Movies that were better than the book

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Postby the_wolfs_howl » Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:06 pm

Honestly, I think I'd have to say that I like the LotR books just as much as the movies. They're both brilliant, going where no one ever really was able to go before, paving the way for tons and tons more books and movies to follow. I, for one, was riveted to the books as much as I was to the action-packed movies. The descriptions that so many people groan and snore over were what made Middle-Earth feel real to me, much more so than any other epic fantasy author has ever managed to achieve in my experience. If I could read without any interruptions, I would get so involved in the book that I would feel like I was actually there - I could smell Gandalf's pipe, or I could hear the leaves of Lothlorien rustling, and I would get thirsty reading about Sam and Frodo stumbling through the waterless waste of Mordor. With all the other well-written fantasy books I've read after that, I've been able to see it all happening in my head, I can hear voices and feel the emotions of the characters...but it's hazy. LotR is in sharp relief. The only parts I found boring were the parts in the Shire, to be honest (at the beginning and the ending).

Comparing LotR books and movies is like comparing the Pride and Prejudice book to the BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth. They're both wonderful, so much fun and so real, and they both manage to tell the same story with mostly the same words and events, but they each add their own elements. You can get the emotion of Darcy's first proposal (for example) in each version, but in the book you get the worded descriptions of what's going on, and in the miniseries you get the expressions that tell you the same things, just in a different way. (The newest movie version of Pride and Prejudice, though, is awfully inferior to the book - and the miniseries - in every way except for that gorgeous music and a couple of interesting shots.)


Anyway, I definitely think the Twilight movie is better than the book :P It doesn't take a hundred pages (give or take) before anything happens other than Bella brushing her teeth and answering e-mails, and you can still laugh just as hard at it. And I don't think there was a single instance of the word "godlike," so that already makes the movie ten times better than the book :lol: Oh, and they cut out the amusingly horrendous, thinly veiled metaphors to Wuthering Heights and the Garden of Eden, so that's a plus.

...Does Death Note count? Mangas are books, aren't they? :sweat: The live-action movies were so much better than the original, even with all the stuff they had to cut out -_-

Hmm, that's all that's coming to mind right now. Most of the really good adaptations I can think of are either adapted from something other than a book (like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), or are so different you can't even compare them (like I, Robot or I Am Legend).

EDIT: Oh yeah! I think the Inkheart movie was WAAAAY better than the book. The book kind of dragged in places, and Dustfinger got a much more satisfactory ending in the movie too.
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Postby Nate » Sat Jul 02, 2011 5:42 pm

the_wolfs_howl wrote:It doesn't take a hundred pages (give or take) before anything happens other than Bella brushing her teeth and answering e-mails

But that just made Bella and her life feel so much more real to me! Meyer is a great author, and I can't believe you'd insult her writing style just because you personally dislike it!

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Postby SincerelyAnomymous » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:42 pm

The Narnia films and Disney films based off books
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Postby Fish and Chips » Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:27 pm

Ferb (post: 1488988) wrote:The Narnia films and Disney films based off books
That's a good joke.
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Postby Warrior 4 Jesus » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:35 am

LWW and PC had better battles than the books but overall the books are superior. VDT was an awful movie.
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Postby ShiroiHikari » Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:32 am

the_wolfs_howl (post: 1488714) wrote:The newest movie version of Pride and Prejudice, though, is awfully inferior to the book


Sadface.
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Postby SincerelyAnomymous » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:00 pm

Fish and Chips (post: 1489058) wrote:That's a good joke.


The Prince Caspian Voyage of the Dawn Treader film were greatly improved, compared to its book version. They added in actually good character development, while also expanding on the stories. There are also several things in the books C.S Lewis never really explained (as chapters, scenes), that the films did show.

For one example of the Disney movies actually expanding popular fairy tales, there's the Princess and the Frog, there's Aladdin (Forgive me if I'm wrong).

There are a few times when the film makers make awful films, take for example, The Sorceror's Apprentice.

Though they do not always improve, they expand. They create a all new breathtaking story added with music, dialogue and comedy.
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Postby bigsleepj » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:16 pm

Ferb (post: 1489124) wrote:The Prince Caspian Voyage of the Dawn Treader film were greatly improved, compared to its book version. They added in actually good character development, while also expanding on the stories. There are also several things in the books C.S Lewis never really explained (as chapters, scenes), that the films did show.


Characterization was well thought out in the Dawn Treader movie and supplements the characters to a degree, I admit, but I have to still disagree. The plot they shoe-horned into the movie worked while you were watching it but the more you think about it the less it makes sense. At times the green mist seems to end up working against itself (like why turn Eustace into a dragon if it makes him a powerful ally?). Sorry, the whole green mist thing, despite not being a bad idea (as a tie-in to the Green Witch from the Silver Chair), just did not work.
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Postby SincerelyAnomymous » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:01 pm

bigsleepj (post: 1489127) wrote:Characterization was well thought out in the Dawn Treader movie and supplements the characters to a degree, I admit, but I have to still disagree. The plot they shoe-horned into the movie worked while you were watching it but the more you think about it the less it makes sense. At times the green mist seems to end up working against itself (like why turn Eustace into a dragon if it makes him a powerful ally?). Sorry, the whole green mist thing, despite not being a bad idea (as a tie-in to the Green Witch from the Silver Chair), just did not work.


yeah, I agree. Major plot-hole. Thanks for pointing it out.
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Postby the_wolfs_howl » Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:37 pm

ShiroiHikari (post: 1489109) wrote:Sadface.


