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Movie adaptations that are better than the source material?

Biske

Biske

Member
Nov 11, 2017
8,272
nekkid said:
For you the description of the colour of the moss on an ent's ass might have made the story bounce along, but it didn't for me.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy reading them, but it wasn't something I feel the need to revisit for that reason.
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I'd love to see some specific examples of the outrageous wordiness. To be honest I read the series as a teen and this talk of tolkien being so wordy and going on pages and pages describing an apple in the shire, did get stuck in my mind, just absorbed that belief about it, but as I've gone back and read it a few times over the years, I just don't find that to be the case and really do find it very flowing and I'm always shocked how much of the dialogue, that I remember from the movies and assumed was written for the movies, is straight from the books.

There are lots of older books or recent books I would describe as a slog, but not LOTR
 
The Watcher

The Watcher

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,349
amusix said:
The Shining will always be at the top of this list for me
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some big changes from the source material, and, ultimately, the best adaptation of the story.
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I have to disagree simply because I feel this movie was miscasted. Jack Nicholson doesn't fit the character well and I don't believe in his desent into madness if I think he's already unhinged.

My pick is Fight Club. Even the author said as much.
 
JigglesBunny

JigglesBunny

Prophet of Truth
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
31,124
Chicago
I won't make the definitive call until Part 2 later this year but Muschietti's It is damn close purely by virtue of omitting that scene and being a reasonable length. Really wish the licensed monsters and Maturin were intergrated obviously but that's not exactly possible or reasonable.
TheMadTitan said:
Age of Ultron, too. That comic arc was gutter trash.
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But Age of Ultron is gutter trash too...
 
blazenumb1

blazenumb1

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
641
Jaws
Shawshank(also best movie of all time)
Will say Jurassic Park but man i wish they would have kept the boat chase scene from the book.
 
Keldroc

Keldroc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,987
Zukuu said:
Watchmen - and I'm serious. Top 3 movie of all time and I liked the ending waaaay more.
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One of the worst adaptations ever made. Imagine sticking that close to the visual imagery but completely misunderstanding the point and themes of the story at the same time. The ineptitude on display in the Watchmen film is astounding and should be taught in film classes as the ultimate example of what not to do. Utter garbage that coasts on a couple of strong performances.
 
ZackieChan

ZackieChan

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,056
Starship Troopers?
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Fincher)
Moneyball (Though the book is great, as well)
I can't imagine that Catch Me If You Can isn't better than the book, but I haven't read it
The Martian (also a good book, but the movie really elevates it)
 
DrForester

DrForester

Mod of the Year 2006
Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,696
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They streamlined the book very well into a movie. They cut the cast of characters, and only had Jodie Foster's character make the journey. They also cut a pretty meaningless twist at the end of the book regarding her father.


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Even Rowling has admitted the book was too long. The movie cut out the fat and gave us one of the better Potter films.
 
Bor Gullet

Bor Gullet

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,399
DrForester said:
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They streamlined the book very well into a movie. They cut the cast of characters, and only had Jodie Foster's character make the journey. They also cut a pretty meaningless twist at the end of the book regarding her father.


cUQgivX.jpg


Even Rowling has admitted the book was too long. The movie cut out the fat and gave us one of the better Potter films.
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Hell no to the Order of the Phoenix. The book may have been a little long but way too much shit was cut and missing impact from the movie.
 
Kapryov

Kapryov

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,139
Australia
Kick Ass

All the changes made for the movie adaption - of which there are numerous significant character motivation and arc differences - are for the better.
The comic is actually not very good, in my opinion.
 
Tuorom

Tuorom

Member
Oct 30, 2017
10,915
I'll take a leap here and say Annihilation.

But I'd say it's only marginally better. The book is still phenomenal. They both bring something interesting to the field though are very much different. But the imagery and audio is something that really helps make it a surreal experience.

I'll give the book a lot of credit for making me feel uncomfortable just from description. Man there is some uneasy shit to read in that book. It's fantastic.
 
DrForester

DrForester

Mod of the Year 2006
Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,696
Bor Gullet said:
Hell no to the Order of the Phoenix. The book may have been a little long but way too much shit was cut and missing impact from the movie.
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The book was 80% Harry moping around Hogwarts lamenting how much things suck, and then we got a kickass ending.

The movie streamlines that moping, and still gave us the kickass ending.
 
Roygbiv95

Roygbiv95

Alt account
Banned
Jan 24, 2019
1,037
American Psycho the film is more concise with its satire and has less superfluous material than the book.
 
SeanBoocock

SeanBoocock

Senior Engineer @ Epic Games
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
248
Austin, Texas
I'll second Contact. The film felt like a much stronger and resonant narrative than the book.

The one that has always stuck out for me is another science fiction adaptation, Solaris (Soderbergh's 2002 version).
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I expect I would appreciate the Tarkovsky version better than the novel as well, but have yet to see it.
 
Wood Man

Wood Man

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,449
Jaws for me as well. Book was fine, but the movie is a masterpiece. All thanks to the stellar performances all around, especially Robert Shaw as Quint. Probably my favorite character ever in cinema.
 
Spectral Glider

Spectral Glider

Member
Oct 28, 2017
659
Definitely Jaws. The subplots, especially the affair between Hooper and Mrs. Brody, dragged the book down. Plus, the Chief was an asshole in the book. The movie was better in every way imaginable.
 
CassCade

CassCade

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
2,037
Seeing as most have been mentioned, I say American Psycho, enjoyed the film much more than I did the book.
 
Conkersbadfurday

Conkersbadfurday

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,298
Minnesota
Jesus this thread.

Anyhow, my answer is The Martian. The book is fine, but I didn't really like the protag half the time, and by the end it was starting to feel a bit long in the tooth. Movie did a great job of making things work while also being gorgeous.

Oh. Eragon is another one, but mostly because the novel is terrible and the movie is just a bland version of Star Wars but with dragons.
 
Weiss

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
Ghost World is so much better than the comic and it's largely just down to a slight tweak of perspective. That being a snarky Daria type is actually really fucking annoying and destructive in a real world setting.
 

Deleted member 4367

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
12,226
The Watcher said:
I have to disagree simply because I feel this movie was miscasted. Jack Nicholson doesn't fit the character well and I don't believe in his desent into madness if I think he's already unhinged.

My pick is Fight Club. Even the author said as much.
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I feel like people only say this because King said this. And I still disagree with it. Dude was unhinged in the book and Nicholson doesn't seem crazy at the beginning of the movie anyhow.
 
Trisc

Trisc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,488
An awful lot of Stephen King novels were adapted into films that are either better, or put a clever spin on the original source material. The Shining, Misery, Carrie, and The Mist all come to mind.
 
sir_crocodile

sir_crocodile

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,505
As a massive Roald Dahl fan, BFG (cosgrove animation) and Willy Wonka for me.

BFG I think doesn't really need an explanation, it was a fantastic adapatation in all ways, the dream room and the evil giants were particularly good.

Willy Wonka will be controversial (Dahl himself hated it), but I always enjoyed the film more. And yes, fizzy lifting drinks sequence totally goes against the idea of why Charlie should get the factory in the book - and to be honest it's a dumb scene, but the movie adds "sludgworth" for this purpose instead anyway. But most of the other scenes are so good - candyman, the entrance into the chocolate waterfall room, the boat ride...love this

WItches had every chance to be good (great casting, Huston was superb as the grand high witch), but the good witch stuff and the ending was appallingly bad. I'm with Dahl on this one.
Matilda is fantastic (added mansion scene is great) but the book is so damn good I couldn't say the film is better.
 
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