It's become a popular trend to make movies based off of movies. Unfortunately, if you have read that book, the movie will times out of ten disappoint you greatly. The movie just never seems to do the book justice. If you've never read the book, the movie is amazing. There's a reason I will never read Memoirs of a Geisha. If you have ever watched a movie after reading that book, I'm sure you will agree with these reasons why the book is always better than the movie.
1. Details
Let's be honest here. Most of the time, certain details are lost in the transition. Maybe the character design changes completely for a certain character, like Ian and Kyle in The Host (who are supposed to be identical but ended up nothing alike...and blond). Maybe your favorite conversation was taken out for the sake of space. Or maybe you're just peeved that Peeves never made it into the Harry Potter movies.
2. Plot
Occasionally the plot points have been changed completely. Okay, maybe not major changes, but minor ones that show up repeatedly. For example, the Avatar The Last Airbender movie (I know not a book series but still) changed Aang's personality for the movie. For this particular section, he's supposed to act like a hyperactive twelve year old, not a serious, brooding teenager. That's not supposed to start until the third season.
3. Imagination
Let's face it, the director's dream cast never looks like your dream cast. The costumes and settings are never what you expect. Books allow your imagination to run wild, but it may not match with the director's dreams. Some of those dreams may lead to a different interpretation on lines...
4. More Content
Movies have a time limit. Very few people are wiling to sit i a movie theater for longer than two hours, let alone the four required to accurately portray your favorite book. Sometimes, the director will get creative and break the movie into two halves, but then you're left waiting for another year for the second part. Even then, nine times out of ten you'll walk out of the theater disappointed. There's just no possible way to include everything.
5. Expectation
You always walk into the theater with exceptionally high expectations. It's your favorite book. How can you not? But, once again the film fails to portray the book exactly as you had dreamed and you once again walk out completely disappointed. Naturally, you will rewatch the movie later.
6. Repeat
You tell yourself you won't get you're hopes up again. Never again. Then you see a trailer for yet another of your favorite books turned into a movie. And like a traitor to your own feelings, your hopes soar once again. Only to be crushed by another "bad" movie.
7. More Likely to Reread than Rewatch
Not only do all of your favorite characters exist in the book, but your imagination can run wild again. You don't have to cringe as details are left out or costumes change for the worse. You can choose your own actors and expressions, watch their lives unfold between the pages of a book.
8. Portable
Sure, you can watch a movie on your phone. Sure, you can use an iPad or tablet. But can you use those when you run out of battery and have no access to a charger? I don't think so. A real, tangible book needs no charger.
