I really like this game. Sure, you don't have a ton of freedom when it comes to actually making the movies (like custom camera angles) but what options they do give you is quite large. A lot of people are starting to make some very creative movies and posting them on Lionhead's site. Some of them are amazing. One guy is redoing King Kong 1940 and what he has done with custom backdrops, ingenious use of props and real voice acting, is really amazing.
The weird thing is, I really don't usually like micromanagement/RTS type games, but this one is very fun to me.
You and me are totally opposite on this one. I typically enjoy micomanagement/RTS games. I enjoy a well done 'tycoon' game, but this one...it just lacked direction. I don't care about putting stars in stylish clothes or trying to put together custom movies unless there's some strategic reason to do so. Hammering out computer-generated scripts was no less effective than anything I might custom-create. So in my mind the entire custom creation system, while in-depth, is just icing. Same goes for the doll-dressing system. Take all that icing away, and the game feels like a pretty bare and tedious Tycoon game.
Definitely not a title for everyone, but I can see how it would hold its charm for a certain audience.