There seems to be a bit a of a buzz for the books among young readers in this area. I saw the film over the weekend, as a random treat for my inner twelve-year-old. Jeremy Irons gave his usual fantastic performance, but his part was too small and he was too soon gone from the story. The basic story line has great potential, but the film didn't come any where near doing it justice. Maybe it was just that the production didn't live up to the expectations generated by the introductory segment. I just hope that this initial offering didn't poison the well for any follow up effort.