They got the character wrong....*whine*

[Woodsey]

Turning a dark comic about a blonde, English antihero who dicks about with demons just for the Hell of it (pun intended) and survives by manipulating everyone around him, usually getting them killed in the process.

In the movie he was played by Keanu bloody Reeves, as a sarcastic, gun toting, American Catholic exorcist with dark hair, who is on a religious quest for repentance and with 100% extra Shia LaBeouf.

Heh, I think you just invoked a real-life version of the [a
href=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArsonMurderAndJaywalking]Arson, Murder and Jaywalking[/a] trope.

 

[Patrick Buck]

Everyone in Eragon.
Christ that film was shit. It was a horrific pile of shit, attempting to copy a solid gold statue of awesome. (The books are the statue in this metaphor...)
That film was so terrible, but the books awesome. And now no-one will try and make films of it, because the first attempt crashed and burned. (Rightfully so, but still. Urgh.)

 

[Casual Shinji]

I think I can speak for any of the fans of the book when I say everyone in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

Think that's bad? The Jurassic Park book and movie could almost be considered separate stories entirely.

Spoiler: Jurassic Park The Movie

A Kindly old man who just so happens to run a multimillion dollar genetics company wants to use new technology and science to let the world experience the wonders of Dinosaurs. He invites several people to his "Dinosaur Theme Park" including famous Paleontologist Alan Grant, a stubborn, tired man who doesn't like children. His lovely assistant Ellie. Along with a cowardly, annoying lawyer that is more worried about "price" then if the people were happy. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician who's skeptical about the park's safety regulations and theorizes that if the dinosaurs get out, many people's lives will be at risk. Finally, he brings his beloved grandchildren to show them the wonders of the park and give them the joys of seeing dinosaurs!

Unfortunately, meddling from a greedy scientist results in the Dinosaurs getting loose. A few people die, including the park's game warden Robert Muldoon, the Lawyer, and the Scientist himself. Luckily through courage and tenacity, the remaining people on the island escape to safety! The old man is regretful that his park put people's lives in danger, and vows to insure the Dinosaurs are protected and no one has to lose their lives to his park again!

Spoiler: Jurassic Park The Novel

A greed, egotistical old businessman who runs a multimillion dollar genetics company wants to use new technology and science to make millions off of the millions of people who'd pay to see real, live, dinosaurs. He invites several people to his "Dinosaur Theme Park" in hopes of getting an endorsement. Including famous Paleontologist Alan Grant, a young, handsome man who enjoys seeing children become interested in Dinosaurs and "the ancient world". His lovely assistant Ellie. Along with a lawyer that is rightfully worried about the expenses of the park. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician who's smart enough to be cautious about the Park's safety, he predicts that there will be an untold amount of people killed if things go awry. Finally, he brings his Grandchildren, he needs to gauge how the "Child Statistic" would react to the park after all!

Predictably, meddling from a greedy scientist results in the Dinosaurs getting loose. A countless members of staff die, the Lawyer, Ian Malcolm, even the greedy old man himself! The only people who managed to survive were those who actually had experience dealing with dinosaurs, including Robert Muldoon, Grant and Ellie, and luckily the children! The park is firebombed by the military, and the company's plans of building a new park are foiled. Unfortunately, it seems that not all the dinosaurs are killed, and the world will most likely never be the same again.

While the movie is a somewhat scary family adventure flick, the novel is very realistic and bloody.

I seem to remember Gennaro (the lawyer) surviving in the book. He even helped with gassing the raptor nest at the end.

The guy that gets killed at the T-Rex paddock was that ginger haired park representative. He got eaten by the junior Rex.

 

[GamerAddict7796]

Rincewind in The Colour of Magic by Sky1.

He's 70 in the show! The fuck?! In the books he's an early 20s loser not someone who's been there for 50 years! The rest was awesome but I was a bit disappointed.

 

[Commissar Sae]

The Dresden Files TV show. They just butchered every damn character from the books to the point where they couldn't even be recognized. The show was alright on it's own merits (not good, but alright) but being a fan of the books just ruined a lot of the show for me.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

(Was so sure that this thread was going to be about the new Dante)

I kinda agree about Dumbledore. He was indeed eccentric in the books but I thought at times that part of his character was overplayed to the detriment of everything else. I didn't have too much of a problem with it though due to Michael Gambon just being such a sublime actor.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Well, it's not a book, but I'm gonna nominate Aang of "The Last Airbender" fame anyway. In the TV show, he's a happy little kid, and his name rhymes with "bang". In the movie, he's a completely emotionless stick of wood, and his name rhymes with "gong".

And don't think it's just bad acting. They wrote him as some kind of warrior monk, when he's nothing like that in the show. And in case you missed it, THEY GOT HIS NAME WRONG. I'm sorry, I meant they got his name "wrang".

And Fire Benders can't create their own fire unless they're a fucking master or something. I love how M. Knight Shamylamylamylamylamylan has to shoehorn a "twist" into these things like he does with movies he's actually written from scratch. *Gasp*, Sozin's comet will give the fire benders power, guys!

