I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.

After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.

While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.

The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.

What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?

  • c7hu1hu@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    While I liked both, I liked The Hunt for Red October in movie form a lot more than I liked the book.

      • TheFerricGenum@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        The ending really was better on the movie. Reality might have been a little more likely to end not-so-cleanly like the book did, but the sequence in the movie is so well executed that it’s perfect.

        “Captain’s scared them out of the water!!”

    • gaqua@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Agreed. And it’s the ONLY Clancy property that’s true of, as the books for Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, etc are fine but the books are better.

      But Red October the film is a masterpiece. I watch it at least twice a year.

      • Ragnarsdad1@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I think Alex Baldwin was a great jack Ryan.

        I read, a number of years ago, that Clancy wanted him to stay in the role but the studio wanted Harrison ford, Clancy was of the opinion he was too old for the role.

        A large chunk of cash changed his opinion.

      • chuckperry101@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I will say this for the movie Clear And Present Danger, the rooftop assault scene that was added to the movie is still one of my top most tense action scenes!!

      • trick_m0nkey@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Finally I have found my people! There must be dozens of us!

        But seriously, Hunt for Red October I think is one of the best fictional movies out there about the Cold War and is the best modern era Submarine movie, it’s not even close. The book is great too…pairs very well with Red Storm Rising which I will forever want an HBO mini series on.

        • Cheezeball25@alien.topBEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          Red Storm Rising deserves an incredibly well researched and produced mini series. So much happens in that book and it all feels like I’m reading actual accounts from a real war

    • Mysterious_Lesions@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Yes! The book was a bit more jingoistic and I want really rooting for anyone. I watched the movie first same them read the book and was disappointed

    • flare2000x@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I love the movie, it’s one of my absolute favourites, but I still think the book adds a lot more and I don’t think I would have liked the movie as much if I hadn’t already read the book. The book really gives the whole event a sense of scale with the entire us and Soviet navies on the go. The movie is more focused just on the main players and while still really good it misses out on a bit of the surrounding drama.

      • crazydave333@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I agree with your take. I also fucking loved the novel The Hunt for Red October, so much so that I demanded to see the movie on opening night when I was twelve years old. The movie slaps too, but the book should not be ignored.

    • Whitealroker1@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Ugh I was afraid to say this one because I don’t want angry Clancy nerds but it’s a lloooonnnggggg technical book wrapped up completely in a two hour movie.

    • careje@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I liked both. My beef with the movie is that they changed canon (like making Jack a USNA graduate) that didn’t have to be changed.