Why ruin a good story?

Rating: 3/10 (25 June 2002)

Look, I don't mind if a movie differs from a book, if the changes are equally as good, better, or more cinematic.
But the only thing this movie has in common with the book, besides the name of the character and a few people in the movie, is the original premise.
Beyond that, this film is just different. And it is far worse in the change. They tried to skew it younger, and meaner, and made the US government more evil.
It is less fun, less realistic, far shallower, and just stupid most of the time.
I can't understand why they took a perfectly good book, which had been made into an award winning two part TV movie, and made it into such a piece of garbage.
Even my cousin, who is a manager and producer, and loves most films, was not at all impressed with this film. I was shocked, and showed me just how bad it was.
Luckily, there were some cool scenes, and Matt Damon was pretty good with what they gave him, but that can't make this movie worth paying $10 to see.