Decent adaptation, but it needed to be longer...

Rating: 7/10 (19 November 2005)

I just got back from seeing this film. So far, its the low point in the series. I blame this more on the fact that they tried to cram a 700+ page book into a few hours. While it's been a couple of years since I read the book, I was able to keep up with things. However, I can easily see how my fiancée, who hasn't read it yet, thought the film jumped around and felt disjointed.
Other than the directing/writing problems, this movie was well done. The regular cast members continued to do a good job. I had a hard time buying some of the conflicts, but again, that's the fault of the script writer and director for cutting a lot of the little, more telling scenes. The new people did a good job. Likewise, the casting crew did an excellent job of finding people that fit the parts.
The effects were great. That was the best dragon I've seen since DragonHeart.
Overall, I'm glad I saw it, but I'm also glad I caught the last matinée for the reduced price.