Film Adaptations - yay or nay?

Asunta · Post by **Asunta** » 25 Aug 2019, 06:22

Adaptations could be really disappointing but that doesn't stop me from giving it a go if I like the cast and the trailer looks promising. I feel movies and books are completely different forms of Art that deal with a given storyline and I try my best to keep that in mind when something I read in the book doesn't happen the same way in the movie. Sometimes, adaptations could be better than the books.
For me To All The Boys I've Loved Before was disappointing as a book but the movie saved the story.
However, I cannot say the same for the other book to film adaptations I've watched.
Interestingly, The Maze Runner series look like completely different stories between the books and the movies. And I think I liked them both.
So, yes, the key is to deal with movies and books as different ways of dealing with a story as long as the original storyteller gets credit for coming up with the idea.

Nimisha_91 · Post by **Nimisha_91** » 25 Aug 2019, 09:44

Nym182 wrote: ↑24 Aug 2019, 08:23
Nimisha_91 wrote: ↑24 Aug 2019, 00:50 Most film adaptations of books have disappointed me..But one that didn't was Lord of the rings! I could not finish the book however hard I tried but I liked the movies!
hahah I was the exact opposite!! I loved the books, couldn't put them down... tried to watch the movies and could only watch the first hour or so!

Haha maybe I should give the books another try!

Readingblondes · Post by **Readingblondes** » 25 Aug 2019, 13:07

Moodykelz_10 wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 17:23 I'm quite into them. However I have a strict rule read before I watch the film just so I can compare them.

I do exactly that.
But of course the movie will be different from the book, while reading we are feeling with the characters, which we can't with the movie...

yung_bosse · Post by **yung_bosse** » 03 Sep 2019, 13:49

I can agree that most film adaptations of books can be disappointing; however, many comic book adaptations have been nothing short of brilliant. The live action MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films adapted from the Marvel comic book have been pleasing fans for years. In fact, the latest MCU film, Avengers: Endgame, made over 2 billion dollars in the box office. I think most Marvel comic book fans can agree that the live action adaptations of these comics are more than pleasing.

Nym182 · Post by **Nym182** » 04 Sep 2019, 16:44

yung_bosse wrote: ↑03 Sep 2019, 13:49 I can agree that most film adaptations of books can be disappointing; however, many comic book adaptations have been nothing short of brilliant. The live action MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films adapted from the Marvel comic book have been pleasing fans for years. In fact, the latest MCU film, Avengers: Endgame, made over 2 billion dollars in the box office. I think most Marvel comic book fans can agree that the live action adaptations of these comics are more than pleasing.

You know, I don't know why but for some reason Comic book adaptations always seem to slip under my radar, but that is a very good point! I also like how they have sprung new versions and stories of characters we are alraedy familiar with (ex: The new Joker movie... I am not sure, but I don't think it's based off any particular comic, although please correct me if am wrong. Anyone who knows DC knows who the Joker is, and how his character is steeped in mystery, giving writers the chance to give their own spin and story as how the Joker first started laughing)

Apple Jane Garcia · Post by **Apple Jane Garcia** » 05 Sep 2019, 06:44

On some cases, movie adaptations were pretty disappointing since my imagination or how I portrayed the characters while reading it differs from what I watch in the movie adaptaion and some favorite scenes that you expect to see in the movie didn't appear, but there are times that watching it can helps you understand some scene that is confusing when I read it. And also I reccomend to read the book first before watching it, this way it can give you the whole picture of the story because movie adaptaion can be considered as the summary of the story.

Felicity Granger · Post by **Felicity Granger** » 08 Sep 2019, 12:58

It doesn't stop me at all. My characters I already have in my imagination remain wholly separate from those brought to life on TV. Not watching the adaptations is just going to have a limiting effect on my understanding of the story. I prefer to have multiple versions I can draw from and seeing the plots enacted is reslly entertaining, even if sometimes the show flops.

