One word for The Fellowship of the Ring? Smashing.

        At last, at last, we have a hotly anticipated big-deal movie that lives up to our hopes and expectations.

IF YOU GO

The Fellowship of the Ring    4 stars    (PG-13; epic battle sequences, some scary images) Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler. Directed by Peter Jackson. 178 minutes. National Amusements, AMC 20, Great Escape 14, Danbarry Middletown, Midway Bethel, Showplace 8.

        New Zealander Peter Jackson has turned the first of J.R.R. Tolkien's monumental trilogy The Lord of the Rings into a magical movie experience, an enchantment through and through, not to mention the fastest three hours you've ever spent in a theater.

        Dark, windswept, thrilling, funny and emotional, The Fellowship of the Rings captures the spirit of Tolkien's work flawlessly, from the soft, green hills of the Shire where the adventures of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) begin, to the eerie black castle of the wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee).

        Briefly, Frodo, a member of the diminutive Hobbit race, is called upon to cross Middle-earth to destroy a ring that could give absolute power to an demonic ruler. Joined by eight companions, he must outrun fearsome enemies, including armies of grisly Orcs and ghost-riders called Ringwraiths, beings so nasty even their horses sends chills to the bone.

        The residents of of Tolkien's Middle-earth — a world beloved to millions of readers — are so well cast it is hard to imagine anyone else as these fantasy creatures.

        The best performance comes from Ian McKellen, who essentially steals the movie with a crafty turn as the wizard Gandalf, architect of Frodo's quest. It is the kind of part easily reduced to comic-book posturing, but Sir Ian brings a depth of humanity to the role you would not predict. This wizard is singularly human, capable of deep fear and affection. Vulnerability is an irresistible quality in a character endowed with otherwordly power, and this fine actor makes the most of it.

        Young Mr. Wood likewise makes Frodo a hero with many shades, including dark shadows affected by the ring itself. Keeping him on track is the job of his fellow travelers, including best friend Sam (Sean Astin) and fellow Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd).

        The non-Hobbit cast is even more impressive, particularly Viggo Mortensen as the lonely Aragorn, Liv Tyler as the Elfin princess who loves him, and Sean Bean as the tragic Prince Boromir.

        New Zealand, with its near-mystical beauty, is a brilliant choice for the stand-in for Middle-earth, and a luscious backdrop for the incredibly detailed costumes, sets and special effects.

        Those effects, mostly during ferocious battle scenes, are sometimes very intense and certainly too frightening to young children.

        The only serious complaint about this film is the maddening volume of the special effects. Every blow of every weapon, every roar of every beast, is played at decibel levels apparently set by men who have no ears. Even the soundtrack music is mixed so loud sometime it almost drowns out the dialogue.

        Mr. Jackson, with co-writers Frances Walsh and Philippa Boyens, adapted the screenplay with heart and soul and a clear eye to the complexity of the tale. In fact, he filmed all three parts of the trilogy at once to assure that the three finished films would play as a seamless whole.

        The next installment, The Two Towers, is set for release next year — which is 12 months too long.

Heroes in the kitchen
'Ring' has magical powers
Bad Christmas specials tend to snowball
Authentic magenbrot recipe remains secret
Authentic tamales steaming in Newport
Recipe Rehab
Smart mouth
Body & mind
Healthy reading
12 gifts that say you shop locally
Kids get a 'Kick' out of Christmas party
Get to it