I have not read the book completely so I cannot compare the two. I did find the movie very enjoyable. The screenwriting could have been better. I found myself comparing it to Lord of the Rings; not intentionally of course. It does not compare. LOTR is far better. But this one is good and I would recommend to anyone. My only gripe is that the screen writing could have been better. It just didn't flow as well as I would've liked it to. The movie could've been a little longer. I can't wait for the DVD to see the deleted scenes. Maybe that would make a difference. All in all, a good experience. I would see it again.