It’s a great feeling when
you finish a deliciously wonderful novel. You’re still hovering in its
marvelous universe you lived in for a while. It’s my favorite feeling and
definitely why I read books. The next best thing is fantasizing about the
likelihood for a movie remake once you close the covers (assuming there’s no
sequel, of course).
While movies like “The
Hunger Games” and “The Imitation Game” are pretty good likenesses of their
wordier counterparts, sometimes the page doesn’t make it quite to the script.
Here’s a list of five stellarly horrible movies that were excellent reads.
Ella Enchanted
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“Ella Enchanted” was easily
my favorite book in elementary school. I don’t know what sort of magic Gail Carson Levine wove
into her stories, but everything about it was simply divine in my eyes. A
strong-minded heroine? Check! A reimagining of fairy tales with a more
satisfying end? Double check! Plenty of magical creatures? Absolutely!
What went wrong with the
movie adaptation was Anne Hathaway (Hugh Dancy was the perfect Char, I have to
admit) and all of the modernization, including the mention of malls and musical
numbers. They went the way of Disney without Disney expertise and it failed.
Totally 100 percent failed.
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Harry Potter & The
Prisoner of Azkaban
If you ask a true Harry
Potter lover, they’ll say the first two Harry Potter movies were the most
accurate and everything went downhill from that. I’m one such Harry Potter
lover. I’ll admit that the first two are easier to recreate accurately because
they’re smaller (and maybe also a little bit more boring), but that’s not the
point. The point is Alfonso hurt the Potterheads.
Let’s start with the
opening scene where Harry is practicing magic (illegally) in his bedroom. It
was unnecessary and completely wrong for the universe. Move on to the fact that
they never did a good explanation of the Marauders, turned Tom the barkeep into
Igor, and completely left out the major beef between Snape, Lupin, and Sirius.
It’s a good thing I read the books (repeatedly), otherwise this movie would
have made absolutely no sense at all.
Cinderella
Disney’s live action remake
was, admittedly, one of the most beautiful films I have
ever seen. The dresses, the set,
Helena Bonham Carter—all great. Which makes me almost hesitate to add it into
this list, but not quite.
I don’t know who was in
charge of the script, but it was seriously lacking. Without the charming
animations, the music, or a script that was believable, the whole movie just
fell flat. Well, except for when I was hysterically laughing (Prince Charming’s
pants were not a good idea). After this, I don’t have much higher hopes for 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast” remake, even if Emma Watson is leading the cast.
The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown’s instant hit was really well written, intriguing, and then poised for
a movie starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Paul Bettany and the perfect Sir Ian
McKellan. When watching the trailer, it seemed that absolutely nothing could go
wrong. The problem is, it did.
With a lackluster and
rushed plot, even Tom Hanks couldn’t deliver a convincing line the whole movie
through. That which is a lot to say for the veteran actor, who has been the
best thing since sliced bread in absolutely everything he’s ever been cast in
(don’t believe me? Watch his films streaming on Netflix from anywhere and you’ll understand). While I give total props to Paul
Bettany’s Silas, I felt convinced that Teabing and the Church weren’t thinly
veiled villains with no substance. Who even likes a 2D bad guy anymore?
The Secret Life of Arriety
Yet between the voicing
actors, the script, and the lackluster magical element, I felt bereft of the
usual splendor and enchantment that Miyazaki films usually fill me with. Maybe
it was because it was directed by the genius himself. Maybe it was because “The
Borrowers” isn’t exactly my favorite book. Regardless of the reason, I’ll take
a pass. Instead watch the delightful documentary on the famed Japanese studio (also available on Netflix for a limited time).
While I’m not so much of a
snob to say that I don’t love it when my favorite book titles become movies (I
love what Jackson did with “Lord of the Rings”), I am a little discerning in my
taste and definitely prefer the films where major plot points aren’t left
completely out of the story arc. Is that too much to ask?
Do you have any other movies based off of books that you’d like
to add here? Are there any thoughts you have about the books listed above? If
so, please leave a comment below with what you think!
About the author:Other Posts by Caroline:
Caroline is a coffee and internet addict, splitting her time between writing about the latest and greatest in entertainment and adding more and more pins to her Netflix & Chill Pinterest Board. She loves to read and hopes that you’ll find a new book to read today!
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