Due to a convoluted set of circumstances, a ring has come into the hands of a humble hobbit, Frodo Baggins. When the friendly wizard, Gandalf, discovers that this is the ring of power that the dark lord Sauron has been seeking, there's only one option - to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom, located deep in the heart of Sauron's territory. With the help and hindrance of his gardener and two friends, Frodo sets out on a quest that will change Middle Earth forever... There's so much to enjoy in this, the first film of the trilogy - audiences have read all kinds of subtexts into the books and the films (environmental, political, even finding references to drugs and homosexuality). You can indulge in the debate as to who's better looking, exceptionally pretty Orlando Bloom or heftily rugged Viggo Mortensen, or savour the way Hugo Weaving says the word "Mordor". Or you can forget all that and just enjoy a grand epic fantasy, beautifully told, with a fair sprinkling of adventure, horror and romance.