Films that are better

[Hutch2004]

Just stemming from a discussion I was having in the pub the other day, what films can you think of that are better than the original book? It has to be a direct adaptation, so for example, Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now doesn't count.

The discussion came up after watching Enduring Love, which is far, far better than the Ian McEwan novel, must mostly because McEwan is an incredibly dull author. The Jurassic Park novels are another that the films improve immeasurably.

So, any more?

[Benji]

Just stemming from a discussion I was having in the pub the other day, what films can you think of that are better than the original book? It has to be a direct adaptation, so for example, Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now doesn't count.

The discussion came up after watching Enduring Love, which is far, far better than the Ian McEwan novel, must mostly because McEwan is an incredibly dull author. The Jurassic Park novels are another that the films improve immeasurably.

So, any more?

No way! Enduring Love the novel is FAR better, they remove several elements that make Jed a genuinely worrying character and take away the job that defined Joe as a character throughout the novel. As far as the film goes Jed is just a generic stalker with no interesting side notes, he doesn't even kiss Joe before slitting his throat like he does in the novel, which was probably the most important scene other than Joe going to buy the gun.

[Skummy]

Not to mention that the Jurassic Park novels are much better than the films too, especially Lost World...the books aren't spectacular, but they're a lot better than the movies. Ian Malcolm is a much more interesting and in-depth character in the book, and generally acts as the voice of reason (until he goes MENTAL and gets hooked on morphine, anyhow) as well as contributing heavily to the philosophical and scientific themes underpinning the whole story, but in the film he's just a cynical unlikeable prick who mentions Chaos Theory in broad, idiotic terms from time to time.

The thing Jurassic Park has going for it as a film is that, even now, it looks stunning. And, for its time, the first look at the dinosaurs was an incredible moment, and visually it's still a very powerful piece...but there's no humanity, no characterisation, it's just RARRRR DINOSAURS, whereas the books give you some reason to care about what's going on. Not to mention that the whole "it can't see us if we don't move" plot element is much better in The Lost World book, when someone proposes that theory, stands perfectly still...and gets eaten, thus proving it wrong, and it never being mentioned again. And don't even get me started on the size of velociraptors

I can't think of a single film based on a book where the film has been better. Howl's Moving Castle, maybe.

[Benji]

I can't think of a single film based on a book where the film has been better. Howl's Moving Castle, maybe.

Harry Potter (to me) since all I expect from the series is half hearted magical artefacts, moaning about family and some nice special effects, as well as perhaps an of legal age nipple from one of the hotter female cast members

[Liam]

The thing Jurassic Park has going for it as a film is that, even now, it looks stunning. And, for its time, the first look at the dinosaurs was an incredible moment, and visually it's still a very powerful piece.

I think it is really hard to find a more visually impressive scene then the first time you see the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Although I agree, past the effects, there isn't a whole lot of substance. Still a pretty enjoyable film.

[Guest shibbycath]

i don't know if i've ever enjoyed a film more than the book it was based on.

[The Quasi Juice]

As much as I loved the Lord of the Rings books I think the movie to an extent is better than the book. I think the books drag on a bit at certain times and they have simply stupid moments like Frodo and Sam running around naked in a forest singing songs. I think the movie really took the good parts and left out stuff that didn't really matter much for the main story and it turned out wonderful.

Edited March 30, 2008 by King Quasijuice IV

[Kaney]

The only one I can think of in particular was Fight Club. Admittedly I saw the film before reading the book, but to me the book offered absolutely nothing the film didn't, and took longer to get there.

[stokeriño]

I've not read the book in question, but my girlfriend said that the Stardust movie was more entertaining than the book - and she's usually really, really 'loyal' to the books as well.

[Benji]

The only one I can think of in particular was Fight Club. Admittedly I saw the film before reading the book, but to me the book offered absolutely nothing the film didn't, and took longer to get there.

The only thing the book does better IMO is the ending, I love the open endedness of it, it was actually where I was going to go to some degree with the failed Fight Club diary I did a couple of years back and the whole 'return of Tyler' thing.

