Immortan Joe. Toast. Nux. Slit. These are some of the names of the characters that populate the wild, apocalyptic wasteland in George Miller's breathlessly exhilarating "Mad Max: Fury Road," which revisits the world of the original trilogy. While the technical terms used to describe "Fury Road" is either "reboot" or "sequel," Miller likes to think of it as a fresh foray into familiar territory, with the stakes being higher than ever for our ever-reluctant hero, Max Rockatansky. Considering that the world Max inhabits is a cruel, barren dystopia, it is rather fitting that the names of the characters are as distinct and eccentric as the socio-political circumstances that shape and reshape the social strata of a world on the brink of extinction.

It is important to note that weird character names have always been a staple in the "Mad Max" franchise. Miller's original film featured dudes named Mudguts and Toecutter,...