Chronicles of Narnia
I had the biggest hopes for these movies. I think we were are ok with how the first installment went but Prince Caspian everyone was like "Whaaaaaat?" Even Voyage of the Dawntreader didn't light up my life like I hoped it would. It's sad that such wonderful books can be brought down to this.
Jurassic Park
Don't get me wrong, I loved this movie but it is NOTHING compared to how awesome the book it. I remember my dad offering to read it to us one night and me telling him that there was no way it'd be better than the movie....and I was wrong.
Last of the Mohicans
I remember going out to see this movie in theaters with my dad and he asking me if it was just like the book. "No" I said. In fact, besides the names, I don't think there was ANYTHING from the novel. Col Munro gets portrayed as the villain (which made no sense) and some characters who die in the book LIVE in the movie. (and vice versa) As a movie, I have to admit it's pretty well done and who doesn't LOVE that soundtrack? But compared to the book...it's ugly.
I am Legend
I was so excited to see this movie and then became so upset that I wasted my time and did.
The short story is actually one of the most compelling reads you'll ever have. The "twist" ending is worthy of the silver screen but for some reason the morons in Hollywood thought they could do better. They didn't and this movie suffered because of it.
Lord of the Rings
If you know me then you know how I loathe these movies. NOTHING like the book. They took a beautiful story and turned it into an unrecognizable beast! I saw these movies once in theaters and never plan to waste my time with them ever again. How sad that such a great story may never be told.
Oh well, that's what we have books for right?
Anybody got any others?
7 comments:
You are insane. I Am Legend is a FANTASTIC movie. It was the best movie made that year, and the distinctions and metaphors made between light and darkness are brilliantly done. I think you had different expectations for the movie, after reading the book, and it ruined it for you. That's your problem with many of these. You can't have ANY expectations going into it. You have to assume the book is better, and take the movies for what they are. I haven't read I Am Legend, and I don't plan to. But as a stand-alone film, it's terrific.
The Chronicles of Narnia are the worst on your list, because the movies are dreadful, despite such awesome source material.
I thought Jurassic Park as a novel was good, but seeing the dinosaurs on the big screen was so awesome, it totally redeemed the movie, and so there wasn't too much of a chasm between that at the book.
Last of the Mohicans didn't even try to stay true to the book, so purists whine, but even you admitted that the movie is well done.
The Lord of the Rings are my favorite books in existence. I have read them all at least a dozen times, and I have almost too much love for them :-) But I'm such a fan of movies in general, that I really did enjoy all 3 films. Do they capture everything in the books? Of course not! That's impossible! But you can't say that they were NOTHING like the story - that's absolutely wrong and blatantly unfair. The general story is almost exact. They do change details (many of which I didn't like), but seriously man, there is no way they could have put everything in there. I told myself going in that it wasn't going to compare to the books, so just enjoy the movies. And I did, and I own every one.
Are you going to do a series that gets the books pretty much right? Harry Potter I think did a marvelous job, and we will see this weekend how the Hunger Games did. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo also did a great job of staying true to the book, I think Fincher even improved it, if that's possible.
-Melton
As for movie adaptions done well, no I don't plan to speak on any because Harry Potter would be the only ones coming close. I don't mind skipping over things and alternate story plots to move the story along but Lord of the Rings didn't even get the characters right. Gandolph and Gimli had exact opposite opinions on many things than they did on the book and I was surprised they even bothered to do so! It didn't make any sense. The ending of Two Towers is also baffling because it seems they only put that in there to throw an action scene together. And a couple of us laughed toward the ending of Return of the King when the writers went way off book for a flare of the dramatic that seemed more comical than anything else.
Jurassic Park is a fine movie, one of the best I'e seen no doubt, but it strayed from the book more than you may remember I think. I even watched Lost World again and enjoyed it as a movie.
I am Legend ending made zero sense. He sacrifices himself and....becomes a Legend?! Oh by the way, there's a whole civilization out there that's doing fine without you Will! The book had a wonderful twist to the ending that would have made an incredible story! (and sense of the title) but alas! Hollywood thought they knew better!
You're SO money though, so I'll let it rest there.
OK, there's your first problem, you *read* the books! I always wait for the movies! Narnia: I knew something wasn't gonna work out well, when hey had Santa Claus as a character (and that's in the books too!). JP: never read the book. Last of the Mohicans: nope. I Am Legend: Is Charlton Heston's "The Omega Man" a better adaptation? I didn't read it, but I knew the story, and and the ending of the movie was... disappointing to say the least.
LotR: Again, never read the books, but I LOVED the first film, then...the other two steadily lost my interest. Two Towers was just boring, but oh man, Return of the King, was a chore. First off the Dark riders from the first film, now have flying dragons. Why didn't they just use those in the first film and save everyone some time? Secondly, and the biggest groan/complaint/eyerolling "oh brother" moment. The stupid as hell ghost army that turns the tide. Once that happened I wrote off the entire series.
Oh, and you forgot:
I, Robot (another brilliant Will Smith destruction of literature)
The Scarlet Letter (the Demi Moore one)
Never saw either of them. And it's not my fault that I love to read! Lol
I think there is less discrepancy with the LOTR movies than you think. I didn't mind their changes, because the overall arc of the story was the same. The films can't touch the books, and that's ok.
See, what I'm saying about Jurassic Park (and the rest of these, for that matter), is that yes, they strayed from the books, AND THAT'S OK, as long as the movies were well-done. Which they were. It's when they make crap movies AND stray from the books that it bothers me. You absolutely have to separate them, though, or you will drive yourself nuts. I just go in with the assumption that the book is better, and enjoy the movies for what they are.
I Am Legend make perfect sense. He sacrificed himself for the GIRL and her SON. It was something he wanted to do for his own family, but couldn't. Hence those flashbacks. And you don't know that the civilization was doing fine. They perhaps would have died out eventually because they couldn't breed effectively, or gotten attacked by zombies. His blood would allow them to thrive and prosper. And the final shot with the church in the center of the picture was beautiful, and drove home the themes of light and darkness. Superb.
-Melton
As far as I Am Legend is concerned, if it completely undermines the entire point of the original material, then it has no right to call itself an adaptation of that story. **SPOILER ALERT**If I remember correctly, the story ends with the main character being the monster as the mutants or whatever had basically ascended to be the dominant species on the planet, and this near extinct creature (man as we know it) was killing off its kind, and doing such a good job of it he became almost a legend (hence the title). A complete departure from the Will Smith movie.
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