What is the BEST and WORST book to movie adaptations you have seen?
By lightwithin7
@lightwithin7 (50)
Japan
October 26, 2009 1:19am CST
Yesterday I watched the movie, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, which is an adaptation of a book series called The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren O'Shaughnessy.. And I was mortified to find that the end of the movie had turned utterly disastrous, striding far, FAR away from the storyline of the book series. :( I was so sad and angry cause I LOVE the series, and the movie people did a bad job of making it (although the soundtrack, actors and the feel of the book was well-portrayed... just not the bloody script..) It seemed like they were trying to fit the whole 12 book series into one movie.
So I wondered... what is (in your opinion) the best and worst book-to-movie adaptations you have seen in your life?
I think Lord of the Rings was very well done, along with the Twilight Series, cause they stuck to the book. Eragon was mutilated in my opinion (it started off good at first, but then the whole story got twisted) and His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass was well-made, but the script-writer should've been fired for changing everything good about the movie.
2 responses
@oasis_9 (831)
• Philippines
26 Oct 09
Haven't seen the Vampire's Assistant yet but i will after knowing that its based from a novel.
Most of the movies I've watched which are based from novels have their own changes to the film which was not on the book itself. There are changes which i do love but there are others which i really don't understand why they have to change it for its perfect the way the novel put it. But films and novels are two different things maybe its just because the directors point of view of the novel is what was depicted on the film and not the way us readers have though the film should look like.
@lightwithin7 (50)
• Japan
26 Oct 09
Ooh, I'd love to hear your opinion of it after watching the movie! :) I might've just been overreacting, lol
Yes, that's very true. There were some changes I liked too - but sometimes I wish some things are changed so drastically as well. I liked the subtle changes that the Lord of the Rings included in one scene of The Two Towers. :) (There was more character development for the character, Faramir, which the book didn't have.)
And I see your point when you say the Director's POV of the book and the readers' POV of the book is different. The first time I watched a movie that I knew was made based from a book was Harry Potter, and I didn't know how to react by how different it looked from the images I had in my own head. :P (Although I was certainly not complaining, lol. :P I thought Hermione was called Her-mi-on, not Hermi-on-ni... sorry did that make any sense? lol)
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Oct 09
Two works come to mind. One is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Another is Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. I really enjoyed the screen adaptations. The serenity of the past was captured in Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's love story. The high packed action genius of Jason Bourne was also clearly shown in the movie. As to the bad adaptation, I yet have to see one. But the movie you mentioned is a no-no. I don't like vampire stories.
