My kids read the books and really liked the movie. I didn't read the book and I found myself restless at times, and waiting for more. There were some funny moments but mostly it's a movie to enjoy if you're a preteen who has read the books. However, the best part for me was the big earthquake that caused our seats to move for 45 seconds and the screen to move for another minute or so. But the funniest part for our family of four, was when the large women in front of us accidently let out a big fart in one of the silent pauses in the film. We were not sure if our laughing was the cause of the theatre moving or the earthquake!