I'm not sure how much time George Lucas and Peter Jackson spend together, but they may want to make a coffee date and decide how they're going to sue the pants off the creators of "Legend of the Seeker."

On paper, the new syndicated series should be most beholden to "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," since this fantasy series shares the same executive team -- Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert -- as well as a passion for sweeping photography, heaving bosoms, chiseled hunks and costumes straight out of Macy's S&M Collection.

But the two-hour premiere feels so much like a hybrid of the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" films, I half expected C-3PO and Frodo to jump out of a tree and beg for change.

I can forgive the producers for choosing to film in New Zealand, even though the country is seriously considering changing its name to Hobbitland. I can even excuse them for casting actors from "Star Wars" (Jay Laga'aia) and "Rings" (Craig Parker). What I can't get over is how shamelessly everyone involved rips off two legendary tales without a whiff of embarrassment.

Craig Horner plays our main hero, Luke -- I mean Richard, a fresh-faced young man who doesn't know his real parents or his true calling, until he gets a message from a plucky stranger, Leia -- er, Kahlan (Bridget Regan). Seems her kingdom is in dire need of help. First she pays a visit to Zedd, a white-haired, mysterious hermit who used to fight the good cause, but is in retirement now, talking to chickens and wondering why they don't make movies like "The Bridge on the River Kwai" anymore. He reveals to Richard that he is the Seeker (known in other parts of the galaxy as a Jedi Knight), passing him a magic sword and the burden of saving the world.

"Though the Seeker may battle alone, he fights with the strength of many," says Zedd, played by Bruce Spence, who should get an Emmy nod just for resisting the urge to whisper, "May the Force be with you."

Soon the three of them are racing to protect an ancient book of secrets, which is a lot more slippery than a ring, facing down dozens of opponents at once and preparing to face an evil warlord, known as Darken Rahl (the actor playing that role, Parker, looks too young to be Richard's real father, but don't be surprised if that's what we discover at the end of season one).

If that's not enough, there are gold-plated flying dragons that would scare the skin off Gollum, a Bone Lady who speaks a lot like Jar Jar Binks, a battle move akin to a Jedi mind trick and a harrowing chase scene between the Death Star and the Millenium Falcon. (OK, I made that last one up.)

Maybe it's impossible to create a full-fledged adventure series these days without us being reminded of "Star Wars" and "The Lord of the Rings." Heck, both Lucas and Jackson borrowed heavily from everything from the Bible to John Ford westerns.

But Raimi, who helped reinvent the comic-book movie with "Spider-Man," should have tried harder. There's every reason to believe that he will down the line. The cast is winning enough, and we could use some swashbuckling fantasy adventure these days.

In the meantime, Lucas and Jackson should still consider that meeting and have me join in. I have a great idea about a hobbit and a teenage web-slinger. ...

njustin@startribune.com • 612-673-7431