When your films are more appealing acted out by Legos than real people, you've got a problem.

But that problem is not a concern for players of “Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga,” which reimagines George Lucas' six films in the Lego universe for a carefree adventure every bit as charming as the original 1977 film. Characters have holes in the backs of their legs, fall to interlocking pieces when they're hit with laser blasts and hurriedly assemble Lego parts to build cannons and other helpful items.

Naturally the plot follows that of the films. Each one is segmented into six crucial action scenes from the film. The game designers take some creative freedom with the story to craft challenging levels, so players may wonder why, for instance, Anakin Skywalker must shoot out the laser fields blocking him as he chases a bounty hunter at the beginning of “Attack of the Clones,” rather than recklessly flying through them as he does in the film.

Without Lucas' blundering dialogue, the first three films are just as fun to play through as the classic trilogy. Most levels are standard, but enjoyable, action/ adventure fare that mixes heavy combat with some platforming and puzzle-solving. The combat is surprisingly not shallow. Players can wave the Wiimote to slash away with their lightsabers and use the Force to fling enemies across the screen.

At your command is a party of the scene's principle characters - for instance, the Death Star escape level from “A New Hope” has you controlling Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia. You can freely choose which character you control so as to maximize their strategic advantages. Jedi characters can manipulate the environment with their telekinetic powers, but characters with blasters can destroy certain objects that lightsabers cannot and use their weapons like grapple guns to scale great heights.

When players aren't plowing down Stormtroopers or Droid troops, they can scour their environments for Lego coins and other hidden treasures to be used for purchases at the Mos Eisley Cantina home menu. A player's death does not re-start the level, instead, it robs them of Lego coins they must quickly recollect before the treasures disappear. Finding these artifacts requires the player to solve a wealth of new platforming and puzzle challenges, in addition to those required to finish the levels.

A few select levels place you in a vehicle for combat (the Battle of Hoth from “The Empire Strikes Back”) or racing (the pod race from “The Phantom Menace”). Rail shooting levels like the battle over Coruscant from “The Revenge of the Sith” are frenzied fun, but an odd control scheme mars the free-roaming battle levels. ‘Up' always propels your craft north instead of forward.

The diversity these levels provide to the overall game play is pivotal to sustaining a player's interest. You can only blast so many Stormtroopers without tiring out. But in “Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga,” boredom is as rare as a pretty picture of Jabba the Hutt.

Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net

If you play

Game: “Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga”

Score: 85 out of 100

Parental rating: Everyone 10 and older

Publisher: LucasArts

Platform: Wii

Price: $49.99

Features: 2 player

Life span: 15 hours

The final boss: Solid action and boundless imagination make “The Complete Saga” the definitive “Lego Star Wars” adventure.