Went with my husband and 3 boys, who are in their early 20's. We all enjoyed it. We felt it was a good set-up for all the excitement that was to come in the second half! Glad they didn't drag the forest scenes out like they did in the books. We also felt that they picked a good place to end the first one. We did feel that this was the one movie that you would not understand if you have not read the books. There was a couple setting beside us, one had read the books and one had not. The one who hadn't read the books kept asking the other one why this and that was going on. It was very rude and distracting. So read the book!