It was pretty impressive when Peter Jackson figured out how to film The Lord of the Rings, but it's a far greater feat making airline-safety videos interesting. He and the folks at Weta Workshop did just that with this video for Air New Zealand cheekily dubbed "An Unexpected Briefing."

A combination of Elves, Hobbits, Wizards, rings and even appearances by Jackson and Gollum, make this four-minute clip better than most in-flight movies.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novel, opens Dec. 14.