Review:
The movie spares us from the non-stop reference assault of the book, but lacks the heart and levity the book had. For a movie that is 85% CGI, a couple of shots (The Stacks mainly) are inexcusably bad, The main character is a lifeless shell and the more interesting supporting characters don't have enough screen time. The plot is rushed and the changes from the novel (while necessary) create a chaotic, confusing mess. If you can get your jollies from seeing Master Chief and The Iron Giant pointlessly populate a screen of other pointless references, this movie may be enough to satisfy you, but the plot is very generic, the acting is sub-par at best, and everything feels lifeless. Not terrible, but like the equivalent of a chicken McNugget: utterly bland with a few recognizable components sloshed together to create something digestible but not really enjoyable or exciting.