books into movies

[flaming ember 123]

lately all of the big producers have been makeing books into movies and games. i would like to hear some of your opinions about this. i personaly do not like it when they make a book into a movie because they always seem to leave out a good battle sceen or somthing like that. i am impartial to books being made into games because somtimes they get it somtimes they don't.  

[Not a Baller]

It all depends. There are times when the movie adaption is spot-on, and for me, it makes the book AND movie all the more exciting. Then there are times when the movie is hardly anything like the book, and this is disappointing. Generally I have no problem with books being made into movies and give them all a chance.

Um... I don't have any opinion or thoughts on books being made into games. :/  

[GhanimaOfArrakis]

Once in a while a decent job is done with a film adaptation. One in a great long while a wonderful job is done. More often, however, I find that I'm disappointed and bothered by the film versions. I see the previews and instead of being excited that a novel I enjoy is going to be on film I'm terrified of how it will be butchered and disturbed by the major changes I can note from the trailer alone.

While I understand that some changes need to be made, the film industry often goes too far in my opinion. Lord of the Rings was amazing, but some of the Tom Clancy movies, for example, kept nothing but a few key points of the plot and some of the main characters. The Dresden Files television show I enjoyed, but after reading the novels I find they are difficult to compare as the main characters' backstories are completely different and characters/situations that drive the protagonist in the novels disappear or change so much that they are incomparable in the television show.

I'm not as familiar with the issue of games, so I'll wait to speak on that until I can further educate myself on the topic.  

[FaeDreamer]

I'm a bit torn when it comes to this topic. On the one hand I'm thrilled that they are taking an active interest in the fantasy genre, just like they have been with the superhero genre. It's been really exciting to want to see almost every big movie that's been coming out lately. Honestly as movies in their own right (not comparing them to the books) most of the movies have been enjoyable and worth going to. Unfortunately being a fantasy lover I tend to pick them all to pieces which is really annoying.

Now the other hand. I love my fantasy books, they are a huge part of my life and to see one of my all time favorite books...say Ella Enchanted for instance completely butchered so badly that it barely resembles the book that it was based on...that makes me really upset. I was pissed off for weeks after that one.

But I can honestly say that the number of bad movies based on books has been relatively few. I actually hope they keep doing it...not the cheesy, let's get-em out quick movies. But the ones by people who are actually interested in the books and want to turn a great story from print into another art form.  

[Shexyfeline92]

Im hesitant on movies based on books. Sometimes they follow the book and are excellent, sometimes they don't folow the book that well but are still good, most are okay, and some are completely butchered. I guess it depends on who is making the movie and if the auithor of the bok has say on the movie. i used to look foward to books based on movies and evel let the crappy one slide until the Eragon massacre. they took and excellent story, sent it through and papper shredde, picked up one shred of it and turned that into a piece of crap. Ugh evil . Umm for video games based on books i mean there aren't many that are directly based on books most are vgs based on movies based on books and they're okay, and i am looking forward to teh Bourne Conspiracy, that looks promising.  

[Wissakins]

I usually am disappointed in movies based directly on books. Worst case scenario, you get a seven foot green monster who shuffles around and has bolts stuck in his neck.

There has only been one instance where I thought the movie was more enjoyable than the book, which was LOTR. (I felt like I wasted a week reading the trilogy.) Its been the only movie that cut out the right parts to make the story flow better. (Don't talk to me about Tom Bombadil, I don't want to hear it.)

As for books into games, as someone else already stated, I've never seen a game based directly on a book. Only ones based on movies that are based on books. Since the movie has usually already slaughtered the book, the game is no better. Oh, the exception I can think of is The Hobbit, which while based directly on the book, takes many liberties with the story.

I still say, be inspired by book characters, but write your own movie scripts.  

[keepingaps]

I really don't like how they change books into movies. The main problem is that they leave out most of the important details and scenes and try to make it as short as they can. I think they should make movies long enough that it flows and it will probably make everyone a whole lot happier. I haven't played many books to games, so I have no opinion on that.  

[Minerva the Whore 4 Books]

I love that they're making more fantasy books into films now because it used to be rare to find a fantasy movie with live actors, though, there have invariably been loads of animated ones. Changing novels into films has an equal chance of being fantastic or horrible no matter if it's fantasy or not. It's okay when scenes are omitted, especially when the novel is lengthy, as long as nothing is changed within the parts that are included.