Apple Jane Garcia · Post by **Apple Jane Garcia** » 09 Sep 2019, 04:59

Indeed it doesn't stop as to watch adaptaions even though it gives as different views on the story. Anyway what excite me on watch it is to see my favorite scenes to be enacted.

Nym182 · Post by **Nym182** » 09 Sep 2019, 11:36

Kenna_Kay wrote: ↑24 Aug 2019, 09:42 With me, I have had a problem or two with a few series that they tried to adapt into film and those are "Eragon" and "Percy Jackson & the Olympians". They hardly make "Eragon" anything closely related to the book besides the characters and 1 or 2 events. With "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" they did good on the first movie but terrible in the second. They jumped around some in "The Sea of Monsters" and just the plot was terrible. Other than that, "The Hunger Games" series was absolutely terrific and I absolutely loved it!

I also thought "The Hunger Games" series was well done. I remember watching bits of pieces of the first Percy Jackson movie, but I didn't know it was a book! I have Eragon listed in my "Master list" but i'll be sure to leave my experience with the story at that!

Nym182 · Post by **Nym182** » 09 Sep 2019, 11:39

Felicity Granger wrote: ↑08 Sep 2019, 12:58 It doesn't stop me at all. My characters I already have in my imagination remain wholly separate from those brought to life on TV. Not watching the adaptations is just going to have a limiting effect on my understanding of the story. I prefer to have multiple versions I can draw from and seeing the plots enacted is reslly entertaining, even if sometimes the show flops.

Samsies! My go to example for this is Game of Thrones. when reading it, most of the characters have a distinct counterpart to the book, although some of the actors have really stuck to my mind.

Nym182 · Post by **Nym182** » 09 Sep 2019, 11:50

Apple Jane Garcia wrote: ↑05 Sep 2019, 06:44 On some cases, movie adaptations were pretty disappointing since my imagination or how I portrayed the characters while reading it differs from what I watch in the movie adaptaion and some favorite scenes that you expect to see in the movie didn't appear, but there are times that watching it can helps you understand some scene that is confusing when I read it. And also I reccomend to read the book first before watching it, this way it can give you the whole picture of the story because movie adaptaion can be considered as the summary of the story.

That's an interesting point, now that I think on it, I've had a couple scenes make more sense once i've seen it acted out on tv/in a movie. And I agree, book first, then movie. Unless you find out afterwards that there is a book that a movie you watched is based on... In that case, if I liked the movie I'll read the book, then re-watch it.

Which makes me wonder how many good books i haven't looked into because I watched a bad adaptation on it.

Javabean321 · Post by **Javabean321** » 11 Sep 2019, 19:17

Most of the time, I am disappointed to some degree on how the characters look, or how they are portrayed, or how the story is changed. There are a few exceptions to this, however.
The Shawshank Redemption is one example. I absolutely love the novella, but I love the movie even more. It is as close to perfection as I feel it could be.
Also, not a movie, but the show A Discovery of Witches is spot on perfect. The author Deborah Harkness is involved in the creation and the casting, however, so I'm pretty sure that's why 99% of the characters and the events are exactly how I pictured them in my (multiple) readings of the series.
But yes, for the most part, the movies are a grave disappointment.

nana7613 · Post by **nana7613** » 04 Oct 2019, 09:03

Nay, have been disappointed too many times

sschatzberg · Post by **sschatzberg** » 06 Oct 2019, 17:38

Yay, even if the adaptation isn't very good, its interesting to see how other people envisioned the same story you did.

jvillalobosm86 · Post by **jvillalobosm86** » 14 Oct 2019, 23:00

I feel difficult to like a movie adaptation of a book.

Characters tend to change or even be completely removed, which alters the flow of the book. The connection of the writer and the reader is a very personal thing and mostly two people won't read the same book the same way. That means you might end up seeing the movie and feel the director got it all wrong, even though they are simply giving their interpretation.

Two major exceptions have been Das Parfume (Patrick Susskind), which was a magical and beautiful representation of the book, and Blade Runner, which - though having changed details from the original PKD work - helped enhance the universe the narrative develops in.