To introduce myself, I am 26 years of age and like other commenters, not the target audience. I had read the book in advance and while I really can't compare the book to the movie, I was able to see my imagination of the scenes come to life, and that was a very magical experience for me! Maggie Smith's and Robbie Coltrane's performances were excellent, yet by far, the three children were the best! The film stuck very close to the book's contents, changing some scenes around and modifying some subplots to keep the film shorter but to the lay person without having read the book, the changes would not spoil the film. I went to see this movie during opening night to witness my imagination take shape...and that did happen and so I am happy!