[Fanku Kaibutsu]

I thought Starship Troopers was better than the book. The movie was a cheesy but entertaining sci-fi action thing, but the book was just bad. I dunno, maybe I was missing something, but between the teacher's "We have no crime in our society because we publicly beat criminals and everyone is too ashamed to be beaten in public so no one ever commits a crime, despite the fact that public punishment has never been a deterrent for crime in any other period of human history." and the main characters "Gee golly I sure do love women. I've never kissed one or even had sexual thoughts about one, but they sure are the best thing ever. Yep, the most important thing for a man going into combat is hearing a woman's voice before he's dropped from a space ship." and then his dad being all "Y'see son, when I was a wealthy self-made business man, I pansy faggot with a tiny dick. Now that I've joined the military, I'm a Real Man." I didn't even want to finish it.

Yeah, fuck that book.

Edited March 30, 2008 by Fanku Kaibutsu

[apsham]

The only thing that comes to mind for me is indeed Fight Club. I read half the book, then saw the movie and I'm just reading the book again and all I have to say is meh, the movie does it a whole hell of a lot better... and it really helps that the movie was done really excellent, with casting just about perfect as well.

[Guest Ant]

The only film i can think of was Stephen Kings It. That film shit me up

[Skummy]

I've never even watched It, and it traumatised me as a kid. My Dad's office when I was growing up was attached to a porch leading to our back garden, so it always freezing as there was no heating there, and it was barely ever used, so it was usually dark, but there was also the downstairs toilet connected to that porch, and obviously the door to the back garden...and he had a huge It poster in his office, and the door would always be left slightly ajar so all you could see in the dark was that fucking clown.

[Cadet Ember McLain]

Forrest Gump?

[brenchill]

I prefer Jackie Brown to the novel (Rum Punch). I'd also give the American Psycho film the edge of the novel. The only problem I have with the film is that it isn't made clear enough that the events actually happen and it's not "all in his head". Maybe they should of incorporated the taxi driver sequence of the book into the film just to clear that up. But other than that, just from an enjoyment prospective, I preferred the film.

[Gongsun Zan]

I second Lord of the Rings.

Sure, while I acknowledge how much Tolkien has affected the fantasy genre, there's only so many times he can go off on a tangent before I get bored and put the book down.

[GhostMachine]

I thought Starship Troopers was better than the book. The movie was a cheesy but entertaining sci-fi action thing, but the book was just bad. I dunno, maybe I was missing something, but between the teacher's "We have no crime in our society because we publicly beat criminals and everyone is too ashamed to be beaten in public so no one ever commits a crime, despite the fact that public punishment has never been a deterrent for crime in any other period of human history." and the main characters "Gee golly I sure do love women. I've never kissed one or even had sexual thoughts about one, but they sure are the best thing ever. Yep, the most important thing for a man going into combat is hearing a woman's voice before he's dropped from a space ship." and then his dad being all "Y'see son, when I was a wealthy self-made business man, I pansy faggot with a tiny dick. Now that I've joined the military, I'm a Real Man." I didn't even want to finish it.

Yeah, fuck that book.

Um. No.

The movie was good, but the book was better. They changed things and left things out, such as Dizzy being a guy and no freakin' powered battlesuits. And if you ask me, the way it was done in the movie Rico's thing for Denise Richards' character was total bull. She was a hot piece of ass, but that was about it. Without Michael Ironside as Razchek and Neil Patrick Harris as the psychic and the propaganda bits the movie would have been lame.

Incidentally, the military uniforms and helmets (and I think maybe the guns, too) were re-used in the first few episodes of one of the Power Rangers series. Lost Galaxy, I think.

Edited March 31, 2008 by GhostMachine

[Guest Ant]

Is Starship Troopers 3 based on a book too? Saw the trailer yesterday and it looked freaking awesome.

[GRIFT]

The Birds is based on a short story and Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation is about a billion times better.