Normally I would be a little hesitant about a prequel to something as singularly epic as “Mad Max: Fury Road”. Especially a prequel that doesn’t even include Mad Max. But they had me the moment it was announced that Mad Max creator and mastermind George Miller was returning as co-producer and director. And getting more backstory of a character as dynamic as Imperator Furiosa made it even more enticing.

In reality, Miller had a prequel centered around Furiosa in mind as far back as 2010. Following the success of 2015’s spectacular “Fury Road”, he received the green light to make his movie. And it’s a good one. Perhaps not as mind-blowing as its predecessor, but nearly everything fans of the franchise will be looking for. At the same time, some may be surprised by certain choices Miller makes. Some of them work really well; others I’m still not sure about.

Interestingly, “Furiosa” features a lot more world-building than you might expect. Miller and his returning co-writer, Nico Lathouris put a lot of effort into adding texture to their Wasteland. They spend a healthy amount of time setting up key players and developing the tensions between them which our heroine must eventually navigate. As a result, “Furiosa” isn’t as propulsive as “Fury Road” and the action doesn’t really drive the movie as it has in past Mad Max films. Yet there is a depth of storytelling that may catch you by surprise.

Of course we do get the exhilarating vehicular mayhem and visceral road combat that the franchise is best known for. But with the exception of one extraordinary sprawling sequence midway through, much of the action is somewhat smaller in scale and takes on slightly different forms. This is seen clearest in the ending which is anything but the sweeping fuel-injected set piece we’re accustomed to. It’s a finish that I’m still wrestling with.

Furiosa’s post-apocalyptic odyssey plays out over the course of five chapters. It begins with a young and fiery Furiosa (played by Alyla Browne) living happily with her mother (Charlee Fraser) in the Green Place, a lush and fruitful Eden-like homeland surrounded by harsh and barren desert. Her life is forever changed after she is abducted by raiders from the Biker Horde and taken to their leader, a ruthless power-hungry warlord named Dementus (an endlessly charismatic Chris Hemsworth).

After her mother’s rescue attempt ends badly, Furiosa is enslaved by Dementus and paraded around in a cage as his prized possession. With Furiosa refusing to give up the location of her homeland, Dementus sets his sights on another resource-rich target – an outpost called The Citadel which is ran by the oppressive cult leader Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). After Dementus fails to stir up an insurrection among Joe’s fanatical ranks, he infiltrates and takes over a vital fuel depot called Gastown. He then uses his control over the gas flow to force a meeting with Joe. The two enemies strike a deal which includes Joe getting Furiosa and grooming her to be one of his future wives.

After several years, Furiosa (now played by a quiet yet fierce Anya Taylor-Joy) has shaved her head and poses as a boy working in Joe’s garage. That leads to her meeting Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), the highly skilled driver of Joe’s gas-hauling war-rig who takes her under his wing and teaches her the art of road warfare. But they soon find themselves caught in the middle of a full-fleged war between the feral armies of Dementus and Joe.

Miller fills his world with a wild assortment of characters sporting such gonzo names as The People Eater, Rictus Erectus, Toe Jam, and Organic Mechanic. Many are new while some will immediately be recognized by the “Fury Road” faithful. What matters most is that they all fit in Miller’s world as seamlessly as sand, rust, and blood. A host of superb supporting performances help bring the chaos to life. But it’s Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth why shine brightest. Taylor-Joy isn’t given much dialogue and she doesn’t need it to convey the pent-up rage and determination that drives her character. Then there’s Hemsworth who fuses comical with sinister in one of my favorite performances from the 40-year-old Australian.

“Furiosa” is a stylish, immersive, and unabashedly cinematic experience that represents the manic vision of George Miller in all its delightfully demented glory. Mad Max die-hards will relish the pitiless sun-baked hellscapes, the insane vehicular concoctions, the grimy and brutish societies, and the anything-goes Wasteland violence. And they’ll be surprised by the hefty attention to character development and world-building. “Furiosa” has a little bit of everything. One minute you’ll be chuckling at Hemsworth snapping the reins of his motorcycle chariot and the next you’ll be wincing at man burning alive or a severed arm dangling on a chain. What can I say – welcome to the Wasteland. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS