Kait Mae

Some of the most beloved books have stumbled when brought to the big screen, leaving fans and critics alike questioning, “Was that a bad adaptation or just a bad movie?” Hollywood has often taken creative liberties with plot, character, and tone, resulting in many having mixed feelings. From the disappointment of The Dark Tower to the charming but divisive changes in The Princess Diaries, adaptations walk a fine line between honoring the source and reaching new audiences. Today, I’ll be diving into some iconic adaptations to unpack where they went wrong – or where they went right. Are these movies really that bad, or were they simply not true to their source material?

‘The Dark Tower’

Bad Movie, Bad Adaptation

What happens when you combine seven plot-heavy books into one hour-and-a-half movie? Nothing great. Unless you call being disappointed great, that is. The movie skipped a lot of the plot, rushed through the rest they had kept, and just overall, lacked. That said, the Western wear looked amazing.

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series follows the last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, on a quest to find the Dark Tower – the center of all worlds. The seven-book series follows his journey across strange lands and supernatural realms while weaving together fantasy, horror, and Western influences.

‘Ella Enchanted’

Bad Adaptation, Fun Movie

I originally saw the movie years before I decided to read the book. And let me tell you, I was shocked by how different they were. That said, the movie wasn’t a bad movie, but it was not a good adaptation.

The book by Gail Carson Levine was such a fun Cinderella retelling. The plot itself is very in line with the movie, but there were plot details that disappeared that I thoroughly enjoyed. And just to top it off, the book was definitely not a musical.

‘Persuasion’

Bad Movie

Netflix really said, “Let’s take this beloved book that’s been adapted and add an unwanted ‘modern’ twist.” Now, I’m not a hater of modern twists – but Netflix missed the mark. The cast, while amazing actors, just didn’t fit the roles they were given that well. And those fourth-wall breaks – they don’t fit in this story.

Persuasion by Jane Austen follows Anne Elliott, a gentle and intelligent woman who was persuaded to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth. However, when he returns years later, she must confront her lingering feelings against her family’s expectations.

While on the topic of Jane Austen, here’s a list of books I read for school and loved.

‘Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory’

Bad Adaptation, Great Movie

If you watched the movie, you probably loved it. But Roald Dahl didn’t. He hated that they changed plot points and thought the music was “saccharine, sappy and sentimental.” He also said the movie focused too much on Willy Wonka and not Charlie, as he’d done.

In 1996, his second wife commented, essentially saying if children accepted the ending of the book, why would Hollywood change the ending of the movie?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl follows Charlie Bucket as he wins a rare golden ticket to tour Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Four other children and Charlie explore the factory, encountering Wonka’s inventions and learning life lessons.

‘Divergent’

Good to Bad Movies and Adaptations

I’ll be completely honest: I loved the first movie so much. And I liked the second one until about 30 minutes in – then it lost me. And then it lost me entirely when they split the last book into two movies and bombed it. We never actually finished the series. That said, I think this would kill today with a second chance as a TV show.

The Divergent books, set in a dystopian Chicago, sees society divided into five factions. The main story follows Tris Prior, a “Divergent,” meaning she doesn’t fit into one faction as she struggles to find her place in society.

‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’

Bad Movie

The movie, while titled after the second book in the series, actually combined elements and plotlines from the first three books in a twelve-book series. So, as we saw with The Dark Tower, if you combine multiple books into one movie, it’s going to fail with fans of the book – and potential fans of the movie.

The Vampire’s Assistant is the second book that follows Darren, a half-vampire, who becomes an assistant to a vampire named Larten Crepsley. Darren is brought into the world of Cirque du Freak, a traveling freak show, as he deals with being a vampire.

‘Artemis Fowl’

Bad Movie

I’ll be honest – I didn’t love or hate this movie. But maybe that’s because I haven’t read the books, so I went in with no expectations. So, here’s what someone on Rotten Tomatoes wrote, “A would-be franchise-starter that will anger fans of the source material and leave newcomers befuddled, Artemis Fowl is frustratingly flightless.” Maybe next time, producers should stick closer to the source material.

