So-so family fantasy/action film but POOR adaptation of the well loved book by Susan Cooper. Although I love books almost more than movies, I’m usually tolerant of changes made to bring a novel to the big screen. Not so with this film. It is obvious that the timeframe of a film would not allow the depth in this book, but the very essence of the story was missing. There seemed to be little effort made to keep the “heart” of this incredible novel. Just one small example would be Will's family. In the book Will had a close, caring family, nor was he the neglected youngest child. The book was a wonderful example of a family sustaining each other during difficult times. Instead, this movie made his family extremely rude and uncaring, to the point of being physically and mentally threatening! Definitely unsure why it was felt this would be more entertaining. Nor did the film ever portray the growth that occurred in Will as he came to understand his role in defeating the Dark. This was such an integral part that having it cut defeats the whole point of the story! And last, but not least, the thoughtful, dramatic ending was tossed out in order to go for the totally cheesy! On the filming side, the special effects are pretty good and the performances are Ok. If you are unfamiliar with the novel you might even find it enjoyable. Those in our family who had not read the book, however, just found the movie confusing and trite.**
