books to screen

[trappedslider]

So with Ready Player One around the corner, it got me thinking of what I consider to be my favorite and least favorite book to screen adaptations and why.

To start with, Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone is one of my favorites because of high closely the book was followed over anything else and the fact that J.K was on set to help it along. Following that however is naturally the LotR simply because it brought to life Tolkien's world.

In the middle of the pack is The Hobbit trilogy and and currently Thirteen Reasons Why both of theses are in the middle because they have added or removed or moved things around. 13 reasons why is higher than The Hobbit because I feel that what they added gives more depth to the source material. Before I fall, which is basically means girls combined with Ground Hog day was a decent job, I understand that they couldn't do every repeats so they were only able to hint at some the dropped events.

Now to the horrible: I am leaving out Battlefield Earth and Starship Troopers because well...yeah....anyway, The Percy Jackson movies were horrible IMO, it's like they ignored 90% of the book, Uncle Rick had nothing to do with it....I mean the musical is a better adaptation than the movies.

What about you?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Good: LotR, Harry Potter 3+

Bad: Hobbit, Harry Potter 1-2

Ugly: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

 

[Morrus]

To start with, Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone is one of my favorites because of high closely the book was followed

Apart from the title. They had to rename it for the American audience because... well, I dunno, they thought they couldn't pronounce "Philosopher's Stone" or something?

 

[Ryujin]

LotR has to be my favourite book to screen adaptation. "Dune" (1984) the least.

Apart from the title. They had to rename it for the American audience because... well, I dunno, they thought they couldn't pronounce "Philosopher's Stone" or something?

The word sorcerer doesn't play well in America's Bible Belt. It has certain evil connotations.

On the other hand sparkley vampires are OK. Go figure.

 

[Morrus]

The word sorcerer doesn't play well in America's Bible Belt. It has certain evil connotations.

You have it backwards. "Sorcerer" is what they changed it to for American audiences, from "Philosopher".

 

[trappedslider]

Apart from the title. They had to rename it for the American audience because... well, I dunno, they thought they couldn't pronounce "Philosopher's Stone" or something?

leave you to comment on that and not the topic itself...changing words for localization isn't a detraction unless you're picky or when it's done horribly. And it was more of "What's a philosopher?"

EDIT: I should also note that all three copies of the book i own also say "Sorcerer's Stone"

 

[Ryujin]

You have it backwards. "Sorcerer" is what they changed it to for American audiences, from "Philosopher".

That's truly bizarre. Now I really don't get it.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

The first Sin City movie was a fantastic adaptation of the comic both visually and plotually.

 

[Morrus]

EDIT: I should also note that all three copies of the book i own also say "Sorcerer's Stone"

Yes. Because you are in America.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

As an adaptation of the source material, it falls short, missing the point. Heck, as a movie it, relies too much on the narration to explain and provide context. And yet, I still love the dang thing.

For my part I consider Fellowship of the Ring to be the better movie, but The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to be the more faithful adaptation.

As far as non-fantasy films go, Cronenberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s Crash is a favorite of mine.

As for my least favorite literary adaptation….oof, that’s got to be the CGI Beowulf. It has so much potential, and a great voice cast, but there’s too much uncanny valley gumby-physics going on. Worst of all, is the post-modern approach to the story. Making Beowulf into a character with doubts, that secretly falls to temptation, is a disservice to the source material. It is not a modern story, let alone post-modern.

"Dune" (1984) the least.