I watched that movie a while ago and didn't think it was all that horrible. The murder of that little boy who was heroworshipping his older brother? was disturbing but not improbable. The battle in the beginning of the film was rather well done iirc.

But I never read the book - probably a plus for me because I defintly know what you went through in regard to horribble film adaptations. A memorable one for me in that regard is "the Scarlet Letter" with Demi Moore as Hester Prynne. That film butchered the novel!