I've never read the book, so I expect I fall into that category of filmgoer who is not disappointed by the filmmaker's efforts to conceptualise my own pre-conceived mental images. On the other hand, having spoken to a few who have read the book (fanatics among them), it would seem they too have not been disappointed.

Director Peter Jackson and, it must be said, the grandeur of New Zealand geography, have conspired to deliver a thoroughly entertaining rendition of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's medieval masterpiece in a way made possible only by labour of love, true vision and, it must also be said, lots and lots of modern-day technology and money.

The film, quite true to the book I'm reliably informed, follows the adventures of a fellowship of nine stout-hearted individuals, led by an unlikely pint-sized hero, one Frodo Baggins, on a quest to destroy a ring. No ordinary ring, mind you, but a ring forged in the fires of Mount Doom and possessing the power to command all other magical rings and concentrate their potential for evil. To save their world -- Middle Earth -- from the forces of darkness, the fellowship of the ring must destroy the fated bauble by casting it back into the flames from whence it was forged.

With naive bravery, Frodo Baggins assumes the mantel of leadership and sets out, with eight companions, on an adventure of a lifetime to destroy the ring. This fellowship of the ring encounter good and evil, beauty and ugliness on their noble and epic quest.

Lord of the Rings is an epic in ever sense. At roughly three hours long it is a rollick through the nether regions of imagination. Yet, despite its duration, it is at no time an endurance test.

The conflict between good and evil is fought on many levels - from the physical battles of mortal, wizard, elven and other creatures (even the undead) of Middle Earth to conflicts of the mind as the power of the ring seeks to bend the intellect of mere mortals and sway good men and true from a righteous path.

Yet despite the duration of this epic tale, this is a quest we are not yet destined to complete, with the prospect of two sequels due for consecutive Christmas releases over coming years.

The Lord of the Rings classic trilogy was (and still is) as big in its day as the more contemporary Harry Potter is today. What JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling share is an ability to craft simple words to bring their characters to life in the imagination of readers. An ability to make the mystical less mystifying and the totally unbelievable, real.

With their own set of tools (and an unbelievable amount of money) the storytellers of the cinematic arts have so very recently brought both fantasy worlds to life and, I must say, the one more successfully than the other.

Lord of the Rings was three hours of superb entertainment that had me captivated and entertained like no other film since Saving Private Ryan.