I just finished rereading the book. From what I hear, I'll probably enjoy the movie (I plan on seeing it this weekend), even though the ending has been changed. Though I will admit the book ends on a big downer, I think that's better than having a cliffhanger that might never be resolved (greenlighting of "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass" depends upon the success of "Compass," so even though the true end to "Compass" will be in the beginning of "Knife," it may never be seen except in a potential Director's Cut of "Compass" if the first movie does poorly).

And the first book's most controversial elements IMO occur during the excised portion of the ending, and "Knife" & "Spyglass" are infinitely more controversial than the first. I hope the sequels are done justice and not watered-down, but I hope even more that they get made. I loved all three when I first read them, and I think the ultra-conservative Christians that are bashing the books/movies need to actually read them to see what they're saying beyond what everyone says about [SPOILER FOR BOOK 3 AHEAD--------------] killing God in the books. That's not exactly how it goes. People should judge for themselves. [--------END SPOILERS]

Off to finish a research paper and start rereading "The Subtle Knife."