One of the few books I actually read in high school, and cover to cover at that. Whilst I haven't read it in a few years, my memory is that the book starts out like a typical teenage story, then the war hits and they all mature after what they see and do.
The movie is different then, because in the movie, they still act like teenagers. They have conversations and act in ways that are simply not believable. A lot of these lines are groan inducing, things that wouldn't be out of place in an Arnie movie.
Perhaps worst of all is the final scene of the movie. I won't spoil it (but it is in the trailer anyhow), except to say the final scene feels like a really bad B-grade action movie.
I remember a particularly powerful part early in the book (that's also in the movie) and realising "ok, this isn't fun and games anymore". The movie seemed to shy away from that, still keeping the tone of the movie at an adolescent, silly level. In fact, it would switch. One moment, serious, the next, back to a teen movie again. The brilliance of the book was that it starts out as a bunch of silly teenagers then they all have to grow up and deal with this very serious event. In the movie, they still seem to act like they're at summer camp.
Overall it wasn't terrible, but the potential for the storyline was lost. It felt more like a TV series pilot, rather then an emotional coming of age movie.
6/10
The movie is different then, because in the movie, they still act like teenagers. They have conversations and act in ways that are simply not believable. A lot of these lines are groan inducing, things that wouldn't be out of place in an Arnie movie.
Perhaps worst of all is the final scene of the movie. I won't spoil it (but it is in the trailer anyhow), except to say the final scene feels like a really bad B-grade action movie.
I remember a particularly powerful part early in the book (that's also in the movie) and realising "ok, this isn't fun and games anymore". The movie seemed to shy away from that, still keeping the tone of the movie at an adolescent, silly level. In fact, it would switch. One moment, serious, the next, back to a teen movie again. The brilliance of the book was that it starts out as a bunch of silly teenagers then they all have to grow up and deal with this very serious event. In the movie, they still seem to act like they're at summer camp.
Overall it wasn't terrible, but the potential for the storyline was lost. It felt more like a TV series pilot, rather then an emotional coming of age movie.
6/10