There is a problem inherent in prequelising a successful trilogy that relies, to some extent, on the return of old characters played by familiar faces, and it's one that is apparent in the opening scenes of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.

Firstly, there's less risk, and this can make life a little for a film-maker and, thusly, a lot less satisfying for an audience.  When Jackson set about making his stupendously ambitious Lord of The Rings trilogy at the turn of the century it was an unparalleled undertaking.  Here Hollywood had handed the reins of not one, but three epic blockbusters to a film-maker known for splatter and gore.  If the first film had been a disaster then the whole enterprise would have been regarded as one of the most notorious flops in cinematic history.  Undoubtedly the screws were turned tight on Jackson, and this must have been the fire under his belly that caused him to create one of the most beloved film trilogies in cinema history.

This success was compounded by the films DVD release as extended editions that are considered by many to be the proper version of the films, running 30, 40 and 50 minutes longer than their theatrical editions respectively.

Now, Jackson has a comfort blanket, an audience already locked in to the franchise, one accustomed to the slower pace of those longer DVDs.  This new film opens with a somewhat tedious prologue in which the elderly Bilbo (Ian Holm) begins telling his story, just as you think it's about to flashback to 60 years earlier, along comes Frodo (Elijah Wood) for a bit more back and forth about Bilbo's upcoming birthday celebrations, and, as an audience member, barely five mintues in, you are wondering why this wasn't saved as a special treat for those inevitable DVD collector editions?

Fortunately, once things do finally flashback and we meet the younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman) things perk up.  There is a wonderful marriage of Freeman's usual neurotic mannerisms and those established by Holm in the earlier films, making sure this Bilbo is a perfect anchor to hang the film around.  His unassuming, self-effacing, reluctant attitude creeps under the skin and is effectively heart-warming as his journey continues.

Similarly it's a pleasure to see Ian McKellen back as the more rambunctious Gandalf the Grey.  The more difficult task for any film-maker comes when trying to then establish a baker's dozen dwarves, undoubtedly, some make little impact, but collectively they have a certain appealing pluck akin to the Gauls in Goscinny and Uderzo's Asterix books.  Specific mention must be made of Ken Stott's Balin and Richard Armitage's Thorin, who are given the most emotional heft to deal with in this film, and handle it exceptionally well.

Of the other notable new additions to the cast there is Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown, a wizard who is more in tune with the animals than people.  He's a delightfully warm and dotty presence, and the first to notice, in two thrilling sequences, the impending darkness that seems to be shadowing Middle Earth.  Indeed, the contrast between the whimsical Radagast and the darkness he encounters is a fine indication of the difference between this trilogy and the Lord of the Rings.

The Hobbit, the book by J. R. R. Tolkien, is children's literature, that, as the book's popularity grew and the publishers requested sequels, was amended by Tolkien to reflect his expanded fantasy universe and his own shifting concept of the world in which Bilbo, and his other characters, existed.  By and large, changes or not, this is a lighter, brighter, breezier, simpler story than that told within The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But that is no criticism, for Jackson handles this marvellously, whilst, overall, the film does lack the more visceral impact of the darker Lord of the Rings films and their higher stakes for the fate of Middle Earth, this instead, thus far, tells a story of courage and fortitude that, a number of times, stirs the spirits admirably.

Outside of the acting there are a number of gripping set pieces, the ones that really work are those that rely on - for a film of this nature - less technical wizardy, such as the game of riddles between Bilbo and Gollum (Andy Serkis), but there are others, like the wizzy escape from the goblin king's lair that combines Jackson's flair for special effects (and even a little of his old schlocky self in the cartoonishly gruesom visage of Barry Humphries' CG king) with enjoyably outlandish action staging.

Not only is this a welcome return to Middle Earth, but a welcome return to form for Jackson, who had stumbled and stalled since Lord of the Rings with his dull and distracted King Kong remake and a dramatically inert adaptation of The Lovely Bones.

Primarily though, despite the film's occasional flaws, come the ending you are more than ready and eager to take your next trip to Middle Earth.