All bibliophiles wait for their favorite books to be adapted to the big screen and when it happens we all wait to compare it with our beloved books. There are many good movies that were adapted from books and then there are some that just did not live up to expectations.Some of the greatest books to movie adaptations include Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien etc.
Let us take a look at some bad book to movie adaptations:
10. The Da Vinci Code
On one hand, this book attracted millions to its mystery and treasure hunt like feel, the movie almost failed to do so. Those who have read the book would know how Dan Brown lets the readers figure out things and gives them time to understand the mysteries. The novel unfolds the mysteries after preparing you for what is about to come and then hit you with a devastating twist. It is a real page-turner.
The film, however, is so fast that it does not let the audience use their own mind at all. Also, the film with its three-hour length makes all the information a bit overwhelming, unlike the book that lets you digest each and every scandalous detail about Christ. The film should have split up the whole story into two parts and done more intensive research before releasing it. The casting was good, Tom Hanks seems believable as Harvard Professor Langdon but it all seems too rushed.
9. Alice through the looking glass
This was one of the major flops of 2016. Tim Burton’s gothic adaptation of Alice in Wonderland that came out in 2010 was able to earn well and get mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The same cannot be said about this sequel. The length of the movie may be two hours but it feels too long because of its boring storyline and lazy performances. Johnny Depp is famous for outlandish roles with Tim Burton in several movies in the past such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands etc. But this one failed to create magic at the box-office.
8. The Great Gatsby
The book was good but the movie just feels like a long music video with flashy dresses and good music. Leonardo Di Caprio is great in his performance but he can’t save a sinking ship.
The movie registered decent box-office collections but it failed to resonate with the masses. Leo, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, all of them gave good performances but script failed to bring alive spirit of Fitzgerald’s iconic novel.
7. Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seus’s novel was adapted and proved that these stories should remain on the page. The cat was scary and the film was a disaster which is why it has a 3.8 rating on IMDB. Not everything should be adapted to the big screen.
Here is the plot of the movie: “In this live-action film based on the favorite children’s tale, the trouble-making Cat in the Hat (Mike Myers) arrives at the home of bored young Sally Walden (Dakota Fanning) and her brother, Conrad (Spencer Breslin), while their mother (Kelly Preston) is out. The family’s pet fish (Sean Hayes) objects to the Cat’s presence, but that doesn’t stop the hat-wearing giant feline from trying to have fun, no matter how much destruction is left in his wake”.
6. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
What should have been an amazing film turned into a total mess? Even Sean Connery couldn’t save this film from becoming a total flop at the box office.
The film proved to be quite ordinary as opposed to the title. Such a prolific cast should have done wonders but instead, the movie was boring as hell.
5. The Golden Compass
The fantasy adventure novel that had a great philosophy and history. It spoke about atheism in detail but its richness was ruined when it came to the big screen.
The performances were decent but the film couldn’t capture the essence of the book. The actress of Nicole Kidman stature was wasted in a superficial role that was beautifully written in the book.
4. Gulliver’s Travels
Jonathan Swift’s masterpiece was turned into a stupid Jack Black comedy. Also, they tried to change the setting and it was a bad idea. The contemporary setting didn’t work for it at all.
The story goes like this: “Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) works in a mailroom at a city newspaper. While he is on an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle, a vortex transports him to a magic land of tiny people. His newfound comrades use his enormous size to help defend the land of Lilliput from warring rivals”.
3. The Twilight Series
Let’s not get into how the books are no good because well we all know that. The series has almost as many haters as it has fans. A lot has been said about its storyline from the fact that the lead is a sulky and lifeless teenager who wishes to become a literally lifeless and more constipated looking vamp. It is better to watch ‘The Vampire Diaries’ TV series than tolerating Twilight saga.
The series may not teach you anything worthwhile but it is possible that the books could be a ‘i-have-nothing-better-to-do-with-my-life-so-i-may-as-well-read-about-sparkly-vampires’ kind of get away. But the movies are said to be worse and they get more annoying as they progress. So let me get this straight, the last movie was supposed to have the epic battle between good and bad vampires, but then it turns out that they choose not to fight instead and go home!?! *facepalm*
2. The Divergent series: Allegiant
The Divergent series has failed to live up to the expectations of its fans since the first film. The series has failed to attract audiences and even though the books were a hit, the movies have failed to do so. The third installment however bombed at the box office and was a big flop.
It is the least successful film of the series and the producers are actually thinking of making the last part into a TV film than a major production.
1. ERAGON
This has got to be the worst movie adaptation ever. The book was so long and most people like me must have seen it as an achievement to finish reading it and so we expected some cinematic brilliance from the movie. When I watched the movie it didn’t even feel like it was based on Eragon. That CGI dragon was really an embarrassment. No wonder they didn’t continue making movies for the rest of the series.
The book was very good seeing that a teenager wrote it but the movie…well, Paolini should’ve sued! I really hope someone else makes an attempt at this series soon and we promise to forget this one! PETER JACKSON ARE YOU LISTENING!!?
These are some of the movies that we thought didn’t live up to expectations. There are many more and we would come back with another list. What are your thoughts and do you have any more of your own movies to add? What are the reasons why some book adaptations work and some don’t? Tell us in the comments.
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