The Lovely BonesThe long-gestating movie adaptation of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones has been a topic of much industry speculation. First, our very own Channel 4 acquired film rights before it became a bestseller, attaching arty British director Lynne Ramsay.

But when it became a sales phenom, and superstar director Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings trilogy) expressed interest in directing, Ramsay's fate was sealed, and the budget escalated.

So with The Lovely Bones in our cinemas from today, find out now what we thought of the film... The Lovely BonesThe Lovely Bones (12A)

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon
Director: Peter Jackson
Film length: 135 minutes
Trailer: Watch it here
Cast interview: Watch it here

In a nutshell: The long-gestating movie adaptation of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones has been a topic of much industry speculation. First, our very own Channel 4 acquired film rights before it became a bestseller, attaching arty British director Lynne Ramsay. But when it became a sales phenom, and superstar director Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings trilogy) expressed interest in directing, Ramsay's fate was sealed, and the budget escalated. It is, of course, the story of 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Irish acting sensation Saoirse Ronan), who is murdered by a creepy neighbour (Stanley Tucci). Stuck in the "in between", she watches as her grieving dad (Wahlberg) obsessively attempts to solve the crime; her mum (Weisz) goes off to an apple farm; and younger sister Lindsey (Rose McIver) catches the eye of the killer.

What's good about it? There's a lot of promise in the opening segment, where the focus is on Ronan's Susie. The thriller climax, where the closer Lindsey comes to exposing the killer, the more she is putting herself in mortal peril, is also effective.

What's wrong with it? The middle section isn't so strong, especially Jackson's gaudy depictions of the "in between": candy-coloured CGI fantasias that serve only a decorative function. In fairness, it's always hard to make audiences care about events occurring in Heaven – there's nothing at stake – but that doesn't excuse Jackson's decision to feature it so prominently. There are also risible moments on Earth, notably the depiction of fruit picking: last time we checked it's hard graft performed by low-wage labourers, but Weisz's character mostly seems to waft about in a floppy sun hat writing postcards.

Verdict: Who knows if Ramsay would have made a better film. It's probable that The Lovely Bones is tricky to adapt successfully for the screen. But if it could have been made cheaper, it could also have been grittier, which would have been the right artistic choice. In Sebold's book, Susie is both raped and killed. In Jackson's $65million-budget film, there is no mention of the former, and no depiction of the latter. Sometimes, the compromises you make to try to engage a wider audience end up undermining the story you are trying to tell.

Rating: 5 out of 10