Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress was a deliberate effort on the great director's part to make a movie that was pure escapism: no subtext, no social ideals, just a rousing good adventure story. His grand success affirms Kurosawa's range. It's hard to imagine this and Ikiru share the same directorial credit.

At any rate, The Hidden Fortress is indeed an entertaining romp. Trivia buffs should note that it was inspiration for some of the characters in George Lucas' Star Wars, particularly C3PO and R2D2.