Jason watches "The Kite Runner"

And it's a very good movie. Very faithful to the book (and features my hometown of Fremont, CA!) It's a gripping dramatic story about a happy childhood in Afghanistan destroyed by bullies, then betrayal, then Russians. And it's a story of moving and growing up in America (Fremont, wooo!). And finally it's about going back to erase the sins of the past, only to find your homeland has been destroyed by the Taliban. It's well acted, well photographed, well paced. So why did I feel a little underwhelmed? Probably because I read the book, and knew what would happen every step of the way. The book is full of surprises, and I'm sure so is the movie if you haven't read the book. So this could be an excellent example of when a movie can be a great substitute for reading. As far as I can tell, you'll get exactly the same from watching the movie as you get from reading the book--no more, no less. And so reading the book and watching the movie is kind of redundant.