97 out of 100.
These are all strong guarantees of box office success. Even as an R-rated film, after a series of frenzied promotional campaigns, Fury Road still managed to pull in an impressive $26.37 million in its second day of release in North America.
In contrast to Fury Road's surge, The Adventures of Tintin, which was released in the same period, suffered a decline due to poor word-of-mouth, pulling in only $3.89 million on Saturday.
While Fury Road was generating a hot market response, the media and film buffs kept comparing it to other car-related films, which touched a nerve in some people.
..
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