if you never have read the book and never intend to read it in the future and go on and watch the movie ( 6/10 ) . it be a nice fantasy movie with well do cgi and nice acting and a beautiful environment and an above average fantasy story . if you have read the book like me about 10 time or more and really love it and do not expect too much ( or well represent do not expect anything at all ) . the story be totally different from the original book . this may explain that the movie be vote negative from people around 40 or more ( like me ) and much good from people who most probably never read the book before and thus expect nothing . most of the difference between movie and book be not really necessary and change the setting ( in my opinion much to the bad ) represent the magic in the book work with ritual for classic magical effect . ( change weather and create illusion and transform into animal and . ) in the movie the magic be more like jedi school for the middle age ( tm ) ( wooden stick instead of lightsabers ) . that the devil be look like emperor palpatine ( after part iii ) doesn not make it really well . the mill in the book be not totally cut off the world like in the movie . in the book the story be set near dresden and which krabat visit one time with his master and also he visit some nearby village for festivity . ( this part might have be change to cut cost . ) i also do not understand why in the movie the mill be locate in the hill while the nearby graveyard be set in the high mountain . the whole surrounding be the average run of the mill fantasy medieval style . lot of mud everywhere and dirty face and not an orderly kitchen and only very rough house . the book never suggest such an environment . in the book the master try to make krabat his successor but krabat reject . krabat be somewhere between admiration and distance and silent rejection . in the movie krabat reject the master always openly like a stubborn schoolboy . the movie be set in 1647 instead of around 1720. this make it impossible for the master to tell some story from his youth probably around 170x . ok and the story be miss anyway in the movie . also some explanation give in the book would have be helpful and would not cost so much minute represent in the book all work do at day be effortless and work in the night be like normal work . this explanation be miss in the movie . sometimes the boy be sweat and sometimes they be happy . the book explain why only a few gesellen try to confront the master represent if the master dy by any mundane reason and the gesellen be free and keep their magical power . if the master die at the confrontation and all will lose their power forever .