The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings
Certificate: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler
Length: 178 minutes Director: Peter Jackson
Rating: Elijah Wood stars as Frodo, a young hobbit who inherits a magic ring which possesses an immense evil power. He sets out on a quest to prevent the ring from falling into the wrong hands and to try and destroy it. He is protected by eight companions, but they alone are not enough to defend against the evil forces of the Dark Lord Sauron...

Forget about Harry Potter ... forget about timeless classics such as Jason And The Argonauts ... from now on, this is the film which all others in this genre will be judged against. It is the ultimate epic fantasy adventure with magical creatures and a gripping story line.

Many directors have thought about converting Tolkien's classic trilogy to the big screen in live action, but no-one before now had dared to do it. Peter Jackson pulls this off, and goes beyond what most fantasy fans would have dreamed of. It is the most realistic and awesome fantasy film that I have ever come across. And it even has depth of characterisation, a story line that keeps you glued to your seat, as well as plenty of effects and action.

The only downside, is that we have to wait another year for part 2, and a further year for the conclusion. Roll on December 2002...

May not be suitable for under 8s.