Well it's not a book but rather a manga (Japanese comic book) and that would have to be Death Note. They adapted it into a three part live action movie. The first part stayed somewhat true to the story just the climax was changed completely. Then part 2 rushed through the story and made it's own ending, where the super genius get's caught because of something he says, rather then the epic ending they had in the comic. Then to rub dirt in the wound they make a part 3 that has nothing to do with the story of the comic.
I've not read the manga, but the anime was awesome! Got a little extreme toward the end, but the anime ending for Light was beautiful. I keep meaning to watch the movies too but I dunno, I've always found these live action recreations of manga/anime a bit weird...
Never read the manga, but I got about 13 episodes into the anime. Still haven't gotten around to finishing it (stupid writing and real life getting in the way ), but the intelligence of the mind-games between the detective and the serial killer blows everything else of its type out of the water.
The anime was an amazing adaptation. The ending was not as good since they had to cut things out for time reasons but other then that it followed the plot almost exactly. The movies are okay, just not nearly as good as the manga or anime. They are also making an American Netflix series which I am looking forward to since they promised to follow the plot. The only thing is they are casting characters that look nothing like the original cast so I think it's supposed to be Death Note if it was set in America, which is fine as long as the plot is the same.
@DespairAcademy - haha I wouldn't set my hope too high. Just look at Edge of Tomorrow! @Simpson17866 - yeah that's exactly what hooked me actually. It all goes a little too extreme, as anime is prone to do, after - was it episode 25? The cut-off episode that seriously divides the anime in half. When you get there, you'll know it. Still, definitely worth watching. The ending, the way it's done, is so poignant.
I offer The Talented Mr. Ripley as an example of the above. I read the novel after having seen the film and the novel was... dreary. In the book, Dickie and Marge, apart from having money, are the most boring, cloddish people one could hope to meet. There's nothing enviable about them. Nothing. I just didn't buy Tom's motivation the way I did in the film.
It's funny how we see things different. I know, by definition, what a bad adaptation is, but unless the film itself is bad I don't see it as a bad adaptation. Example: Minority Report. If I remember correctly the MC in PKD's short story is a portly, balding 40-something. So who does Spielberg cast for the part? Tom Cruise, of course. But, it's a brilliant film (at least I think it is) so I don't see it as a bad adaptation.
I hear what you're saying. When I saw Everything is Illuminated, I was really confused because half the book is missing from the film, and that missing half makes the magic realism elements in the story broken and missing their antecedents that would have given them sense. But... I don't know if having the mythologized origins of Trochenbrod (Sofievka) as part of the story is something that could be engaged by mainstream audiences. Also, I later discovered there was a lot of grumbling in the Jewish community as regards using the real story of Sofievka as a basis for this rather quirky book that became a film. Perhaps portraying the origin of the town in a fictionalized way on film would have been too much.
"The Queen of the Damned." What a major let down that was. Why, oh why? Why creators? What were you thinking? "On the Road" was another major let down, but I can't say that I didn't see that coming. It's my fault that I saw it. "Charlie and the chocolate factory", the one with Johnie Depp. The old one rocked my world. I think that most of today's old fairy tale adaptations were awful. Their style was as boring as can be and the scenarios were ridiculous. Either make it dark, or make it light and adventurous. Make up your minds! And for gods sake, write a good dialogue!
The entire story arc of The Twins was completely deleted! And - insult to injury - there was an Aunt Maharet, but she was completely deprived of her raison d'etre within the story.
That's what happens when you take a damn good story and try to direct it like a 2000's style music video. I doubt that the director even read half of it.
Beowulf - don't get me wrong, I haven't the patience or interest to read the actual epic poem (my disinterest in it made worse when my ex tried to read it to me in actual Old English - I think it's in Old English?) But watch the film I did (again thanks to the same ex) and seriously, I don't need to know the poem to know that was bad
I was SO disappointed about how the Percy Jackson series turned out with its movie versions... As for the Divergent series, I actually thought they did a pretty good job with what they had to work with. I thought that despite the big plot changes in Insurgent, as a movie, it worked. They did a good job with Allegiant too, considering how the book was. I read a couple chapters of the book and I couldn't go much further than that just because of how weirdly the author set it up. You could tell that something was coming when the author decided to just suddenly add Tobias' narrative after the first two books were just from Tris' POV.
- Definitely the Percy Jackson movies. Love the books, but the movies were awful. - Carrie. Book wasn't great, but the movie was just bad. - The Shining. Haven't read the book, but it has to be better than the movie, because that was just boring. - Van Helsing. Still not sure if this was meant to be a parody? Not technically a book, but based on a character from Dracula, if I remember correct. - The Island of Doctor Moreau. Haven't read the book, but this has got to be one of the worst movies ever made. So the book has got to be better than that. - Dracula. Not one in particular. Just Dracula movies in general. They suck.
What? What? The film is an absolute masterpiece! Hold on, tell me talking about the remake and you're forgiven.
The 1976 one with Sissy Spacek. I'm pretty sure that wasn't a remake. So I think we're just going to have to disagree on this one.
The running man - its not a 'bad' film if you are looking for a mindless arnie vehicle, however it has bugger all resemblance to the book apart from the basic concept
Pretty much any screen adaptation of Shakespeare with maybe the exception of Akira Kurosawa's Ran. I wanted to add the 1996 Romeo and Juliet as an exception, but rewatching it, it turns out that was just nostalgia talking.
No, but the one with Chloe Whatsherface is. If you'd been referring to that one I could have forgiven you, but not the original.
I have! I''m a little torn on it because Patrick Steward was amazing, but if anyone else played Macbeth, then it could have very easily have been rubbish. Then there's the witch scenes... I don't even know.