The Eoin Colfer series follows Artemis Fowl II, who discovers a hidden world of fairies and magical creatures. Determined to restore his family’s fortune, he kidnaps a fairy police officer to ransom her. But that backfires, and he finds himself delving into the magical world fully.

Looking for what would be good movies? Check out this list.

‘Percy Jackson’ Movies

Bad Adaptations, Funny Moments

We all know which movies I’m talking about – even Rick Riordan hates them. That said, Logan Lerman was a perfect Percy, just at the wrong time. Thank goodness we’re getting a second chance with the show.

Anyway, onto the actual discussion of the movie – the first one wasn’t horrible. But the second one… Where did the source material go? Because it’s like the writers took parts from the second and then skipped to the last – it wasn’t okay with anyone.

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series follows Percy as he goes on various quests for the gods. It spawned an expansive fictional universe with several spinoffs, including Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, The Kane Chronicles, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.

‘Eragon’

Bad Movie

I’m going to be completely honest: I don’t remember anything from this movie. I watched it within a year of it coming out, but not since. I do remember the game, though – it was better than the movie. According to several people, it just lacked that spark the books had. It was just lackluster in every way.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini follows Eragon, a young farm boy who discovers a dragon egg. When that egg hatches, Eragon joins the dragon Saphira to become the last of the Dragon Riders.

‘The Princess Diaries’

Bad Adaptation, Iconic Movies

We know the movies, we love them. That said, they didn’t “adapt” the books – they were “inspired” by the books. While the first stayed close to the source material, the second went a little off the deep end in terms of adaptation. That said, iconic. I can’t wait for the next one.

The books following Mia are a bit less pretty than the movies. They’re also a bit more adult. Thrust into royal life, Mia has to navigate high school, friendship, romance, and her new responsibilities. To be fair, the first movie was very close to the tone of the books.

‘Howl’s Moving Castle’

Bad Adaptation, Great Movie

Even Wikipedia says it’s “loosely” based on the book. That said, it’s still an iconic, charming, and heartwarming movie that many claim was a favorite of their childhood. It’s such a beautiful movie, and Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli did an amazing job.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones follows Sophie Hatter as she’s cursed to live as an elderly woman. She seeks out Howl, a notorious wizard whose magical castle roams the countryside. As she becomes entangled in his life, she discovers her own hidden strengths.

‘Beautiful Creatures’

Bad Movie

I remember loving the books when I first read them in eighth and ninth grade – then I saw the movie. The producers really capitalized on the success of Twilight and The Hunger Games but then lost the charm that made readers love the books. The story was just off in the movies – and the chemistry between the characters was lacking.

The series of books by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, which is named The Caster Chronicles, follows normal teen Ethan as his life is changed by Lena Duchannes, a “Caster” who swoops into his life out of nowhere. As her birthday looms, she’s drawn to choose between light and dark magic.

‘The Giver’

Bad Adaptation, Alright Movie

I’ll be honest: I enjoyed the movie as a movie – not as an adaptation. As an adaptation, it felt like the readers sped through the book, picking up major plot points, but didn’t delve into the meaning of the book or who the characters were at their core.

The Giver by Lois Lowry follows Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy living in a seemingly perfect community. However, when he’s chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory, things begin changing. Mentored by The Giver, Jonas starts questioning everything he’s grown up learning.

‘Game of Thrones’

Good to Bad to Worse

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, a still-unfinished series, follows various characters and storylines in Westeros as they battle for the Iron Throne. The first few seasons of the show followed somewhat closely to the books, but after that, they delve very far from the plot – especially since the series isn’t done yet.

If you’re really interested in everything the showrunners changed from the book, I definitely think you might want to check out the books or look online because there’s too much to cover here.

Now, onto the analysis. The show was almost unanimously one of the best shows for years…until it wasn’t anymore. Most cite season 4 as the last good season, but I enjoyed it until about mid-season 6. Then, it fell off the bandwagon for me.