You are correct, but your example clearly illustrates that movies based on books can be amazing, and generally faithful.

My wife and I are big Harry Potter fans, we read the books when they are released and watch the movies on the first day also. Every Harry Potter movie so far has had problems, things that were left out, over emphazied, not done right, etc. But I enjoy all of the Potter movies and realize that everything can't be identical and things need to be done to make a movie easier to follow or more exciting or whatever.

The changes to Children of Men completely changed the story, it honestly should not have been called Children of Men and should not have been labeled as 'based on the novel...'

edit: I realize that I am probably being overly dramatic in my dislike of the movie, but it is just because of the potential that was lost.

The LOTR movie adaptations, to put it politely, suck. The books are all-time classics of the fantasy genre. Neither one interfered with my love/hate of the other...

I'm not sure how not following the book slavishly automatically means the movie is crap.

I mean I love I Am Legend, and even though The Omega Man differs in many ways from the source material I still enjoy it as a seperate entity.

This movie still rox ass, though Before Sunset is still probably my #1 movie this decade. It's still a close #2.

I Alfonso Cuaron.

I don't understand that either. The Shining was not a very faithful adaptation of the novel, but it was a brilliant film in its own right. Let the film stand on its own merits.

I can't help but compare books to movies when I watch them, especially when I see the book first and anticipate the movie from there. I know when they turned Lemony Snicket into slapstick Carrey meets Harry Potter and fucked up all the plot points, I was pissed. I was also disappointed that they completley missed the point of the book in Gone with the Wind and included an overload of cheese and soap instead, though I did enjoy watching that movie. The Shining I liked, as I don't think the changes were good or bad, they were just different. It still carried the horror of the book and Jack.

Well they are synonyms.

Hehehe

Was just reading last weeks TIME magazine and they had a roundtable casual discussion with the Oceans 13 gang and I thought this was pretty interesting - atleast for the COM lovers:

Q : What Other Leading Men do you like?

Clooney: I like Clive Owen alot. Did you see Children of Men?

Damon: My favourite movie last year.

Clooney: Me too.

Interesting. They go on to talk about Christian Bale (Damon thinks he is underrated and lauds him for Prestige and Harsh Times) and both Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams (Clooney - most talented young actors ive seen in a long time).

I always knew Clooney and Damon were awesome.

hehe they do have great taste and seem to be real movie fans. I also love it when actors happily praise other actors and say which films they love!

OMG OMG OMG OMG


I agree with them on ALL counts

Wow, my opinions of them have spiked up majorily.

Awesome.

Yeah its a fun read. I may type up a bit more of it later - though its essentially what I described above.

Interestingly - Clooney and Pitt were the last two actors in the running for Pitt's role in Thelma and Louise! I didnt know that.

wow 20 pages unprecedented

So is this thread now the biggest in this forum?

It defeats "The New World" and "Dolce Reviews" thread by a page.

And I don't wanna keep looking

The New World is just a few posts from 20.

More impressive, I think, is the fact that this is KJ's second or seventh highest rated film, depending on the total votes minimum. Among major current films, only Batman Begins has been better received, and only slightly so.

A-

I really enjoyed the movie. Im not going to go into much detail because my laptop is about to shutdown any second, and I want to get this posted before it does so. In my top 5, probably number 5, of 2006.

This film worked it's way into conversation at the wedding, thats how good it was!!

what exactly is so good about this??
i was thoroughly dissapointed.
the concept was great but execution was poor.
the characters really had nothing worthy to say.
the word 'fuck' was used so many times, what kind of story is that?
oh fuck this fuck that doesn't develop anything.
before anyone bashes me about 'fuck' the departed had more 'fucks' than this but it was an A movie, this is worthy at most
a C

Someone's about to get crucified (not by me, though, heh)

Climb aboard, BK...

Wow, that made me laugh really, really hard.

As did BK's initial post.

loyal that doesn't develop anything.