For this reason, some of the most beloved sci-fi novels have been translated into cinematic garbage.
With this in mind, here are the ten most disappointing film adaptations of good sci-fi books.
With performers like these and a visually deft director likePhillip Noyce,The Giverseemed like it would be fantastic.
Even the aesthetics are kind of a mess, with the movie shifting awkwardly between black-and-white and color.
Brenton Thwaites stars as Jonas, with Jeff Bridges as The Giver.
An epic sci-fi odyssey is reduced to melodrama and lame fight scenes.
Image via Walden Media
Lynch’s storytelling techniques are usually weird in a fascinating way, but here it feels amateurish and ill-fitting.
A massive wasted opportunity.
WithPaul Verhoevenat the helm andArnold Schwarzeneggerin the lead role, that movie made for a genuine ’90s sci-fi gem.
Set in a dystopian future where all emotion in humans is suppressed, The Giver follows Jonas, a young man who learns that he will become the next Reciever of Memory, the one person who holds all the memories and emotions of a time before the current suppression. Beginning his training with the current Reciever of Memory, known as The Giver, Jonas begins to experience the full extent of emotions, good and bad, for the first time in his life. Brenton Thwaites stars as Jonas, with Jeff Bridges as The Giver.
Not so for the Colin Farrell-starring remake, which lacks the humor and characterization of its source material.
The visuals are impressive, to be sure, but the story and dialogue are all rather boring.
The film always feels at a distance from the viewer, never connecting emotionally.
In short, directorLen Wisemanreduces a madcap adventure to a joyless slog.
Along the way, the movie rips off better films likeStar Wars,The Matrix, andMad Max.
The film makes several changes from the book, none of them good.
Clunky dialogue and a lack of character development are the final nails in the coffin.
The finished product is as mechanical and soulless as the hungry cities that roam the countryside.
6’The Time Machine' (2002)
Directed by Simon Wells
H.G.
The Darkest Mindsis endlessly derivative, repurposing plots from other movies into a generic hodgepodge.
It’s a cheesy teen romance with postapocalyptic elements, peopled with one-dimensional characters and beset by pacing problems.
Hardcore fans of this subgenre may enjoy it, but general viewers are likely to be bored.
The concept is cool, but the execution is decidedly lackluster.
As a result, the 96-minute film feels longer than it really is.
She must face down otherworldly threats, armed with just her wits - and an assault rifle.
Image via Universal Pictures
Not to mention, the audience barely ever gets to see the aliens!
They are teased for so long, only to be shown via quick and incomplete glimpses.
Perhaps this was because the filmmakers knew that their CGI was underwhelming.
The 2018 adaptation attempts to modernize the story but struggles to capture the novel’s essence.
This adds nothing to the story and overly muddies the themes.
Basically, this adaptation fails to understand the appeal of the book.
The strong performances from Jordan andMichael Shannonare not enough to save it.
Brando, for example, showed up inconsistently and refused to learn his lines.
“This is just satanic!”
Douglas exclaims at one point.
The audience’s thoughts exactly.
NEXT:The 10 Best Colleen Hoover Books, Ranked According to Goodreads
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A shipwrecked UN negotiator stumbles upon a remote island, only to discover that its inhabitants are hybrid creatures—genetic experiments created by a mad scientist, Dr. Moreau. As the creatures rebel against their creator, chaos ensues, forcing the outsider to confront the dark consequences of scientific hubris.
