An average Hollywood movie, but I hate what they did to the story. I’m usually very forgiving about changes that need to be made to make a story fit the movie format, but they left out my favorite aspect of the story and added an unnecessary and baffling 20 minutes at the end. Plus, I felt they went a little overboard with the visual effects without capturing the magic and whimsy of the market across the wall. There were a few wonderfully funny elements to the movie, but they weren’t enough to overcome my disgust at the changes to the story.
This movie has inspired me never again (with a few notable exceptions, e.g. Harry Potter) to read a book before I watch the movie, or watch the movie after having read the book, because the book is always better. I guess that means I won’t be watching the Golden Compass, which is coming out soon.