What? Yes, it has the a small amount of plot compared to the other books, but there’s alot of importnat stuff in the book. Voldemort’s past is extremely important, plus the introdution of Horcruxes. Also, there’s the Malfoy plot, which is important for Snape and Malfoy. And even if you argue it’s not that important, it sets up a lot of what’s in Deathly Hallows.
I’m actually pretty excited for this movie (I hated all the others) specfifcally because it is the easiest of the books to turn into movie, because the plot is so stremalined.
I liked the third fim a lot. It’s an example of what I said. It’s the only HP film that actually felt like the books. It had that surrealistic humor sense.
I think I’ve said this before, but the thrid movie is actually my least favorite. I felt like they added to many stupid things (the shruken head on the Knight Bus), and they changed the set for Hogwarts, which didn’t even make sense to me.
I liked the first two much better. After the directer changed, they weren’t all that good to me. While the first two focused much more on the fantasy and characters, the rest seemed to be trying to be much more pop-cultureish and made the kids more of just bratty teenagers. Hermione punching Malfoy was astoundingly out of character.
And ew, why was he so GIRLY? He was one of the best characters!
It’s actually in the book that she slaps him. I haven’t seen the movie in awhile, but I think the reason it works in the book, is we see Hermione getting progressivley more and more stressed out. Ron and Harry even have a huge falling out with her for a good chunk of the book. I’m pretty sure this wasn’t in the movie that much.
Exactly. While in the book it was all of her issues and problems that made her snap and get aggressive, in the movie it was just out of the blue and shattered the whole Hermione persona.
As of now, I guess worst adaption so far is between Eragon and Twilight. I think I said before why I disliked Eragon. Twilight…why did Cedr–Pattinson sign up for this? The book series was alright, but the movie just had the most horrible effects. LoTr was alright. My head’s too full of Warhammer and WoW that they all started to blur together in my head. Wizards, orcs, dragons, elves, they’re all the same to me now.
Matilda in second.
I guess best for me (and I’m betting a lot of people will disagree), was Harry Potter. How strange that I’m more addicted to the movies than to the books. And disagree with me if you will, but the Harry Potter series has become so well-known that it’s referenced a lot in pop-culture. It’s been elevated to the status of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Godfather, etc. Probably why I liked the adaptions where because of the acting (Alan Rickman *cough), the music, the snappy dialogue, and the effects (except in the Sorcerer’s Stone). So yup, that’s my view. It ain’t perfect, but it’s a lot better than the other film adaptions of books (Golden Compass? I’m scared to read that book because of the movie now.)
Edit:Didn’t read the book for the third HP [spoil]apparently Hermoine has a neverous breakdown or something?[/spoil], but when she punched Malfoy, I randomly started laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed that part. 
And I’m happy that the final movie will be split into two. My cousin let me look through his Deathly Hallows book, and it’s about as thick as my head. I bet it’ll be the best of them all then.
Did anyone mention Watchmen?
~ Flare
Yeah, too lazy to type much right now.
BEST:
LOTR.
First 3 HP series.
Hate to say, Twilight. [eventhough I’m not a Twilight fan, really]
300 [does this count?]
WORST:
The Da Vinci Code [The book was good…the movie…errr…]
Angels & Demons [see descriptions above]
Eragon [Disastrous. Period.]
Did I mention Aquamarine on this thread before? And Nim’s Island? A lot of people don’t realize they’re based off books. I don’t know why they didn’t credit the authors enough.
Aquamarine had some big changes. Or rather, additions.
The book’s plot was much simpler. One girl is about to move halfway around the world, away from her very best friend, but before they separate, they find a mermaid and help her get to know this local human boy, giving the friends something to remember about their last time together.
In the movie, first of all, Aquamarine, the mermaid, turns into a human herself, [spoil] which did not happen in the book. In the book, she simply sits on a wheelchair and covers her tail, while the girls guide her. Another thing- in the movie, Aquamarine tempts the girls to help her by saying that if you help a mermaid you get a free wish. In the book, I don’t recall this such exchange. They probably added it to the movie to lengthen the story a little, and add more conflict. [/spoil]
I actually enjoyed the movie, despite the big differences compared to the book, because the movie really showed more in-depth feeling of the characters’ struggles. For example, [spoil]Haley wonders if staying with her friend woulc be the right thing to go. Claire faces her fear of water (caused by her parents drowning) in order to get Aqua back. [/spoil]
As for Nim’s Island, I highly enjoyed the book and the movie was great as well.
This, too, had its big changes. I can’t remember anything specific except [spoil]in the book, Alex Rover confesses to Nim through email about not being as heroic as everyone believes. In the film, Nim realizes this as a shock after meeting Alex Rover in person. [/spoil].
And not to mention, in the book, [spoil]Alex Rover stops the Buccaneer ship from invading Nim’s Island by telling a story to the people on the ship, scaring them away. in the film, it is Nim herself who defends the island once the Buccaneer ship has come. In the film, Alex Rover seems to have come all this way for nothing, because she arrives after the Buccaneer ship already left. [/spoil]
I enjoyed the book better than the movie, though the movie was lovable as well. I like both slightly different takes on the story.
I just read Holes again recently. It was so vivid, it was like a movie in my head. Now I want to see the movie again. I think the movie adaption of Holes succeeded the most out of all book adaptaions I know at staying true the book.
[/spoil]
Best:
The Spiderwick Chronicles. A GREAT movie, a GREAT book.
Worst:
Maniac Magge. My god, great book, TERRIBLE MOVIE!
Don’t even get me started on The Tale of Desperaux.
