Film, thoughts, info and opinions: Book to film adaptations

One of my favourite films in recent years is Ready Player One, it's an immense amount of fun, looks gorgeous and is slathered in nostalgia, a film you can rewatch again and again.

I listened to the audiobook of Earnest Clines novel after I'd seen the film, it was narrated by Wil Weaton (listened to a few done by him, he does a brilliant job) the very basic premise is the same but the details are quite a bit different, and you know what, I really enjoyed it as well!

In a way you get to enjoy two different stories, I might never had bothered with the book if I hadn't have enjoyed the film so much, but there are haters out there who read the book and are emotionally invested into it, they hate the film, I'm just lucky I suppose that I can detach the two.

Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien is the book that I have re-read the most (6 times at the last count), it is my favourite book, though I do tend to skip the Council of Elrond as is does go on a bit!

Peter Jackson did a fantastic job in bringing LOTR to the big screen, you could tell he was a fan, he put on screen what I had imagined in my head, I was a bit gobsmacked at that and wonderfully surprised.

The Hobbit was the first real book that I ever read, it holds a special place in my heart, I have re-read it several times and was excited when I found out that Peter Jackson was going to bring it to the big screen as well.

The films were good, but by stretching them out over 3 by adding extra bits seemed more like cashing in rather than the passion project that LOTR was, they felt overblown, and to bringe all 3 was a struggle, not something I felt with LOTR.

My favourite film of all time has got to be Blade Runner, the opening scenes still give me goosebumps, one of the best examples of sci-fi noir that has ever been filmed, a joy for the senses.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick is a different matter all together, I'll admit I got lost and struggled to finish (not sure if I did finish it come to think) but I found that a lot with Dicks work, it might just be me, he seems to have a lot of fans, and quite a few of his novels have been adapted to the big screen, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly and Total Recall to mention a few.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a fantastic read, a real roller coaster of emotions, brutal in places, in fact very brutal, if you have an ounce of empathy in your body you'll live the book.

The film was a bit crap, might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read the book but just missed out too much, it felt like half a film really, I know films can very rarely fit everything in, but it missed vital plot points and background.

I remember reading Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris and it keeping me on the edge of my seat, Harris is a brilliant writer, I've enjoyed everything of his I've read, he builds characters and tension fantastically, keeps you guessing and paints a vivid story.

The film is equally as good, a proper thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, helped by a wonderful cast and great direction.

Just about to be released next month is Artemis Fowl on Disney+, I've seen the trailer and I'm not holding out much hope. I've read all the books by Eoin Colfer (I know they're meant for kids, but a good read is a good read!) from the casting to the overall look and feel of it all it just doesn't seem quite right. I'll try and approach it with an open mind, but it'll be quite difficult, watch this space.