Australian filmmaker, George Miller, directs the fourth installment of the action-adventure “Mad Max” series, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film stars Tom Hardy (“Inception” and “The Dark Knight Rises”) and Charlize Theron (“Monster” and “Prometheus”), bolstered by a supporting cast that includes Zoe Kravitz (“X Men: First Class” and “Divergent”) and Rosie Huntington Whitely.

The film hit theaters Friday, May 15 and grossed $45.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” depicts an apocalyptic future in which no civilizations or cities are left and water is the most precious of commodities. What little water the citizens of this futuristic wasteland do possess is strictly rationed.

The main character Max Rockatansky, played by Tom Hardy, is introduced in an action-packed sequence, as he attempts to escape a life of servitude at the Citadel, a fortress-like desert.

During his escape effort, Max teams up with Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, whose mission to transport fuel goes rogue. Furiosa derails her own outing in an impromptu attempt to deliver the Wives — five previously imprisoned beautiful young women — to safety and sanctuary.

Max, Furiosa and the Wives drive along the baron and desolate landscape, hoping to outrun the leader of the Citadel Immortan and many others who are in hot pursuit, trying to bring the rebels back.

The movie is jam-packed with action. Every scene is visually breathtaking and splashed with detailed images.

The film’s kinetic intensity keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, but, ultimately, the plot is thin and doesn’t tell a story so much as depict a two-hour chase.

For someone who hasn’t seen the previous “Mad Max” movies, the character Max seems one-dimensional and, at times, boring because the audience doesn’t fully understand his back-story.

His character development is minimal and does not lead to any particularly satisfying growth. The action scenes take up most of the screen.

Overall, despite the flimsy characters, the movie succeeds at being a fun summer action film full of explosions, eye-popping special effects and excitement.

According to the film’s IMDB page, the film is rated R for “for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images.”