Read the book

The children's book "based on" this film was one of my childhood favorites. Written years after Burroughs' death, its style is far above the usual standards of children's fiction, with carefully observed character studies, rich vocabulary, and close attention to details. When, many years later, I found a copy at a flea market, I found it was still a quite satisfying read. Fast forward another decade or so, and I bought this film on eBay, hoping it would be equally enjoyable. Instead I found it a typical Hollywood potboiler, neither good nor really bad, but nowhere near the quality of the book based on the screenplay. Copies of the book are readily available on Amazon. Read it!