Is the movie ever better than the book

Recommended Videos

Kaboose the Moose

New member
Feb 15, 2009
3,842
0
0
I have always been disappointed , by movies of books that I love and anticipated (exception: LOTR; the books were amazing albeit a bit of a drag initially with all the poems and the faffing about in the old forest..but the movies were impressive, especially ROTK, despite not showing the Scourging of the Shire)

So apart from LOTR (at least), is The Movie Ever Better Than the Book? Major props if you can laborate and explain, don't just list.
 

The Dark Umbra

New member
Jun 21, 2008
49
0
0
I don't think so its hard to get all the elements of a book into a movie.

Also I was also looking forward to the scourging of the shire
 

badgersprite

[--SYSTEM ERROR--]
Sep 22, 2009
3,820
0
0
Opinions are going to vary wildly, I'm sure. Sometimes I like that movies do things differently from the book. It can create a very different atmosphere, and sometimes have a completely different moral or underlying theme, which keeps people familiar with the source material just as surprised and engaged as new viewers. That's why adaptations don't usually bother me that much.

Personally, I think The Shining is better as a film than as a book (although I like both a great deal and can see why others prefer the book). And to be perfectly honest, I like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (the '70s film) better than the book. I like the changes made to the story.

Different strokes for different folks, though.
 

jpo009

Lord of the Dance
Apr 16, 2009
35
0
0
Does Kick-Ass count?
If so i think the movie was a lot more enjoyable then the book. Ya the book had some funny jokes ( Tunk for example) that the movie skipped over but i felt watching the movie that i was getting a better version of the story i already loved. Also the changes they made from the books help it stand on its own two feet, not relying on the possibility that it will continue. Frankly i just enjoyed watching the movie more then reading the book.
 

Soviet Heavy

New member
Jan 22, 2010
12,218
0
0
Stardust was a great book, but the movie is much better.

Same with Coraline I feel.

Can you tell I'm a Neil Gaiman fan?
 

Kapol

Watch the spinning tails...
May 2, 2010
1,431
0
0
I have to go with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, as I consider Graphic Novels as books and I think the movie was better then the series in most ways. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book series, but I liked how the movie was more streamlined and managed to get pretty much all the main points of the book in such a short time span. That's me at least.
 

AwesomePeanutz

New member
Aug 17, 2010
153
0
0
Forrest Gump was much better than the book.

I felt the characters were much more believeable, events weren't so far-fetched, and how the story was told was better. I also felt the movie had a much closed and satisfying ending.
 

Pennyy9

New member
Feb 8, 2009
244
0
0
The Godfather.
Mario Puzo wrote a great book, but the movie is one of the most magnificent films of all time.

mazzjammin22 said:
I've heard that the Godfather was much better than the book.
Dangit man! XD
 

emeraldrafael

New member
Jul 17, 2010
8,589
0
0
Kaboose the Moose said:
I didnt even think it was LotR was better as a film. But then again, I have a better (over active) imagination the others. Then again, i was fading in and out of the movies, so they didnt hold my interest much since I knew what was going to happen.

I'm going ot say no, for me, since you can never fit in all the details of the books and its hte minor ones that have charm. Also, the Heros never live up to what you imagine when put in a physical form.
 

Vern

New member
Sep 19, 2008
1,302
0
0
Stanley Kubrick seems to have a good track record, The Shining was better than the book, Full Metal Jacket was better than The Short Timers, and I've heard Clockwork Orange was better than the book. However most books to movies fail to meet his standards. I still think the Lord of the Rings books were better than the movie, but I can't help but notice all the things they left out.
 

Xojins

New member
Jan 7, 2008
1,538
0
0
The big one I hear is Fight Club. I've never read the book, but I feel like it would be hard to represent the complexities of the stories in text. The movie was pretty brilliant as far as I'm concerned.
 

Futurenerd

The Man With the Golden Bun
Oct 28, 2009
264
0
0
Personally, I thought Jesus Christ Super Star was MUCH more fun than reading the Bible. I mean, that tome is dry-er reading than my biology textbook.
 

motyr

New member
May 24, 2010
80
0
0
First thing that came to mind was LOTR..good call

Apocalypse Now is an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The movie's one of my favourites of all time, and I could just barely make it through the book.
 

Netrigan

New member
Sep 29, 2010
1,924
0
0
AjimboB said:
A Clockwork Orange, the movie was better than the book.

I mean, the book was alright, but the movie presented every action from the book with a much better characterization than the book's author did. The movie's world just seemed a lot more realistic, and alive than the book.
A Clockwork Orange and The Godfather are two examples of a director so completely owning the source material that the original ends up paling in comparison. Sort of like when Johnny Cash covered "Hurt". Someone also mentioned Fight Club, which is another good example of a visionary director taking the source material and turning it up to 11.

In the category of alright movie based on alright book, I have to give the nod to film version of The Firm. Neither are classics, but at least the movie has a solution that doesn't violate the stated goals of the hero. In the book, he refuses to turn State's Evidence because he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder and wants to practice law... and the finale, which is put forth as a happy ending, ensures that he'll be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life, will never practice law, and doesn't have the U.S. Government providing protection. A rare case of the movie creating a completely different ending that works much better than the original, since he found a solution that didn't piss off the mob.
 

SirDeadly

New member
Feb 22, 2009
1,400
0
0
The Eragon movie was absolutely pathetic! It left out some critical characters and if they want to make Eldest they have to completely remake Eragon or add a lot to the beginning on the film.
 

effilctar

New member
Jul 24, 2009
1,495
0
0
Any series where the book was based on the film, there have been a few.
Any book with a poor author but potential for a much greater movie adaptation, there have been a few in this category too.
 

Crapster

New member
Aug 6, 2009
315
0
0
Like you said, LOTR.

I felt like the Scott Pilgrim movie did certain things better than the books. The books were on the whole better, but I felt like the evil exes were better characters in the movie, and the fight scenes were ultimately cooler (that one's a given though, right?)