Just out of curiosity (not saying you have to agree with my opinion on the versions), what other versions are you familiar with?
The newest movie isn't too bad - it just didn't have the time to really explore the depths of the story, and the actors weren't bad...but they weren't brilliant either. I have issues with the way Kiera Knightley portrayed Lizzie, but that's a rant for another time. This video sums up why I feel the way I do about the versions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YepaCWzniNI&feature=related
(In the newest version, there's none of the actual "pride and prejudice" talk from the book, which is what makes their relationship work in the first place. And I really wish that some adaptation would include the "it's been coming on so gradually" line that is my favorite, but I don't think any of them has....)


Anyway, thinking about Disney made me realize that yes, I do think the Disney movie of Beauty and the Beast is better than the original fairy tale. Or at least I enjoy it more. The original is great and all, but the movie does a smoother job of the whole falling-in-love thing; it's actually believable, and the Beast doesn't ask her to marry him every evening. Yet it kept all the essentials that have made it my favorite fairy tale time out of mind. And Gaston is...Gaston.
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Postby mysngoeshere56 » Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:07 pm

I'm sorry to say, but I can't think of any movies that were better than the books, in the cases which I've seen/watched both. :-/ But, I think I can make some educated guesses...

I'd volunteer "The Princess Diaries" from what I've seen/heard of the books (read small bits and read OF what's in them, if that counts). Granted, I'm really not a fan of chick lit in general (well... all right, I can't stand it), but the movies were actually pretty cute/funny. The books, from what I've seen, seem to hold onto (more or less) the same atmosphere, but also contain lots of inappropriate content... I'd rather just have a good laugh in a cute, squeaky clean movie than read books that are funny, but have lots of questionable aspects.
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Postby Scarecrow » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:50 am

Ferb (post: 1489124) wrote:The Prince Caspian Voyage of the Dawn Treader film were greatly improved, compared to its book version. They added in actually good character development, while also expanding on the stories. There are also several things in the books C.S Lewis never really explained (as chapters, scenes), that the films did show.


Sorry... I know it's an opinion but... you are sooooo wrong! =P I can KIND of give you Prince Caspian cause I didn't care for the book much either anyway. But your comments on Voyage of the Dawn Treader? Blasphemy!!! You don't want me to start on how much of a piece of crap movie that was compared to the book!!! I was waiting for the Dawn Treader as it could of been a most amazing movie and what I got was about the equivalent of a giant troll taking a dump! (Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit). The more I think of dawn treader the more I dislike it and the morejkfjakdjfkjkla jalkdja ljkadf akjoiurojk!!!!!1111
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Postby SincerelyAnomymous » Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:18 am

Scarecrow (post: 1490506) wrote:Sorry... I know it's an opinion but... you are sooooo wrong! =P I can KIND of give you Prince Caspian cause I didn't care for the book much either anyway. But your comments on Voyage of the Dawn Treader? Blasphemy!!! You don't want me to start on how much of a piece of crap movie that was compared to the book!!! I was waiting for the Dawn Treader as it could of been a most amazing movie and what I got was about the equivalent of a giant troll taking a dump! (Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit). The more I think of dawn treader the more I dislike it and the morejkfjakdjfkjkla jalkdja ljkadf akjoiurojk!!!!!1111


LOL.

I'd comment back on why it's a good film, but I don't see you laying down any facts on how it's a bad film.
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Postby Htom Sirveaux » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:12 pm

"Good film" doen't necessarily have to translate to "mirror image of the book." Take for example The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the movie, not the miniseries) or Jurassic Park. Both differed wildly from the original novels, but they are still great movies.

At least, I think they are, and if anyone disagrees, fine, but I'm not having any "I know it's an opinion but you're wrong" crap. Sorry, that just doesn't fly.
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Postby FllMtl Novelist » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:57 pm

Htom Sirveaux (post: 1490547) wrote:"Good film" doen't necessarily have to translate to "mirror image of the book." Take for example The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the movie, not the miniseries) or Jurassic Park. Both differed wildly from the original novels, but they are still great movies.

At least, I think they are, and if anyone disagrees, fine, but I'm not having any "I know it's an opinion but you're wrong" crap. Sorry, that just doesn't fly.

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Postby Scarecrow » Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:44 pm

Sorry I forgot to add a disclaimer at the bottom of my post I guess. I thought it wasn't hard to tell it was just light banter, all in good fun. I should have stuck some more =P and xD and adjflkajd kljakldjfalk in there... my bad...

(But I still think VotDT is a terrible movie on it's own... I don't care if it wasn't a mirror image of the book... neither was Stardust and that movie is fantastic! It's just a bad movie IMO. If I never read the book, I wouldn't after that. Jurassic Park on the other hand WAS an awesome movie and the book was much more awesome but I love both for what they are :) )
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Postby Htom Sirveaux » Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:57 pm

Scarecrow wrote:Sorry I forgot to add a disclaimer at the bottom of my post I guess. I thought it wasn't hard to tell it was just light banter, all in good fun. I should have stuck some more =P and xD and adjflkajd kljakldjfalk in there... my bad...


No sweat. ;) I recall a recent conversation around here, about how hard it is to get sarcasm across on the internet.
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