Should you see this w/o having read the books? Nope.

Rating: 4/10 (10 May 2012)

When it comes to movies and books I really like to resist the mob-mentality. Just because everyone else LOVES it, doesn't necessarily mean I will as well. Which is why I still haven't seen any of the Harry Potter series or Lord of the Rings.
But this movie got some pretty respectable praise from people that were actually close to me, most notably my sister, and so I finally went to see it in the theater last night.
Overall, my impression was the movie was 1.5 hours too long. VERY slow moving, transparent plot and resolution, I just couldn't wait for it to be over. I actually got up and grabbed some popcorn in the middle just to make the time pass (something that I NEVER do).
I haven't read the books, and I may someday, but after seeing this movie, it just feels like the books would be the kind that would be full of a bunch of useless adjectives; heavy on description but REALLY light on story.
I am the guy that gets emotional when they bring family members onto Survivor island (still ticked Christina and Tarzan didn't get to go on reward), and for me NOT to get emotional about this idea of children killing other children says something.
It's a bland story, forgettable characters and overdrawn script. Save your money til it hits the redbox, and in the meantime go and see Avengers again!