Guys seriously I was ready to be let down and was not... at all! It was fabulous. The actors seemed to all definitely read the books and acted their parts beautifully. It did go fast between the parts but it kept you on your toes and not board. there were definitely jokes you wouldn't get if you didn't read the series but i think people could like it as a stand alone. I even heard a few people in the theater as i was leaving say they liked it better then the books because then they didn't have to deal with the subpar writing.