Having “borrowed” my husband’s latest edition of his favourite film magazine Empire, it’s struck me that 2008 will be a bumper year for movies-from-books. It’s already begun as Christmas heralded The Golden Compass, in the wake of the fifth Harry Potter movie.
Now, me, I’m incredibly fussy when it comes to movies of books that I loved reading. Which is why I left the cinema after Order of the Phoenix, feeling a little hard done by. Frankly it just wasn’t as good as the book! Most of my favourite bits were missed out or cut short, which led me to ponder on all the other movies-from-books I’d seen recently.
So, forget Alien vs Predator; this is Movie vs Book (or MvB!).
What do you think of the book adaptations on the big screen? Did you love The Lion, Witch & the Wardrobe, or think it was pants? Could you have quite happily smashed Lyra’s Golden Compass into millions of pieces or did you race home to pick up Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series for a second read.
I would be interested to know. Post your thoughts in the comment section, and if you disagree with someone else then don’t be shy about it! Lets have a healthy debate!
January 18th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I read Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and really enjoyed them. The books had a lot more detail and adventure than the movie. You didn’t really get all the humour the book has in the film. The film was OK, but no way as good as the book.
1-nil to Books i reckon!
January 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I agree Scott! The author had a lot of wit, or sarcasm, in the book, and the film really didn’t have that.
However I did like how the film used drab colours for the costumes and sets to mirror the misery and dim and dismal life and places in the books.
Overall though, the book is by far the best!