The book was amazing. The emphasis on certain parts was dramatic and beautiful. It was so complex and so sweet of a story. It also had its dark parts within so it’s not all kiddy happy-go-lucky rainbows and sunshine fairy tales.
But the movie! It was cute, yeah, but not near as good in comparison to the book (sorry to all who disagree). The movie was making it look too kiddish. True, they kept some of the meanings emphasized [spoil]such as the broken heart mended twisted and the power of forgiveness[/spoil]. However, I was disappointed by how it only lightly touched some parts.
In the book, one of my favorite parts was [spoil]where Desperaux’s father begs him for forgiveness for beating the drum that sent Desperaux to his death. There, Desperaux forgives him, because his heart will break if he doesn’t. After he leaves, the Mouse Council decides that his visit did not occur, and everyone agrees except Desperaux’s father, who is crying because he had been forgiven. [/spoil] It’s so strong, touching, and though not exactly tearjerking, so beautiful of a short moment, but the movie ruined it.
In the movie: [spoil]Desperaux does return, covered in flour, mistakened as a ghost, just as the book told. But his father, at the sight of him, just faints. And everyone just skedaddles. [/spoil] That’s it.
Another disappointment was the absence of darkness. The movie put too much emphasis on the light-heartedness and not enough on the darkness and conflicts. Roscuro longing for a [spoil]chance of light, out of the dungeon, sort of like what The Little Mermaid wants.[/spoil] The extraordinary feeling of [spoil]Roscuro’s first time out of the dark.[/spoil] The horrible deep downs of [spoil]life in the dungeon, lack of light, and horrid flesheating rats.[/spoil] The both shock and sadness you feel for [spoil]the prisoner who said he made a mistake, trading his girl for a cape and cigars and not even looking back.[/spoil] And how Mig [spoil]never ever got what she wanted through her life. Her mother never caring, her father, nor the guy she was sold to, nor even the rat.[/spoil] It’s NOT THERE!!
Instead, the movie took away such creepy, surprising moments and replaced them with more mild ones.
-Roscuro comes from a ship. He knows what light is like already. He only just fell down a dungeon. He’s more polite and shown more as on Desperaux’s side. In fact, he becomes friends with Desperaux.
-The dungeon isn’t even scary. Light exists there as well, because they used the Roman Empire persecution joke, and had to use spotlights. Therefore, the emphasis on seeing light was toned down.
-A lot of Mig’s parts are left out. Her story is summarized short. Heck, they got some things wrong there. Her father was supposed to be the prisoner, not the jailer! And her father wasn’t supposed to be “so sorry, so so sorry…” when she was little. You don’t feel as sorry for her watching the movie as you do reading the book. And the guy using her as a slave was not supposed to be her uncle! She was supposed to have been sold!
-Another scene I liked from the book was where Desperaux has a dream of a brave knight in shining armor, but the armor was empty. At first Desperaux thinks it symbolizes that happy endings are just in stories. But later he interprets it as saying the empty armor was waiting for him to wear it. Very powerful thinking, actually. BUT THE MOVIE LEFT IT OUT! AHHH!
Ok, I think my rant’s over. 
Glad I got that off my chest. The movie really could’ve done better.
Has anyone else mentioned the Princess Bride? I thought that the film was a wonderful adaption of the book. Fairly accurate, though totally awesome.
The family just re-watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (coughPhilosopher’scough) Stone yesterday, and I forgot how fairly accurate it was to the book. I quite enjoy the Harry Potter films. xD Though I think the most disappointing was the Goblet of Fire, but that’s just because I’m angry Barty Crouch Jr. didn’t get more lines 
I like the Narnia adaptions, even though the movies didn’t have C.S. Lewis’ distinct FEEL that’s in the books. I also didn’t like how they skipped around the books a bit. Yeah yeah, I know the Magician’s Nephew or The Horse and His Boy probably wouldn’t make a terribly fantastic movie, but there’s some stuff I would have loved to see on film. xD
I heard from a friend that the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is actually pretty close to the book. I enjoyed the movie. I was surprised that Burton actually made something that didn’t barf goth.
I’m kind of in the middle about Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. I was a bit annoyed that they combined both Alice books, even though they were really clever about it. And how could I resist something that has the Walrus and the Carpenter in it~
I actually ENJOYED the movie Eragon, even though I know its a terrible adaption of the book. I liked the music and some of the acting. Its not my fault Saphira looked so pretty ; ;
And where would I be without mentioning Twilight? I read the first three books and hated them. When my dad (what the crap) and his girlfriend were watching it, I couldn’t even hold up any sort of interest. Sparkly Edward made me gag.
In my honest opinion, if a book I like a lot is made in a movie, you know what they should do?: Follow The Book!!!
Now! For some movies, I can make an exception, 'cause they turn out to be great anyway! (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events or The Tale of Despereaux are good examples)
Best: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (What? I thought it followed the book near perfectly!) , I’m sure there are others, but I can’t think of anything right now.
Worst: Oh gosh, The Spiderwick Chronicles!!! That didn’t follow the book AT ALL!!!
Really?Sure it was nothing like the book,but it was still good!
I just watched Holes. Most awesome book adaptation ever, follows the book most accurately! I LOVE it! Holes and Coraline and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are my most favorite book adaptaions ever.
Oh my god… I had totally forgotten that Lord of the Rings was originally a book…
Yesh. Lord of the Rings of coursseee is the best. Sorry Tolkien!
But I really wish they’d do a book adaption of The Little Prince. Got me thinking that since I saw the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. When that comes out, it’ll be closely second best. 
Ive seen the old 1970’s version of the Little Prince but it was a bit strange, Be interesting to see a nastolgic version, like the Wild Things lol