I was going to mention that not having read the book series I might have missed much of the connecting tissue. I will read them, but that aside, the movie still sucked.
Don't bother. You will be disappointed. I think you need to read them as a child to really get drawn in. The movie left me wondering about the books I read as a kid. Now that I have read them again, they are VERY simplistic. I still like them though.
I heard brokeback mountain sucked too.
I enjoyed it as did my husband; though he found the lead up to the wardrobe a little tedious, enjoyed it nonetheless... sometimes you have to let your inner child come out and just go into fantasy land.
My son is only 10 and he has already finished the Chronicles, step to it man.