What movies turned out better than the books they were based on?

Good afternoon.

It takes great skills as director and script writer and an incredible remarkable mind plus the best actors/ actresses to bring out to life a book. And something like this happens so rare.

1. However, the2006 movie - Prestige made after the book with the same name of Christopher Priest (1995) turned out to be a blast. Priest's captivating and sensational book about the feuding magicians was considered untouchable when it came to movie adaptations - the highly complex story is as jam-packed full of tricks and illusions as a Penn & Teller Vegas show - but that didn't deter the Nolan brothers.

They produced a movie that managed to be even more gripping than its literary counter-part, with Priest himself calling it "a fascinating adaption".

2. Casino Royale (2006) based on the book Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (1953) -  the movie is perhaps the only one to not just capture the essence of Fleming’s Bond, but maybe even improve on it.

3. Mrs Doubtfire (1993) movie made after the book of Anne Fine - Madame Doubtfire (1987).  A beautiful and charming, but simple story  story of a dedicated dad becomes a comedy classic thanks to Robin Williams’s (God rest his soul in peace) breath-taking whirlwind of a performance. 

4. SubhanAllah, yesterday I was just speaking about this movie - The Godfather made after the book of Mario Puzo - The Godfather (1969).

Francis Ford Coppola (a brilliant director) wanted Puzo to be an integral part of the production process, and the pair composed a slick script that completely does away the novel’s few weak moments.

I like the movie’s grittier finale, where Kay realises the extent of Michael’s ruthlessness, and the finished film wholly deserves its status as one of the all-time greats - a real blockbuster.

5. Interview With The Vampire made after the book with the same title of Anne Rice. While in the beginning Anne Rice was all the time criticizing the film adaptation of her book, after she saw the complete work done, she was thrilled and declared it was “what [she] dreamed it could be”.

6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) after the book of Thomas Harris (1988). 

A chilling story in both literary and cinematic form, Sir Anthony Hopkins breathes terrifying life into Harris's masterful creation of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and plays up the sexual tension between Lecter and Clarice Starling - something which might feel comfortable in the book, but becomes harrowing and unsettling on screen.

7. Jaws (1975) made after the book with the same title of author Peter Benchley (1974) Benchley's novel had great commercial success, staying in the bestseller lists for weeks, but the one thing it lacks is staying power. You hear the word Jaws now and you don't just don't think book. You think Spielberg, "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat" and the duuuuuh-dum soundtrack.

The film focused less on the romantic subplots that Benchley carefully explored, and more on the great big fish, specifically the Orca's spectacular final shark hunt.

Now these are just a few, but the list can go on... I am sure about this; I just listed what I read and saw, and liked indeed. Still, I prefer to read the book because it lets my imagination to go on free, to explore, to create and put together piece by piece in mind, the entire script. The book lets the reader to explore unimaginable universes and to feel the "beat", the pulse of the story and that what brings you back to read it over and over again. And if this happens in different stages during your life, every time you re-read it, you will find out new captivating issues.

1.  The Ice Storm -1997  

2.  Adaptation -2002

3.  Mysterious Skin -2004

4.  Brokeback Mountain -2005

5.  Everything is Illuminated -2005

6.  Little Children -2006  

7.  Atonement -2007

8.  Fantastic Mr. Fox -2009

9.  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -2011

I can't mention the names of movies as I seldom watch but I believe that a movie is more fascinating than hard copy of a book. It's more colorful and have glamour in it. Secondly the viewer has nothing to do except watching it in the comfort of his cradle.