The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (PG, 178 mins) Action. Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Sir Ian Holm and Christopher Lee. BELIEVE the hype. This doesn't just live up to expectations, it exceeds them, delivering the kind of heart-stopping visual spectacle that comes along once every generation. In 1977, George Lucas redefined the cinematic landscape with Star Wars.

Almost 25 years later, director Peter Jackson creates the same sense of awe and wonder with the first instalment of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth trilogy.

Harry Potter might as well hang up his wand and robes now, because there's no way he can compete with the magic and majesty of this blockbuster.

The film distils the sprawling history of the One Ring into a short prologue that chronicles the fall of the Dark Lord Sauron in the war that saw good prevail.

Warrior Isildur (Harry Sinclair) cuts off Sauron's finger and with it his One Ring of immense power and evil. But the Ring betrays its new keeper, and Isildur is assailed by a party of Orcs and drowned in the Great River, where a Hobbit-like creature called Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis) finds it many years later.

By chance it comes into the possession of Bilbo Baggins (Sir Ian Holm), and as the story starts, the great wizard Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) arrives in Hobbiton to celebrate the Hobbit's 111th birthday.

During the festivities, Gandalf learns the ring Bilbo found many years before is the One Ring that Sauron forged in the Cracks of Doom to control the rings of the Elves, Dwarfs and Men, and ensnare the world in darkness. Gandalf is determined to prevent Sauron and his followers rising to power once more, but the Ring can only be destroyed by casting it into the depths where it was made in Mordor, the land of shadow.

Bilbo decides to leave Hobbiton to see out the end of his days, but only gives up the Ring after much persuasion from Gandalf, for it has already begun to corrupt his kind heart.

So it is his adoptive nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) who becomes the Ringbearer on a perilous quest to destroy the embodiment of evil.

To his aid come Gandalf and his Hobbit friends Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin Took (Billy Boyd).

Middle Earth's other forces of good complete the fellowship -- valiant warrior Boromir (Sean Bean), weatherbeaten Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), elf prince Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and stout dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies).

As the quest gathers pace, black-cloaked ringwraiths, accursed souls who live in the twilight world of Sauron give chase, along with armies of misshapen Orcs under the corrupted wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee). The battle for Middle Earth has begun. The breadth and richness of Peter Jackson's vision is awe-inspiring. He has created a wondrous, believable world of fantastical cultures and creatures.

There are the furry-footed Hobbits who live in their peaceful land of The Shire, the noble and immortal Elves and the fierce dwarfs -- each race of creatures has its own personality, set of customs and myths.

Locations and sets are equally breathtaking. Production designer Grant Major and his huge crew have worked miracles imagining the realms of Middle Earth.

The Elvish kingdom of Rivendell with arching walkways, babbling streams and wooden gazebos creates a magical aura, while the labyrinthine depths of the Mines of Moria foster a sense of foreboding.

Costumes, make-up and prosthetics add yet more colour and intricate detail, giving genuine gravity to Jackson's dazzling epic.

Special effects are an intrinsic element of the story-telling process, bringing to life some of the fellowship's most fearsome adversaries.

We cringe at the sight of the giant club-wielding cave troll in the Mines of Moria, legions of blood-thirsty Orcs and Goblins and the fiery-tongued Balrog which dwarfs Gandalf and his magical might.

Overall, the fusion of technical virtuosity and live-action brio is almost seamless -- apart from in a couple of swooping long shots of Middle Earth.

The essence of Tolkien's novel is captured in a succinct screenplay from Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Jackson.

While some elements of the book have been omitted, they have added a feminine touch to the drama in the elf princess Arwen.

She has a much larger role to play, and becomes the lone rider who races against the ringwraiths to bring Frodo to the elf haven of Rivendell. Her romance with the rugged Aragorn also moves her to centre stage.

Purists may find this distasteful, but the screenwriters had to adapt Tolkien's opus, or it would not have been as accessible or entertaining.

Performances are superb, with Wood as the lynchpin, playing the shy but forthright adventurer whose innocence is forever tainted by the horrors that await him on his quest.

Astin is terrific as jovial and loyal Sam, who turns out to be the firmest of friends with Frodo, while Monaghan and Boyd offer plenty of comic relief.

McKellen has a nobility and stature which makes you believe in Gandalf, and Lee is chilling as Saruman, the former head of the wizards' council, who has succumbed to the dark temptations of the Ring.

Parents should beware that the intense violence and gore, and the film's dark undertones, far exceed the boundaries of a PG certificate.

If in doubt, view the film before your children, then see it with them -- any excuse to see this wonderful adventure twice.

The Fellowship Of The Ring succeeds on every level, wooing the heart, mind and soul. Quite possibly, the best film of the year. No swearing. No sex. Violence. Rating: 10/10 Damon Smith