An excellent article.

I'm a lifelong fan of the novel and thought the film was a science fiction masterpiece. I saw it with my wife and children (12 and 17), none of whom had read the novel or seen previous versions, and they completely understood the shield/sword thing, so for them at least, the film explained it adequately.

I've seen it three times now - once on a regular cinema screen, and once in IMAX. I can't wait to pick up the Blu Ray, and I'm foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the (hopefully soon to be announced) part two. Here's my review, if you're interested. :)