Read the book ruin the movie World War Z

[Duram]

So I recently heard the movie World War Z was being made and is due out in 2010. I have always wanted to read the book, but am now afraid that if i do so I will ruin the movie which I know I want to see.

Whenever I hear people talk about books made into movies; I always hear how much better the book was. I have to wonder if a part of that is because the whole plot is already known by the book reader. Having never read a book and then seen the movie I do not know. So I was wondering if their was any truth to this. Anyone out there wish they would have waited on the movie feeling they would have enjoyed it better had they not known what was going to happen.

[Gloomrender]

It's because books utilize the human imagination, which is more powerful than anything at a movie directors disposal.

[Erillian]

read the book...normally it is the movie ruining the book not the other way around...

[Surly]

I guess if you're going to do both, read the book. It's better to have a movie ruined than a book. Or so I hear, I've never read one.

[Arkh]

Read the book. If they do the same kind of thing than with "I'm legend", the movie will have a totally different scenario.

[Erillian]

and normally the books are just...better...

[Indah]

And then you can be the guy who is like "wtf they ruined this movie, the book had it this way" and you will look cool for reading.

[TizzyFoe]

I've never been a fan of reading for entertainment. Vidoe+sound > words imo. But you should probably know yourself well enough to answer this question for yourself.

which do you like better on average, movies or books?

if books, read the book first
if movies, watch the movie first

And then you can be the guy who is like "wtf they ruined this movie, the book had it this way" and you will look cool for reading.

look cool for reading? I think your on the wrong side of that one.

[[LoD] EE]

Take Starship Poopers. Effing horrible movie, what a piece of shit. Great book though!

[BlackVolgan]

well i tried to read harry potter and nearly vomited. I watched the movies which were better; especially the last one... cool wizurd fights.

[Kheiron]

It's a couple of factors.

Firstly, there is just more to the books and they can easily be a thousand pages long, and still leave the ending hanging for a sequel.
A movie only has 2 hours to tell the story, so they end up cutting a whole lot of shit out, redoing some shit to make it shorter, and more often then not completely avoid the meaning character development.

Secondly, there is the expectation. You've read the book, know the story, know the characters, so any deviation in the movie sticks out and rarely are such changes for the better. An out of character moment in the movie, for instance, is just going to prompt scorn from a lover of the book, regardless of whether the moment was an improvement over-all.
Plus, when you're reading a book, it's your imagination forming the scenes and faces of the people. The directors interpretation likely wont be your own.

Thirdly, a fair bit of shit is just easier to read then act out. Those little character thought monologues wont even show up in the movie, beyond some facial expressions. A rousing speech sounds so much better on paper then it does screamed by Russel Crowe. Also, having it easily explained with the likes of '..." she said, somewhat confused' in the book is far easier on you then seeing it in the movie adaptation where the actor's facial expression can be confusion, or constipation.

I've always prefered books for most stories, but you'll never get a martial arts book that's better then a good Jet Li film, and movies like Transformers, with all the glitz and sweet transformations just wouldn't fit right in written form, I reckon.