Hey chief, this question seemed familiar!
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/420550.page
A good rundown of how it works and whatnot, along with a short healthy discussion about the game.
I for one like the figures, and the fact that you buy a box set and BAM... you're good to go. That alone is enough to make it a lot of fun to learn and pick up and play with friends.
It also makes it easy to pick up two starter sets and be ready to teach others to play with no problem.