movies that slaughtered good books

We all know that some book series were fantastic, but the movies and TV Shows were awful (but only if you read the books). Avid readers know the pain of a badly adapted novel, when the directors take creative liberties and change the ending or plot in a bad way. Here we have a list of bad adaptations that were good books.

In the defense of directors and filmmakers, movies are not easy to make. Not everything in the book can fit into a movie timeframe or be made possible. Between scriptwriting, budgets, and what actors are available it is not an easy feat to create a beautiful film. Not all special effects can be put into action and look good. Some actors won't do certain actions. Grace is in order for the directors who tried to make an accurate film. Even so, here are some badly adapted ones that made the connected fandoms scream in frustration.

Twilight

The memes are abundant and the general verdict on the movies themselves are horrible. I think the movies probably slaughtered a good book series. Have I read it? No, but others have and say the books are actually good. 

How is it different? Well, timeline for starters. Book 1 is 5 months of relationship, not 3 months. Another thing to take into account is the deeper relationships in the book that didn't translate as well into film. As some other directors have done before, we also lose a few characters to make up for time and reduce complexity to further main plots. Books have a luxury of subplots, but the film industry generally doesn't use all of it for the sake of budget. Speaking of plot, Bella's decision to become a vampire is more fleshed out in words and not movie. Additional plot includes an introduction to three characters who begin to hunt Bella, which doesn't come out of left field in the book plot, but does in the movie. The relationship dynamics and conversations are somewhat stronger toward Jacob in the books, by the way, so consider that if you are team Edward and never read the book. The books are also from Bella's point of view.

Problems in filming real actors, who are portraying vampires (which don't age), can't be helped. This is one place we need to give grace in abundance. Special effects are hard to achieve sometimes. Filmmakers know this well. The supernatural isn't simple to show on stage or screen, so be nice if you know it is hard to do. 

The Hobbit

Okay, so you liked this one and so did I, but Tolkien's son did not. Tolkiens followers are avid and sticklers for accuracy. What went wrong here? Let's dive into it. 

At the top of the list is the fact that one book became three movies. Part of the issue with inconsistency was time (because the LOTR series was a long project with pre-production work). Another large part of this was production wasn't as controlled and Peter Jackson never felt on top of the process like he'd been before. Material was added to connect it to LOTR, thus it made things a bit more confusing. Overuse of CGI made some dislike the film, too. 

The truth about Tolkien anything is that the storyline is complicated, connected, and beautifully intricate. Fans of the series can easily and casually tell you all about it. If you aren't studied in it already you may get lost. It has to be thought out carefully and executed with care, not haste. This film trilogy was done too quickly. 

Percy Jackson

With this series I caution you to have grace. Special effects can only take you so far where mythology is concerned. I liked both movies, but if you are a purist in this series you know how much they changed. I have not read the books. They made mythology mistakes, including Persephone being in the underworld in the summer (when the story clearly states she should be in the living world during that time) The first and second movies had two different screenwriters. Apparently, the second one was better and stuck to real mythology, but the first messed up their mythology. 

A layered plot doesn't work perfectly into a screenplay and movie. With settings all over the place and scenes missing from the movies that were in the books, it can confuse an audience. CGI can't portray all the weird mythology that is in the books (like the sea horses in the sea being ridden). Frankly, they are not the easiest YA books to transfer to film. Depth in book characters didn't make it to the film, in some cases. The layered storyline is not complete without that character depth, so it doesn't work as well as it should in the books. 

Nancy Drew and Riverdale CW Series

I am an absolute nerd about Nancy Drew and like several of the adaptations. I didn't like this one. It is not the Nancy of the books or the games. She is not in Riverheights. Ned Nickerson is nothing like the books. The ghost in the books, believe it or not, are seldom real. Bess is not the same. George is not the same. Carson Drew and his daughter were close and not estranged. It is almost all wrong. They made it what they wanted, and much like Riverdale, created a drama that wasn't anything like the source material.

Riverdale is based on Archie Comics. The fans of these comics were not pleased, much like Nancy Drew fans. It was as unrecognizable as many CW adaptations seem to be. Archie comics are innocent and light humor. First of all, there was no murder in it. Jughead is not the main character in the comics, nor is he all dark and gang leader. Betty and Veronica were also in competition for Archie all throughout, so there's that, and it was all about Archie. The crossovers were also abundant. Reggie is a bully in the comics, too - definitely not the one we see on our TV screen. I could go on, really, so look at my sources to see more. 

CW has a habit of making something dark, raunchy, and nothing like the source. I did watch Riverdale and like it for a while, but I caught the drama pattern (which is ramping up the drama, continue the tension, and release with a hint of new tension). I only looked into it for Cole Sprouse, really, so I wasn't disappointed. Nancy Drew is a beloved character to me, so that was different. Frankly, I also see homosexual characters in every single CW series, too, so that wasn't my jam. CW is not my go-to channel.

Maximum Ride

I lived and breathed Maximum Ride in my Jr High years. I read them all. They are complicated, complex characters and plots. Some people are both good and bad at different times - like Ari. It would take a lot of money to do this movie right. All the same, it doesn't truly need one. It would be another Percy Jackson situation. The movie they made for this one was a failure. It had no budget at all, according to reviews. The actors did badly, too, but that may just be the directing and script's fault. 

Maximum Ride is a James Patterson book series directed at teens that are about genetically modified teenagers imprisoned in an illegal science facility. After that the plot gets complicated and layered - and swiftly so. They fight, hide like fugitives, are betrayed, betray each other, and discover abilities on the way. It all ends with a bang in the last book. Can all this be contained in a PG13 movie? Heck to the no! It needs a rated R movie to portray all this stuff. One of the characters is forced to watch a surgery that is forced upon her friend years before - surgery with no drugs - for the purpose of night vision (which failed, but he can see if there is an all white background). Is that PG13 or PG14? Definitely not. This is why I advocate we try not to film this one. My friends and I thought they'd bungle it and we were right.

Conclusion

If you liked these I am not shaming you. It is likely you didn't read the books connected to them, or maybe you did and you are open-minded. At any rate, these didn't follow the books at all or only loosely followed them. The actors are probably not at fault in these cases. Directors and scripts tell an actor how to portray these characters. I ask that you don't blame actors here. The best actors in the world, directed badly, will not look good, so I give these people grace in a big way. 

Sources:

https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/movies/books-ruined-by-movies-389095.html
https://screenrant.com/hobbit-trilogy-lord-rings-peter-jackson-problems/
https://screenrant.com/twilight-books-movies-comparison/
https://atlanticmolly.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/percy-jackson-the-movies-vs-the-books/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/10/8540678/does-cw-nancy-drew-follow-the-books
https://www.cbr.com/archie-riverdale-comics-comparison/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/maximum-ride-review-934238

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