A George Lucas special-effects fantasy epic about war, peace, munchkins, and magic directed by Ron Howard, although reportedly executive producer Lucas periodically took over the reins to make it his own. Screenplay by Bob Dolman, based on a story by Lucas; the lead actors are Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and Billy Barty. This is pretty much the Lucas mixture as usual, this time in a Tolkien mode, with everything from the Old Testament to Kurosawa to Disney fed into a blender and turned into wallpaper. For easy-to-please five-year-olds of all ages. (JR)