Novel Adaptations That Fixed/Improved the Movie

[Paul Farquhar]

I remember Vonda McIntyre added a lot of stuff to her novelizations of Star Trek II - IV. Was a bit Star Trek fan at the time and remembered enjoying the fleshing out of things.

I remember the Star Trek 2 novelisation going really dark compared to the movie.

 

[Swanosaurus]

I remember Vonda McIntyre added a lot of stuff to her novelizations of Star Trek II - IV. Was a bit Star Trek fan at the time and remembered enjoying the fleshing out of things.

Yes, they were great. I think Star Trek III got the best treatment - I think because the plot is a stretched out over more time than the story of II or IV, it gave McIntyre a lot of space.

 

[Whisper-Kitten]

E.T. is the best example of this. M&Ms change the dynamic from a generic love story between an alien and potted plant, to a film focused on the decline of middle class America, and the working family in the late 20th century.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The Abyss, novelization by Orson Scott Card. One of the reasons this novelization is so strong is that Card was present on set for shooting - so things not in the script still made it into his book, and he had access to consult with the filmmakers. Card got to fill in some elements from the aliens point of view which the movie could not.

YES! I was just thinking of this. I read the book before I saw the movie and I was like "Wow, huh, this could have been amazing if they just made the movie in this book".

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It restores cut scenes from the movie, covering Ripley’s attempt to pick up her life on Earth, and events in the colony leading up to discovering the aliens. It also develops the characters of the marines more than the movie does.

It has more Jones.

I think that's a bit of an odd one because it doesn't have anywhere near the emotional heft or excitement of the movie, it's just got like, more development. It's not very sharply written I guess, it's just fleshed out more. Whereas The Abyss' story is I would argue more exciting in the book than the film.

 

[Ryujin]

Yes, they were great. I think Star Trek III got the best treatment - I think because the plot is a stretched out over more time than the story of II or IV, it gave McIntyre a lot of space.

They extra that was put into the Saavik/David relationship helped to flesh out the story.

 

[dbolack]

E.T.