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?
I think there should be an honorable mention for The Boys.
Edgy cringe comics with insane twists that only exist for shock value and very little charm.
The show has a lot of heart, likable characters, and a pretty gripping plot.
The first season channels the bad comedy of the comics but follow up seasons really good them out of the water.
The Boys was an edgier take on the superior DC comic run "The Hitman", both by the same author.
Why is this not higher? Definitely a case of turning trash into treasure. There was a trend in the aughts of writing, for example, comics where Batman is actually a sadistic pedophile (Robin loollz amirite?!), or where Superman is a grey who abducts and vivisects people (alien haha!?) because everyone wanted to be like Alan Moore writing Watchmen. Well... as it turns out, even Alan Moore isn't always as good as when he wrote Watchmen and graphic novels need more than just a fancy concept.
I'd second this with Kick Ass (just the first movie ofc). The comic was just crass cringe.
The boys is a bad brain of worm.
God this. The comics are pure trash. The show actually found a way to portray a lot of the edgy material while making it purposeful, in the comics it’s just edgy for no reason and everyone is awful
I'm going to topp that : V for vendetta.
What, really? For me it's the opposite: loved the comics, hated the TV series. I don't think they were for shock value at all, and I loved the very complex borderline toxic and grey relationships between the various characters. The TV series dulled all the most interesting and original aspects of the comic book.