Most critics were quite partial to this movie adaptation of a book, as opposed to that other popular teen novel series which sees its conclusion this month. I had also talked to friends who had both read the books, and seen the movies. They agreed The Hunger Games movie was good, but they were disappointed. Many of the criticisms of the movie were that it did not reach the potential of the book. Finally, I read a review of the DVD, and the reviewer said they chose not to read the books, so as not to be disappointed with the movie. They also used the example of Harry Potter movies being a let down from the books.
This made me think of my own experience of really enjoying the Harry Potter books, and feeling the movies did not live up to my expectations. I read the first four Harry Potter books in 2001, right before the first movie was released. My friends and I had varying reactions to the movie, and most of us had read the books. Those who hadn't, found it quite entertaining. Those of us who had read them, liked seeing the characters come to life, but I did not like how much was missing. To be fair, Rowling has so many side stories going on, most can be left out of the main narrative, and you still understand what is happening.
What I did find, however, was I enjoyed the subsequent movies more, and more. I think part of the reason is I tried to read the books as soon as they were released, but the movies would come out a few years later. I had forgotten most of the details, and it did not matter to me that certain parts of the book were left out. By the time the last two movies came out, there had been sufficient time between my reading of the book, and my viewing of the movies that I was pleasantly surprised by what was happening. I would marvel at the special effects, and think, "Oh, right, this is what happens!"
I usually opt not to watch movie version of books that do not need a lot of special effects when transformed into a movie. If I have read a book that tells a fairly straightforward story, without fantastical elements, I do not have the urge to see it brought to life on the screen. I know the story; I do not need to see how some one else has interpreted it.
Books with lots of action sequences, or science fiction and fantasy elements are a different matter. It is entertaining to see these make believe world come to life, and actually see magic performed. But, as I said, I do need some distance from the source material to fully enjoy the experience. I guess I will have to wait a few month before I go out and rent The Hunger Games.
Now, I have down the opposite, which is read the book after I have seen the movie or television adaptation. The read tends to be a lot faster, and since I already know what is going to happen, I am usually more relaxed when reading. This way, you see how the visual telling of the story is drawn from the written page. My major dislike of reading the book afterward is I tend to picture the characters as the actors, instead of what I would imagine them being. My imagining of the characters tends to be less precise anyway. I usually do not have a distinct face in my mind when visualizing characters in my head, but they are my impressions, not actors on a screen.
Sometimes, it is nice to have the television show or movie very different from the book because it surprises you, and allows you to be entertained all over again. I recently started reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, and from what I hear, True Blood is quite different from the books. Some people love the difference, whereas others loathe it. I suppose it depends on what you want to get out of the medium. If you are so enamoured with the plot from the book, no interpretation will be satisfactory. If you like to see different scenarios involving the character you know and love, change is good. Think of all the fan fiction out there. Movie and television adaptations are a form of fan fiction that has become more successful than the others.
In general, I enjoy the book versions of the stories to the movie version, but I do like to be entertained by a good movie. I just have to keep more of an open mind if I truly want to enjoy the movie. Speaking of movie criticisms, I have come across a website that likes to poke fun at plot holes in movies. I love How It Should Have Ended, because I often have the same thoughts during or after the movie. This is not to say I do not like any of the movies I watch, but if you look at many movies to critically, you start to see the plot holes. Check it out, it is good for a laugh, especially if you know the movies well.
http://m.howitshouldhaveended.com/
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