No shit. And he had to go and change it instead of it making them more powerful, it just lets them create their own fire. And why was the Fire Nation Indian when characters like Zuko were the palest people in the actual damn show?

Probably so he could give himself a cameo like he always bloody does... Michael Bay and Shamylando Calrissian should form a crime fighting duo that goes around kicking the shit out of people's favorite cartoon franchises.

Yeah, and the Water Tribe, who are supposed be really tan eskimo-types, are white as freakin' mayonnaise. AND nobody can bend an element faster then about 2 feet every goddamn minute. AND when Aang goes into the Spirit World, he talks to Roku's dragon instead of Roku.

Man, this is all making me want to go back and watch the show again.

 

[The Funslinger]

Well, it's not a book, but I'm gonna nominate Aang of "The Last Airbender" fame anyway. In the TV show, he's a happy little kid, and his name rhymes with "bang". In the movie, he's a completely emotionless stick of wood, and his name rhymes with "gong".

And don't think it's just bad acting. They wrote him as some kind of warrior monk, when he's nothing like that in the show. And in case you missed it, THEY GOT HIS NAME WRONG. I'm sorry, I meant they got his name "wrang".

And Fire Benders can't create their own fire unless they're a fucking master or something. I love how M. Knight Shamylamylamylamylamylan has to shoehorn a "twist" into these things like he does with movies he's actually written from scratch. *Gasp*, Sozin's comet will give the fire benders power, guys!

No shit. And he had to go and change it instead of it making them more powerful, it just lets them create their own fire. And why was the Fire Nation Indian when characters like Zuko were the palest people in the actual damn show?

Probably so he could give himself a cameo like he always bloody does... Michael Bay and Shamylando Calrissian should form a crime fighting duo that goes around kicking the shit out of people's favorite cartoon franchises.

Yeah, and the Water Tribe, who are supposed be really tan eskimo-types, are white as freakin' mayonnaise. AND nobody can bend an element faster then about 2 feet every goddamn minute. AND when Aang goes into the Spirit World, he talks to Roku's dragon instead of Roku.

Man, this is all making me want to go back and watch the show again.

I already have been on the gaps between Korra episodes. I'm near the end of season 3 now...

 

[Skoosh]

A lot of times when I hear people complain about the movie, it's because details were lost in translation. Obviously the book will have many more subplots than a movie though, and I feel those people miss the point. A movie should convey the themes and feel of the book. It should bring the main plot, atmosphere, and message to the big screen and stand on its own.

That being said, OP, your friend is being an idiot about Game of Thrones. It's easily just as good as the books (personally I'm enjoying the show a bit more now that the second season is taking its own path). Lord of the Rings is a good example too, of movies that did it right. Yeah, you don't have Bombadil (yay!) and some characters are downplayed like Faramir (aww) but in the end, they were still huge movies that crammed as much as they possibly could while still staying true to the themes and feel of the books. It was like Middle Earth came to life.

Movie that fucked things up though? I Am Legend. Completely missed the point of even the title. It started things up well, loved seeing the destroyed city and such, but then the second half completely fell apart. They cut characters when there were only 2 characters to begin with! The title is all about how before, vampires were the thing of legend and horror, but afterwards he hunted them indiscriminately, and he became the thing of their legends and horrors. Blerg, just...annoying.

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

LOTR, especially since they cut my favourite scene from the end of the films.

Also Eragon. The films didn't seem even close to following the plot from the books.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

LOTR yes missed bits that I can let slide as well as most of Harry Potter but these are the things I draw the line at. The Half Blood Prince for Harry Potter and general fuckupedness The Legend of the Seeker. The Half Blood Prince because it missed one of the main points of the book and just the whole of the Legend of the Seeker except for Zhedd(in comparison to others).

On the Legend of the Seeker though I am glad they got rid of the ridiculous levels of rape in it though. Seriously, the writer of the series looks like he hates minor women characters almost as much as Matt Ward hates Sisters of Battle. Although, the book series is quite hit and miss the show could have done better.

 

[Elamdri]

Jurassic Park the Movie: John Hammond is a nice, old Santa Claus-esque man.

Jurassic Park the Book: John Hammond is an absolute money grubbing bastard. Gets eaten by dinosaurs.

Not to mention the fact that in the book, Muldoon, the badass Australian hunter guy, survives. If there was one guy who you'd think would have the skill set to survive in that situation it would be him. In the movie he gets taken out like a punk.

Actually, the lawyer in the book is the most atypical character. He's like a good guy and survives the book.

 

[BENZOOKA]

50 is young for a hobbit, so I saw no problem there. Frodo was pretty much suffering the whole journey, one of the most essential themes of the story is the love and friendship of Frodo and Sam. Merri was the wisest and smartest hobbit all along. Aragorn would never even glanced a flirting look at another female. Elfs are not like humans. Dwarfs neither. Personality-wise that is.

There's way too many things that LoTR movies got wrong to go any deeper than that.

