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Do You Think Books Turned Into Movies Do It Justice?

R

RobinA

New Member
I think it's a very good question. After spending much time thinking about this question I have come to the conclusion that I prefer to read the book and that I don't think turning them into movies do the book any justice.

For example: I read the Twilight books a few years ago before the movies and I enjoyed it very much and had a image in my head of what the character were like and looked. Then the movie came out and they left so much out. I mean I still liked the Twilight movies, I must admit I did enjoy them all. But when I look at the book now I don't see my original thoughts anymore. It's all changed.

Or how about the classic Journey to the center of the earth? I think they shredded it to bits. Yes the movie in general was entertaining, it just wasn't anywhere near the book. ( I thought)
If we go a bit younger again how about Diary of a wimpy kid? any thoughts on this one? Tell me what your kids thought, would like to get a younger opinion.


Please tell me you thoughts, what do you think? Do you have any other books to movie examples?


Robin
 
RobinA said:
I prefer to read the book and that I don't think turning them into movies do the book any justice.
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That is almost always the case. In some cases the movie isn't a lot worse, but often, that is the case.
One movie that was as good - maybe even better - than the book for me was the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But even then, the extended blu ray version. The theatrical one was just ok.
I can't immediately think of any other example, but there must be a few.
 
I think most books turned into movies aren't that great, but some are, and if I read the book and enjoyed it, I always want to see the movie at least once even if the movie is garbage:cool:

Kumar:

Forrest Gump the book was okay, but the movie is probably one of my favorite of all time. Can't really think of any others right now gotta rush to work haha
 
Kumar said:
That is almost always the case. In some cases the movie isn't a lot worse, but often, that is the case.
One movie that was as good - maybe even better - than the book for me was the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But even then, the extended blu ray version. The theatrical one was just ok.
I can't immediately think of any other example, but there must be a few.
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I agree with you 100% I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy and feel the same way about the movies (extended) being a lot better the book. I just loved the movies.
I think also Harry Potter, I read all the books and then the movies came out and it was almost exactly the same as I had pictured it.
I think they did a great job with those movies. It's funny how the characters in your mind look and act the same as the movies. I think it shows how well the author writes and describes the characters.
 
Blindsided said:
I think most books turned into movies aren't that great, but some are, and if I read the book and enjoyed it, I always want to see the movie at least once even if the movie is garbage:cool:

Kumar:

Forrest Gump the book was okay, but the movie is probably one of my favorite of all time. Can't really think of any others right now gotta rush to work haha
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Forrest Gump was great movie. I have not read the book. Would you recommend reading the book?
I am the same, I always want to see the movie as well.
 
I am afraid Harry Potter doesn't appeal to me. It felt too much like a Rings for children to me, so I gave up on the books and the movies.

Forrest Gump on the other hand, brilliant movie with the dependable Mr Hanks. There is also a double album CD with all the songs heard just in passing in the movie - also great stuff. I wasn't aware there was a book, and folks on Amazon seemed to love the book, which is said to be quite different from the movie, but just as entertaining. I think I will buy the book now:)
 
I can only think of one movie where I thought the movie was better than the book: Fight Club. I say that because I feel the movie handled the oh shit! moment better than the book.

The Hunt for Red October was pretty faithful and stands as one of my favorite movies from a book.
 
Kumar said:
I am afraid Harry Potter doesn't appeal to me. It felt too much like a Rings for children to me, so I gave up on the books and the movies.

Forrest Gump on the other hand, brilliant movie with the dependable Mr Hanks. There is also a double album CD with all the songs heard just in passing in the movie - also great stuff. I wasn't aware there was a book, and folks on Amazon seemed to love the book, which is said to be quite different from the movie, but just as entertaining. I think I will buy the book now:)
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Did you watch any other Harry Potter movies? Or read any of the books from start to end? I also know a few people that said similar things to you. Was it just Harry Potter you didn't like or the genre in general you don't like?

Tom Hanks is amazing, specially in The Cast Away. That movie made my cry, it's so emotional and he just captured every feeling and emotion possible.

Does anyone know if The Cast Away was a book?
 
sparkchaser said:
I can only think of one movie where I thought the movie was better than the book: Fight Club. I say that because I feel the movie handled the oh shit! moment better than the book.

The Hunt for Red October was pretty faithful and stands as one of my favorite movies from a book.
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Wow I was speaking to someone yesterday about this topic and they said exactly the same thing about Fight Club. Would you recommend reading the book?
 
RobinA said:
Did you watch any other Harry Potter movies? Or read any of the books from start to end? I also know a few people that said similar things to you. Was it just Harry Potter you didn't like or the genre in general you don't like?
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If by genre, you mean Fantasy, I don't much care for it, LOTR is the shining exception. I like my fiction to be grounded in some reality, even if it is history.

I read the early HP books, but it seemed to me that they doubled in size as they went along, and grew tedious.

Another movie/book comparison is Master and Commander. The movie wasn't bad, but each of the 20 books that Patrick O'Brian wrote about Aubrey/Maturin is way better, and there are 20 to savour. I reread the entire set every three years:)
 
Kumar said:
If by genre, you mean Fantasy, I don't much care for it, LOTR is the shining exception. I like my fiction to be grounded in some reality, even if it is history.

I read the early HP books, but it seemed to me that they doubled in size as they went along, and grew tedious.

Another movie/book comparison is Master and Commander. The movie wasn't bad, but each of the 20 books that Patrick O'Brian wrote about Aubrey/Maturin is way better, and there are 20 to savour. I reread the entire set every three years:)
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I agree with you about the HP books, each time you went to the next it was bigger. Some bits in the HP books did drag on then they needed to.

Master and Commander sounds familiar, and there are 20 books? Wow, do they get bigger and bigger like the HP books?

If I may ask how long does it take you to read the 20 books?
 
RobinA said:
Wow, do they get bigger and bigger like the HP books?

If I may ask how long does it take you to read the 20 books?
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No, they are all roughly the same size.

It takes me about two months:) They aren't fast reads, the language is to be savoured. But they take you into a world of sailing ships and life at sea. Very enjoyable.
 
RobinA said:
I think it's a very good question. After spending much time thinking about this question I have come to the conclusion that I prefer to read the book and that I don't think turning them into movies do the book any justice.
Click to expand...


It is entirely contextual for me. I enjoy the 1968 Romeo and Juliet immensely and regard Olivia Hussey as the standard for Juliet. But the adaptation in 1996 with DiCaprio in it, I disliked tremendously, I only watched a small clip on youtube, that was enough.

I think Ayn Rands, Atlas Shrugged, was able to be translated fairly well for the film adaption, Atlas Shrugged Part 1, as the main essences came across, the theme, morality, politics, economics, charaterization. But many reviews I read did not think the film did justice to the novel.
 
sparkchaser said:
I can only think of one movie where I thought the movie was better than the book: Fight Club. I say that because I feel the movie handled the oh shit! moment better than the book.

The Hunt for Red October was pretty faithful and stands as one of my favorite movies from a book.
Click to expand...

Sparky, I'm assuming you never read Mario Puzo? :lol:
 
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