The movie was better

[Kitti]

Usually, most people can agree that "the book was better" when it comes to a movie or show adaptation. It make sense, the book has more time and more ability to make you pay attention to subtle things.

Sometimes, though, the adaptation just shines. Whether it's because of great acting/directing or because the story just works better visually, something about it makes it better than the source (or at least as good).

What's an example of this, in your opinion?

 

[Joan]

How to Train Your Dragon. The book is decent in its own right, sort of, but the movie...I love the movie and its sequel. They're so damn good.

 

[Bone2pick]

James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. While the nineteenth century novel was significant, Michael Mann's film adaptation is a masterpiece. Its cinematography is breathtaking. Its performances are outstanding. And its score... is second to none.

 

[~Happily.Ever.After~]

I thought Hunger Games was done very well! I have zero clue about the other two[?] movies since I only saw the first one, but I thought it followed the book very well and held a lot of the same details. Plus, I really liked just the overall designs and everything.



Heartland ... the first two or three episodes maybe followed I think the first book or two [it's been a while, those books were really hard to get a hold of], and there were a few other episodes throughout the series that were similar to stories from the books, but mainly the TV series went one way and the book series had ended completely differently. Though I haven't watched it in a while I've still stayed mostly up-to-date on how the show has gone, and I like the outcome of the originally intended main character much better in the show than in the book [kinda confusing ... it would take a while to explain]. I also like how they moved past the focus of one main character and to the entire family... plus... horses [granted, horses were my whole reason for picking up the books too].

 

[Lanternroads]

Personally, I HATE the Lord Of the Rings books. I've tried reading them on several occasions and just can't get in to them. However, the movies are some of my favorites films and I can't count how many times I've watched that damn trilogy.

 

[Shiri]

Odd Thomas movie and book are identical minus the graphic nature of the dead girl's story in the beginning. So no hard feelings on if you only watch the movie. Lol

Similarly Die Hard is pretty close to the book when it gets to the action and could only benefit from having Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman in it. I think it might be my favorite action movie.

Jurassic Park. I know there are people who prefer the book, but I couldn't do it. It was so dry and no one was likeable.

Christine. It's easier to handle the bullies in the movie. When Stephen King makes bullies he doesn't hold back which builds the appropriate atmosphere for the books but makes it hard to read sometimes. I read it back in high school so maybe my memories exaggerated them over time, but I still find the movie easier to watch than reading it was.

 

[Mojo]

I thought Hunger Games was done very well! I have zero clue about the other two[?] movies since I only saw the first one, but I thought it followed the book very well and held a lot of the same details. Plus, I really liked just the overall designs and everything.

I loved the hunger game movies. I really enjoyed that they showed what happened outside the arena as the games were going on! Of course they had to cut some things out from the movies, but the last movie left both me and my friend terrified and speechless! One of the best book-to-movie franchise ever (besides HP ofc).

Jurassic Park. I know there are people who prefer the book, but I couldn't do it. It was so dry and no one was likeable.

Wow, I didn' even know that Jurassic Park was originally a book! :o Now I gotta go find it so I can read 8)

 

[Dipper]

I'll go with HTTYD. The book was a big part of my childhood, but the movie is much more entertaining and better in just about every way.

 

[Aero Blue]

I'll second the Lord of the Rings movies. Brilliant movies, incredibly evocative. I thought similarly of the books in my youth, but attempting to read them a few years back was just a bit of a slog.

Chuck's a great writer, but Fight Club goes here too. Harry Potter as a whole doesn't, but I enjoyed film Prisoner of Azkaban so much I'll give it a mention here as well.

 

[Spekkun]

Forrest Gump of course :D I liked the book, but tbh the movie was far more charming and left a longer impression on me. Everything felt a lot more...rich? From the characters to the story and its flow.

Gone Girl was a really good book, but even better as a movie in my opinion. They picked the perfect actors, told the story very clearly and better than even the book! Even though some of the characters are missing in the movie, and some things were left out, the hopelessness and misery is translated far better on the screen than through a page.

 

[Snakes & Lasers]

The Princess Bride.
Not to knock the book at all, but the movie is a great example of how to take all the good bits and distill it down.
The book is one of those, you have to be a certain kind of reader to enjoy, but the movie's enjoyable by just about anyone.

 

[MaryGold]

The Hunger Games TRILOGY. On screen, they were able to make the protagonist more likeable. In the books, she was so entirely frustrating and while the excuse people make for her are somewhat decent ... she still is not very likeable.

 

[Draugvan]

The Matrix. Based on Brain in a Vat short story, correct me if I'm wrong.

iRobot.

 

[Kuno]

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. That movie was AWESOME. Even though I love the book to death, there's just something about the epic battle scene that always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Plus, you can't beat Liam Neeson voicing the character Aslan. 10/10