I just got done watching the first TTGL movie, and I won't spoil anything, because even though it's just the series' plot compressed into movie form there's quite few significant changes.
Well, SOME things are changed, but the majority of it is unchanged. Now, when I say unchanged, I mean that literally, NOTHING is changed. They use the same script, the same dialogue, even the EXACT SAME animation, tore right out of the series' episodes and then chopped up to fit into the movie. Hell, when we're shown a montage of all the boring-but-still-plot-important episodes, they didn't even fix up the SHITTY animation from episode 4! Hell, they even showed the scenes out of order! It looked like I was in for some major disappointment when I was two thirds of the way in, and nothing awesome had happened yet... and then the scene where Nia was facing down Adiane rolled around, and then the movie kicks it into high gear so fucking fast that your head is spinning. I mean it, that was a STUNNING change of pace that really defied my expectations.
I still think they could've done better, but they left the movie on a cliffhanger, and now I got to get the SECOND movie!
So, to sum up my feelings:
"That's a neat beginning, what a good draw in! Way different from the series. Alright, starting... seen it. Rehashed. Reused. Boring. Lame... Wait... what the... HOLY SHIT THAT'S AWESOME! Wait, the movies over!? I need to see the second one!"
Goddamn I'm a sucker.