Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Jasin Boland/Warner Bros.)

The “Mad Max” universe has never been short on weird characters, from the Gyro Captain in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’s Aunty Entity. And yet, Mad Max: Fury Road’s Imperator Furiosa stood out from her predecessors, even beyond Charlize Theron rocking a shaved head, smoky face paint, and robotic arm. She was a badass equal to Max Rockatansky and a reminder that the “Mad Max” Wasteland is full of compelling stories to tell, particularly of the tragic variety. Turns out Furiosa’s story is just as gripping as that of Max himself.

True to its name, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga isn’t so much a prequel as it is an odyssey, chronicling years of Furiosa’s life to explain who she is, why she fights, and what drives her in a world where modern society has fully collapsed. It is by far one of the most ambitious stories director George Miller has ever told, and while the film could have been some 20 minutes shorter, its set pieces, performances, and visuals are here to remind you that Miller exists in an action movie class of his own. In other words, “What a lovely prequel!”

Fury Road comparisons are all but inevitable, though Furiosa’s minimalist storytelling approach has more in common with The Road Warrior. From its opening moments, Furiosa tosses us into the inferno, with a young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) enjoying a moment of peace in the fabled Green Place of Many Mothers, a forest oasis untouched by war and societal decay, overseen by resilient matriarchal warriors. That is, until she’s kidnapped by marauders, prompting her mother, Mary (Charlee Fraser), to give chase. Furiosa, in turn, is handed over to the biker gang’s leader, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), who sees her as the key to a new, prosperous kingdom of resources for his army. This, combined with a heinous act a few scenes later, links his and Furiosa’s fates together for the next decade and a half.

Rather than discover the Green Place, Dementus’s search brings him to the Citadel, run by Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme, pulling double duty as Dementus’s lieutenant Rizzdale Pell) and his War Boy cult. This begins a desert-wide turf war between the despots, with Dementus worming his way into power and gradually becoming a pricklier thorn in Joe’s side and business ventures. In between their rivalry is Furiosa, who, without spoiling too much, finds a way to hide among Joe’s ranks while planning her long-held goal to return home. At this point, Anya Taylor-Joy joins the story as a grown Furiosa, who continues her mission with the aid of sympathetic driver Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke). Yet Taylor-Joy and Browne look so much alike—particularly in the eyes—that you really believe they’re one and the same.

Taylor-Joy more than fills Theron’s boots, demonstrating a ruthless edge in battle (and on the road) while letting her guard down on occasion to remind you of the young girl who made a promise to her mother. She’s largely playing the Max role here—Taylor-Joy reportedly has 30 lines in total—reacting to and playing off this universe’s inhabitants as their fights become an extension of her journey.

Some characters are alumni of Fury Road, like the Organic Mechanic, Rictus Erectus, and the grotesque People Eater. Others are a bit more obscure, including the encyclopedia-spewing History Man and a younger version of Joe’s off-screen son Scabrous Scrotus (yes, really, that’s his name) from the 2015 Mad Max video game. Hemsworth, though, is the standout. Adorned with a flowing, ragged beard, and a stuffed teddy bear around his waist, Dementus is a scene chewer, alternating between monstrous, cunning, and pitiable. He’s like the Wasteland Jack Sparrow, living for the next day of perverse freedom, though his ambition ultimately bites off more than it can chew.

Of course, people come to a “Mad Max” movie for vehicular mayhem, and Furiosa is no exception. Whether it’s a War Rig getting attacked by paragliding raiders or an anarchic chase involving a monster truck climbing over a mountaintop, this movie goes hardcore. Not only do Miller and cinematographer Simon Duggan keep the action and chases easy to follow, but they’re gorgeous to watch too. With deserts saturated in deep orange and skies a bright blue or foggy grey, Furiosa offers sparks of violent beauty painted in graphic novel colors. Yet it’s not as strong as Fury Road. There are certainly more computer-generated landscapes this time around—particularly the hulking layouts of Gastown and the Bullet Farm, the Citadel’s other strongholds—and this tends to make the action feel like it’s happening against a bluescreen than a real background. At times, the look is a bit too “shiny and chrome,” to quote Fury Road.

This, combined with the various chapters dividing Furiosa’s extended running time, can make the movie feel like a collection of set pieces. Yet I’d be lying if I said I knew which scenes should be removed. They are all entertaining as hell. Like Fury Road, Furiosa offers a cinematic symphony of violence and drama, its action, editing, and score firing on all cylinders to the point that any set piece will hook you immediately. The story, at heart, is a tragedy for Furiosa and the world she inhabits. But as an action film? Hollywood could still afford to learn a few more lessons from Miller Down Under.