“Do you have it in you to make it epic?” bellows Dementus ( ), big-bearded warlord and would-be ruler of the wasteland, in . Writer/director sure does, crafting his prequel to 2015’s as an even grander vision of post-apocalyptic survival and warfare, complete with gnarly set pieces that roar and rumble with unbridled ferocity. In terms of look, scope, and attitude, this eagerly anticipated follow-up ably matches its predecessor, thereby reconfirming its maker’s status as film’s preeminent virtuoso of V8 chaos and madness, and reestablishing the franchise as Hollywood’s most deliriously deranged.

Yet despite its numerous virtues, , which hits theaters May 24, is a somewhat underwhelming beast, and that has less to do with execution than concept. Co-scripted by Nico Lathouris, the latest installment in Miller’s long-running saga is the first to go out of its way to not reimagine its material in some novel fashion. From the hyperactive indie grunge of to the rugged widescreen splendor of , the daffy Spielbergian extravagance of , and the maniacal speed-freak insanity of : The writer/director has treated his series as a venue for startling creative experimentation.

By doing so, he’s kept it not only fresh, but vital. With , however, he chooses to follow the playbook he penned less than a decade ago. Consequently, the results are—for better and worse—only as epic as you’d expect.

strives for majesty from its biblical opening scene of a young Furiosa (Alyla Br.