Mixed, but left the theater with a perma smile

Rating: 8/10 (29 March 2018)

First, I started gaming in the 80's and I did read the book. I LOVED the book (especially when Wil Wheaton read it to me *sparkle)
I cringe when a book I love is adapted to movie...but Stephen Spielberg! The book is an epic, and if I remember correctly, it spans years. If one hasn't read the book (or listened to Wesley *wink), you may be tempted to think that things happen too conveniently...and how did this foreigners team up so quickly. For me, I had some background from the book to fill in the gaps. This weekend I plan to watch it again with friends who didn't read the book; I'll return with their opinion.
In the end, nostalgia is included, but it's not only about nostalgia (there is friendship and overcoming obstacles). There is a significant amount of CGI that is expertly presented (read: did not distract from story. We're looking at you avatar, and you a wrinkle in time) the viewer does need to take leaps, but I didn't watch the movie expecting it to line up with a plausible future...i enjoyed myself...and I'm glad it wasn't a trilogy.