If you don’t mind a game that uses chest size as an indicator of success and happiness (we certainly don’t), The Movies packs a ridiculous amount of depth and replayability that’ll reel in gamers, creative types, and machinima fans. (Ma-shin-a-wha? It’s animation created by a 3D graphics engine, usually one from a videogame.)

The Movies simulates the creation of a movie studio, from the dawn of the industry in 1920 to the present. The object is to build your studio’s reputation and win awards, and there’s about a squillion ways to do so. You’ll place buildings and sets around your studio lot, then add transportation, amenities, and decorations. You’ll hire actors, directors, crew, extras, writers, builders, and janitors. You’ll assign writers to produce scripts, then cast and shoot them. Then you’ll release them, earn money and experience, and head back to the writers’ room.

But instead of the grind that all this sounds like, it’s a juggling act with hundreds of balls to keep in the air. Besides all the steps in making movies, you’ve got to keep your stars happy with money, booze (and rehab), food, and rest. And really, your work (or play?) is never done. You also have to keep them attractive with exercise, makeovers, and plastic surgery; watch their relationships so they turn in good performances; get them a trailer and entourage; and send them to rehearse new genres. Basically, there’s a whole Sims-like layer on top of the basic studio-tycoon game.

"It's a chopper, baby."

Plus, you need to watch the timelines to know the popular genres and develop cinematic technology as it becomes available to keep your studio on the cutting edge. The 1960s also bring content from the Stunts and Effects expansion (a built-in part of the Superstar Edition), adding stuntmen, special training, explosive effects, and a hospital on your lot.

It’s a remarkable ecosystem where everything feels truly connected, but it can get overwhelming unless you ramp up very slowly and figure out the myriad layers one at a time. Between making the films, managing the talent, and running the studio, you’ve got a lot of balls in the air. Fortunately, the beautiful music and detailed graphics keep the experience from feeling like a chore.

The main story mode has you competing against rival studios for awards and prestige, and there’s ton more going on in this game, like a sandbox mode with no awards where you can set your own starting parameters and focus on the areas you like. The optional Advanced Movie Making features let creative people really get hands-on, choosing a sequence of scenes, the actors, costumes, sets, props, camera angles, and lighting. Then they can edit their film in the post-production office and even record voice-over dialogue that in-game actors will lip-sync. Audio clips and samples from iTunes, GarageBand, and iMovie are available, a Mac-only feature. Export options include iPod/iPhone size, and direct export to YouTube. Oh, and the StarMaker application lets you play God’s plastic surgeon by completely designing a new actor from the ground up, including physical aspects and personality.

Exhausted yet? We had hours and hours of fun with The Movies, but with so much here, it was tough to go at a slow-enough pace to really master each step before tackling another. Juggling the temper tantrums of eight diva actresses was a dumb idea--we should’ve kept our star roster smaller. And the game’s emphasis on designing and decorating your studio lot was a little annoying. You can break down and sell your movie sets, but not buildings--that was frustrating when we wanted to upgrade our script offices and stars’ trailers but didn’t have the room. And while the mouse-based control system worked well, using a trackpad was cumbersome.

Fans of tycoon games get a rich, deep experience with lots of replayability. And budding Spielbergs have a chance to direct 3D stars and see their creations come to life. Bravo.

The Movies Superstar Edition
COMPANY: Feral Interactive
CONTACT: www.feralinteractive.com
PRICE: $50
REQUIREMENTS: 1.6GHz processor, Mac OS 10.4 or later, 512MB RAM
Staggering amount of things to do and ways to play. Excellent music. Create your own movies. iMovie, iTunes, and Garageband integration. Universal binary. ESRB rating: Teen.
Minor stuttering during auto-saves. Occasional control frustrations. Everyone keeps littering.