New Zealand director Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures) has joined Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens in adapting the celebrated fantasy trilogy of J.R.R. Tolkien into three features, of which this is the first. It’s full of scenic splendors with a fine sense of scale, but its narrative thrust seems relatively pro forma, and I was bored by the battle scenes. The cast includes, among many others, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and Liv Tyler as Arwen. 165 min. (JR)