Monday, February 21, 2011
I Am Number Four Movie Review
I went to see I Am Number Four on Friday because I really loved the book. I figured that since the rights to the movie were purchased even before the book was out that they wouldn't change it too much for the movie right?...Wrong. The movie starts off right away being incorrect such as: John taking pictures and hanging out having a good time. Those of you who have read the book know that Henri says no pictures, ever, for any reason. Now I know that you can't keep 100% accurate and true to the books, because then we would be sitting in the theatre for a long time getting every detail from the book into the movie. I for one have no problem with this, as a book lover, I would MUCH rather see my favorite books word for word, scene by scene, fact by fact on the big screen. I would gladly take the long hours in the movies rather than the shorter time and seeing my book get butchered. There were so many things in the movie that they changed from the book that didn't even HAVE to be changed. Like Sam's glasses for instance, he didn't wear them in the book AT ALL. He didn't wear his NASA shirts which were a vital part of the book. And the hayride where Mark decided to beat up on John, Sara, Sara's friend and Sam? Sam wasn't on the ride in the movie, and it wasn't set in October as a Halloween fair, it was a spring fair. Would it really have been such a big deal to make it a Halloween fair? I just really think that there were things that had no reason to be changed. If I had watched the movie just going in thinking it was a movie I would be impressed by it, but since I read the book, I was too caught up in how the book was changed to enjoy it as a movie. Which is sad. The box that is so important to John and Henri hardly plays a role in the movie, and the story of John's legacies and his visions from Lorien are terribly understated or non-existant. There were really so many things that were left out, changed, underplayed, that I could go on typing here for a very long time and this blog would take up the whole site. So, I'll leave it at that, and tell you to check out the movie and see for yourselves. I would still recommend you to see it, because as a movie in itself it is good, but as a book turned movie....not so much.
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Well, I'm one who hasn't read the book yet and enjoyed the movie. It was a little slow moving, but if it's going to be a movie series I liked it more. If it's a stand alone it was just okay. But had to see the movie as it was filmed in my home town here. :)
ReplyDeleteBut, I have to say I've added the book to my WANT list as more times over, the book is just plain out 100 times better than the movies. :) So Glad to hear you enjoyed the book so, and I didn't know anyone who read it.
Wow that's great that they filmed it in your home town! That must have been so exciting! I totally agree with you about the series vs. stand alone idea. In fact, I thought the same thing when I watched it, as a movie by itself it was ehh, but if it's the beginning of a series of films, it was great. The book is set to have 6 in the series, so I do think there will indeed be more movies. I would definitely recommend you read the book! It was really good, more so than the movie for sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you! :) I was talking with my husband on the series this morning and we were wondering how many books there were. :) I wasn't able to find anything in my quick search while at work here. But Thank you! Now I know! I will have to share that with him later. :)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking my son really enjoyed the movie, so thought this might be a fun series to get into with him. :)
From what i've heard there will be six books in the series, I assume this is because there are 6 aliens on Earth. The next book will be released on August 23 and will be called The Power Of six, again I assume this means the six of them will be meeting up. The amount of action is definitely something a son can enjoy. Idk how old your son is, but unlike most books there isn't an abundance of sex or foul language, so depending on the age, it is definitely something you can recommend him to read.
ReplyDeleteOh good to hear about the sex and foul language. My son's 11 and the movie sounded like one that the book would be geared to a YA crowd. I would definitely read it before him, but thought it would be something for him as he has to read books for school for points. And he's never really happy with the picks he gets. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all the great information!