It’d be safe to say that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road has been the year’s most pleasant surprise, at least if it’s big-budget, wide-release Hollywood fare we’re talking about. Old-school Miller fans were thrilled to see the man back behind the camera (and working in such fine form) — and newer fans also caught the Mad Max bug in very quick order. The whole thing has been a real breath of ironically fresh air if you ask me.

One of the coolest things about Fury Road is how George Miller relied so heavily on practical, “in camera” effects. Yes, there are plenty of CG effects in the film (and they’re all top-notch) but they’re used more as support than as center-stage focal points. So if you want to savor a small taste of how much time, effort, and care went into the creation of this dizzyingly entertaining movie, check out this 18-minute behind-the-scenes reel. If this doesn’t prove that a little (ok, a lot of) extra effort can pay off in the final product, I simply don’t know what would.

Mad Max: Fury Road is still playing in theaters. I’ve gone to see it twice. And I may go once more.