Oh, and the Hobbit-trailer which slightly hints that there is or was some chemistry between Gandalf and Galadriel... no facepalm is massive enough for that.

 

[triggrhappy94]

I saw the movie for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and really liked it.
So, I decided to read for an assignment in english.
Now, the movie was good, but early on all I could do while reading was remember scenes from the movie. The only lasted for the first couple chapters.
There's a lot of small things from the book that would have been impossible to adapt to a movie effectively. A lot of the commentary and theme was cut out too, which is a little disapointing.
As far as characters go, it's hard to say. The movie adaptation deffinately helped me a lot in visualizing each scene. I think it's worth mentioning that I think the only time the reader ever gets to read a scene that Lacerda is in is during the race. Every other time their interactions with him are just reffered to later. In the movie he shows up a couple times.

I'd deffinately suggest reading the book first, it's a really easy and short (only like 200 pages) read.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Legend of the Seeker. I started by watching the first episode of the TV series. Was alright, nothing really jumped out as weird, and nothing special either. Then I learnt it was based on a series of books called the Sword of Truth. Since I love to read, I started doing just that. They could not have gotten the series more wrong if they tried. The TV series was a mockery of the books.

I've seen that show the producers said they intentionally took the characters and stories to a different direction because it would've been boring to the bookreaders to anticipate everything, or something like that

But then why not just make up an entire new IP instead of butchering one that will turn fans away from it? I don't get that.

 

[Ldude893]

Although every character was played wrong in The Last Airbender since none of them are the right ethnicity, Sokka in particular...

M. Night Shyamalan is lucky that I don't know his home address and don't have access to an orbital laser cannon.

 

[BlueKenja]

Probably already been said but anytime they do one of the "Rincewind" Discworld novel adaptions and have David Jason playing Rincewind. Rincewind is not old. He's introduced as an early-mid 20s loser and as the books progress his age is always vaguely defined with him generally looking around 40 by the end in the Kidby artwork.
Hell, Death even notes that Rincewind's age isn't obviously young or old and doesn't even know if or when he'll ever die.

 

[MetalDooley]

One thing I guess I was sort of annoyed by was the decision to make everyone 3-5 years older. It changes the story at certain points a -lot-. An example without giving any spoilers. I guess some might be able to guess it.

Teenager fights skilled veteran.

Adult fights skilled veteran.

Those five-six extra years they added made it a bit less dramatic imo.

I guess there are lots of reasons for making the characters this much older,

Apparently the only reason they changed the characters ages was because they had to make Daenerys Targaryen 18 otherwise they couldn't have included the sex scenes with her and Drogo.And because they made her older they decided to increase everyone's age by a few years

 

[Nikolaz72]

One thing I guess I was sort of annoyed by was the decision to make everyone 3-5 years older. It changes the story at certain points a -lot-. An example without giving any spoilers. I guess some might be able to guess it.

Teenager fights skilled veteran.

Adult fights skilled veteran.

Those five-six extra years they added made it a bit less dramatic imo.

I guess there are lots of reasons for making the characters this much older,

Apparently the only reason they changed the characters ages was because they had to make Daenerys Targaryen 18 otherwise they couldn't have included the sex scenes with her and Drogo.And because they made her older they decided to increase everyone's age by a few years

I doubt that could possibly be the only reason. Because after reading the first book I must say, age changes the story completely. Whenever Robb is an adult ready to take his fathers place, or a 'child' is just.. Well.. A big difference. (spoiler) He 'cried' infront of Bran. (spoiler) I mean, in the books his a young teenager who is pretty much forced to act like a king waayy too early. In the series its almost like he was made for it. And while not being perfectly was certainly ready.

Also, most of the Nights Watch kids being 13-16 instead of.. Well, a good way up in their 20's also changes a lot.

Again, both are great. But if I was in charge I wouldnt have changed the whole plot so that they could show a couple of extra sex-scenes. Im sure there would be a big audience anyway. Some extra whore-scenes with Baratheon and Tyrion to make up for it. I mean, by the time we reached season 12 (Speculating that there will be 2 seasons per book) They would be of age anyway.

 

[MetalDooley]

I doubt that could possibly be the only reason. Because after reading the first book I must say, age changes the story completely. Whenever Robb is an adult ready to take his fathers place, or a 'child' is just.. Well.. A big difference. (spoiler) He 'cried' infront of Bran. (spoiler) I mean, in the books his a young teenager who is pretty much forced to act like a king waayy too early. In the series its almost like he was made for it. And while not being perfectly was certainly ready.

Also, most of the Nights Watch kids being 13-16 instead of.. Well, a good way up in their 20's also changes a lot.

Again, both are great. But if I was in charge I wouldnt have changed the whole plot so that they could show a couple of extra sex-scenes. Im sure there would be a big audience anyway. Some extra whore-scenes with Baratheon and Tyrion to make up for it. I mean, by the time we reached season 12 (Speculating that there will be 2 seasons per book) They would be of age anyway.

Seems silly I know but apparently that is the reason.I saw an interview with George R.R Martin where he more or less admitted that