I'm going to have to go back and rewatch the movie but I think the book and film have slightly different interpretations on the ending. Other than that the book is a fairly straight-up version being nearly identical to the film (minus of course the great theatrical score). It was an enjoyable and quick read. ( )

I didn't realize this was a film novelization when I picked it up, but it did read cinematically. More dialogue and description than characterization, it was quite suspenseful, particularly towards the end. The final scenes were probably better on film, as it was difficult to track what was going on in all the action. The plotting and conceptualization was intriguing and it was a pretty quick read. Overall, satisfying, but not mind blowing. The ending was a bit disappointing, although points for being unexpected. ( )

A bad movie spawned this book, which wasn't much better. The movie featured bad science and poor acting, the book improves on the science a little, and is a little better written than the screenplay. Not worth much except for nostalgia, maybe. ( )

I loved this movie as a kid, so I read the book back then looking for more dicussion of the metaphysical scenes at the end of the film. I was 9 years old the Christmas the film came out and perhaps a couple of years older when I read the novel, so I am unable to comment with any accuracy about the writing style (I imagine it is a fun read; Alan Dean Foster generally does not disappoint with his movie novelizations.), but I know that when I finished the novel I was disappointed in the ending. I am not sure what I wanted -- perhaps scenes like the ones I would encounter at age 14 when I first read Dante -- but whatever I was expecting, the book carried me only as far along the path as the movie had done. ( )