Two bumbling peasants shepherd a couple across enemy lines, not knowing that their companions are none other than the princess and her top general, seeking to reclaim the throne. The Hidden Fortress, a prime influence on George Lucas and the Star Wars franchise, is not much by way of plot, occasionally preachy and obvious, with welcomed humor that eventually wears thin but, even being light Kurosawa, this is among the best looking of his films that at least I've seen. The lighting is impeccable, many of the sequences are memorable. and it once again contains another tremendous performance from Toshiro Mifune.
*** 1/2 out of ****
