Character Assasination ...

Now, before I start talking about immigration attorneys, how many times have you read a book, got yourself immersed in the storyline and the characters and then when the movie comes out, you're all eager to go watch it but come away totally disillusioned? Well, I don't know about you but it's happened to me so many times.

I'm a person who loves to read, I think I've blogged about that before. In fact, I prefer reading a book to watching a movie. And when I read a book, I get totally immersed in the storyline and the characters. I picture myself as a third person 'watching' the plot unfold throughout the book. I take into account every word the author writes and imagine every single item that is pictured in the book like as if I am there in person. I read the book word for word.

I start picturing how the main characters would look like, their disposition, their personality and the 'face' of that character will remain in my imagination throughout the book. But sometimes, when that book you're reading is turned into a movie and then they cast a character so unlike what you read, someone who is totally different than what you envisioned in your book, you get totally disappointed. Well, for me anyway.

For instance, I'm a huge fan of Clive Cussler. He's a maritime adventure writer with stories that involve a blend of high adventure and high technology, generally involving megalomaniacal villains, lost ships, beautiful women, and sunken treasure. I think I have most of his novels that basically borders on fantastic spectacles and outlandish plot devices.

Now, the main character in all his novels is this guy called Dirk Pitt with craggy looks, dark wavy hair and possessing a rangy build. In the book, his most striking features are his Opaline green eyes, which can be both alluring or intimidating, as need be. Pitt has a commanding presence which combined with a quick, sly wit often infuriates those opposed to him.

And the picture I had of Dirk Pitt was someone in the range of Tom Selleck. Through all the Dirk Pitt novels I've read, that's how I envisioned him. Now, when the movie Sahara, which is one of Clive Cusslers novels, came out, I was ecstatic. I've read Sahara at least a gazillion times (in fact I've read and re-read all my Clive Cussler books a gazillion times too) and I couldn't wait to watch it. But after watching it, I seriously came away totally disappointed with the choice of casting for the characters.

I mean, Matthew McConaughey, casted as Dirk Pitt is a decent actor and all that but he certainly wasn't the face I envisioned in the book. He wasn't even craggy looking to begin with! Even the character pick of his side kick, Al Giordino really was far off the mark. And I believe the right choice of character makes or breaks a movie. Even the choice of Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), the main character for two of the Dan Brown movies (The Da Vince Code and the yet to be released Angels & Demons) was really not what I envisioned from the book.

I don't know about the rest of you but I take my novels very seriously so when it's turned into a movie and it doesn't live up to my expectations and how I imagined the book to be, I get very disheartened. I know it's a silly thing to feel disheartened about but I guess I'm the sort of guy who picture myself in the book with the hero, following him on his adventures, getting to know him as he escapes one deadly trap after another so I expect the movie to be as close to the book as I pictured it.

Which is no wonder why I prefer reading to watching movies. With a book you can really take your time to absorb every detail whereas in a movie it's a rush of trying to fit in everything within two hours at the risk of totally changing the whole story line and bad casting selections.

But all that said and done, there are movies where the cast chosen are the perfect choice for that particular character. For instance, Toby Maguire is exactly how I thought Peter Parker should look like. Yes, I'm a huge comic book fan too :D And Harrison Ford was exactly how I envisioned Jack Ryan, the hero of all those numerous Tom Clancy books to look like.

What about you guys? Are the characters you see in movies exactly the same as how you envisioned them in the books (or even comic books) you read?
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