A personal pet peeve I have is when characters don't look like the book descriptions. For example, The Golden Compass was a great rendition of the book, however, it bothered me the entire time I was watching it that Mrs. Coulter wasn't a brunette as she was supposed to be even though I like the actress that played her.

I must agree that Eragon was one of the most atrocious things I've ever seen. Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and The Theif Lord are wonderful. As for Harry Potter...it depends on which one.

Anyway, despite the fact that some movie adaptations are dreadful, I appreciate that there are more fantasy movies with real people in them.  

[murphyad]

They aren't continuing with the Golden compass movies

they are making


Abarat
City of Ember
Ender's Game
Inkheart
Lost Years of Merlin  

[bumbbles10]

I think making movies out of books can make them all the more exciting, but when they do things that turn out like Eragon, crying , the just completely ruin it....I'm sooo excited for Twilight to be turned in to a movie, but I'd be really sad if turned out horrible, and I think it might...  

[Minerva the Whore 4 Books]

Quote:

They aren't continuing with the Golden compass movies

they are making


Abarat
City of Ember
Ender's Game
Inkheart
Lost Years of Merlin

There aren't continuing His Dark Marterials? Darn, Subtle Knife is my fave in the series, too. crying

I knew there were making Inkheart, which I hope will be good, and Abarat, which I'm convinced will be dreadful, but I'll probably watch ayway.

I've never read City of Ember, but I knew they were making it into a film. It looks good to me, though - as I said - I haven't read it. Never even heard of Ender's Game/

Lost Years of Merlin? REALLY?! I didn't hear about that! biggrin biggrin biggrin I pray they don't screw it up. sweatdrop

Supposedly, they're making Artemis Fowl too, but I haven't read anything on it in several months. I can't imagine any actor doing Artemis' character justice.

Also, as I'm sure you all know courtesy of Gaia, The Alchemist is being made into a movie. I haven't even read the novel and I believe the film looks horrible. It's one of my sister's fave works and she says it's terribly cast.

Did anyone see Blood and Chocolate? My friend watched it and told me it was nothing like the book. sweatdrop  

[pkmn1995]

murphyad

They aren't continuing with the Golden compass movies

they are making


Abarat
City of Ember
Ender's Game
Inkheart
Lost Years of Merlin

i really loved inkheart and eragon...but the eragon movie was horrible...i think i liked the deleted scenes better sweatdrop .....as for inkheart i hope it stays well true to the book like narnia.... biggrin  

[Wissakins]

Ender's Game is by Orson Scott Card. Its a sci-fi book. I worry that the movies will screw it up horribly because its one of the best sci-fi series I've read. I always worry when movies try to do a sci-fi book though. The technology in a lot of them is not the easiest to do, even with good special effects.  

[Celestiara]

My middle school librarian had a sign in his office that said: never judge a book by its movie.
I think that is true for a lot of movies based on books, but occasionally a movie comes along that follows the preceding book very well, and is still screen-appropriate.
Take 'Holes' for instance: Louis Sachar wrote the book, as well as the screenplay, so it's a very good adaptation.
'Eragon' however, might have been acceptable in the 80's as far as film quality is concerned, if there had been no book first.  

[Azaveil]

I would love it if they wouldn't butcher the books. The list of books butchered in movies/television:
Harry Potter
Eragon
Harry Dresden
Mists of Avalon
Blood and Chocolate
Ella Enchanted

No more "Dark Materials?" I'm pissed. Apparently the Church won that battle, because of the biblical comparisons. I knew it was too good to be true. There was no way they would put such controversial material out for public viewing. It's just like when they cut the "Grail" scene out of "Mists of Avalon" where everyone saw the Holy Grail as a different thing... ie Christ, the Goddess, Wealth, etc. I'm suddenly glad David Eddings refused to have the Belgariad filmed (even though I think Claudia Black would make a great Polgara). I can't stand it when the most pivotal parts of the books are left out and those who have never read the book think that the movie is what it's all about.
When I first watched "Ella Enchanted" I loved it, but then I read the book and felt so disappointed that the movie didn't live up to its greatness.
I've also read "Blood and Chocolate" which premiers on Starz this week and I already know it doesn't follow the book in any way, shape or form.
In conclusion, to those who have read the books, they cry at the loss of the message in the film. I'm crossing my fingers for "Twilight" which I heard the author had a hand in filming. I can't wait to see it.