Films That Are Better Than The Book

**fredthe3rd** · January 9th, 2013

Discounting books based on films obviously... I think Shawshank is better as a film and I haven't read it but just read a review of Atonement (absolutely brilliant film) which said it was better than the book.

Any similar suggestions?

**Sundrop** · January 10th, 2013

If you haven't read the book, how can you form the opinion that the film was better? I've both read the story, and seen the film many times. In my opinion, the film is good, and it adheres closely to the storyline of the book, but the book is still better. You should read it for yourself, and then form your own opinion.

The only movie that I can think of that I consider better better than the book is JAWS

**fredthe3rd** · January 10th, 2013

I haven't formed the opinion - I'm just telling you what a review said. I made that perfectly clear.

**Shasta** · January 10th, 2013

Oh, and as for Atonement, I liked both but for different reasons. I'd watch the movie again first before I read the book again.

**Sundrop** · January 10th, 2013

Originally Posted by fredthe3rd

I haven't formed the opinion - I'm just telling you what a review said. I made that perfectly clear.

It may have been perfectly clear to you, but the phrasing of the sentence was confusing to me.
There was still no need for the snark, though.

**blunthead** · January 11th, 2013

If you haven't read the book, how can you form the opinion that the film was better?

Originally Posted by fredthe3rd

I haven't formed the opinion - I'm just telling you what a review said. I made that perfectly clear.

In your original post you left out an important comma, fredthe3rd, rendering your statement not perfectly clear but clearly imperfect.

**Shasta** · January 10th, 2013

I think the movie version of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (US) was better than the book.

Full disclosure though - I HATED the book.

Well, that's not exactly true. I hated the last two, and my hatred for tem created my hatred for a series as a whole. I actually liked the first one.

Anyway, I ramble. Excpet for the stupid change for no reason I thought the movie was better.

**Vose** · January 10th, 2013

Originally Posted by Shasta

I think the movie version of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (US) was better than the book.

Full disclosure though - I HATED the book.

Well, that's not exactly true. I hated the last two, and my hatred for tem created my hatred for a series as a whole. I actually liked the first one.

Off topic, but this statement totally made me think of my feelings on the His Dark Materials series of books (The Golden Compass/Northern Lights was the first book). The first book was like a breath of fresh air to me - fantasy/sci-fi that didn't resemble anything else I had ever read. Then I read the 2nd book and (to me) it was awful and NOTHING like the first book. Then the 3rd book was just a mess (IMHO). The first book was so good, but it just fell apart for me from there. That made me dislike the whole trilogy.

I have to say I hate the movie version of The Golden Compass so much that I'll never watch it

Sorry, couldn't resist!

**Shasta** · January 10th, 2013

Originally Posted by Vose

Off topic, but this statement totally made me think of my feelings on the His Dark Materials series of books (The Golden Compass/Northern Lights was the first book). The first book was like a breath of fresh air to me - fantasy/sci-fi that didn't resemble anything else I had ever read. Then I read the 2nd book and (to me) it was awful and NOTHING like the first book. Then the 3rd book was just a mess (IMHO). The first book was so good, but it just fell apart for me from there. That made me dislike the whole trilogy.

I have to say I hate the movie version of The Golden Compass so much that I'll never watch it

Sorry, couldn't resist!

That's funny. I did not like the Golden Compass. It's the only series I can remember not finishing. Maybe I should since I'm the opposite of you!!!

**Todash** · January 11th, 2013

Originally Posted by Shasta

I think the movie version of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (US) was better than the book.

Full disclosure though - I HATED the book.

Well, that's not exactly true. I hated the last two, and my hatred for tem created my hatred for a series as a whole. I actually liked the first one.

Anyway, I ramble. Excpet for the stupid change for no reason I thought the movie was better.

I actually didn't read the last two because I didn't love the first one. I gave it three stars on Goodreads. Some of that might have been translation issues ... but I kinda feel like maybe because they were published posthumously, it got a bit more popularity and critical acclaim than it otherwise might have. Maybe. I would be willing to watch the movie, though, if you think it's better than the book.

Better than the book: Twilight. (I have neither seen nor read any but the first book/movie in the series, so this is only about that one.) Considering the lackluster writing and Harlequin-romance-with-sparkly-vampires theme of the book, I thought the movie improved on the book considerably. One really smart move was having the dad, the chief of police, play a bigger part in the movie. It added more meat--okay, it added pretty much all the meat--and also, it makes sense given the occurrences in the story. Having him totally "offscreen" in the book was silly and weak on the part of the author. Plus, while reading the book, I wanted to smack Bella upside her vacuous little head almost all the way through; I didn't get that irritated with the movie.