5 Movie Adaptations That Somehow Made The Ending Better
Deviating from the source material is risky, but it doesn't automatically make an adaptation worse, as these five clearly demonstrate.
When a movie adaptation changes the original ending, it is often frowned upon by fans, and with good reason, as it is often changed for the worse.
However, on rare occasions, the creators of adaptations come up with a better ending for a change, even if it sparks debate as to whether such deviations from the source material detract from the faithfulness of the adaptation.
So here are five movies that managed to change the original ending for the better.
Jaws (1975)
Not everyone is aware that Steven Spielberg 's film is not only based on the 1974 novel of the same name, but is also considered to be better than the original in almost every way.
While in the book the shark simply succumbs to its wounds and dies from blood loss, the movie has a much more iconic and literally explosive ending, where the protagonists blow it up with an oxygen tank.
The Mist (2007)
The film adaptation somehow managed to have a finale that is both more optimistic and completely depressing compared to the more one-sided ending of Stephen King 's 1980s novella, and even the author himself praised the film version.
While the original novel has an ambiguous ending with the monsters seemingly taking over the world, the movie ends with David Drayton mercy killing his son and three other survivors just before he learns that the military has successfully exterminated the creatures.
Watchmen (2009)
Although the original comic's ending with a giant tentacled monster is absolutely iconic, Zack Snyder's adaptation presented a less bizarre and more grounded finale, with Ozymandias framing Doctor Manhattan for attacks that killed millions around the world.
Though the debate continues to this day, many fans actually prefer the film's finale.
Fight Club (1999)
The original novel by Chuck Palahniuk ended with the narrator becoming completely delusional and being committed to a mental institution, where he sees the staff as angels and has imaginary arguments with God.
The movie's creators decided to end things on a more positive note, with him reconciling with Marla and the two of them watching the explosions to a killer soundtrack by the Pixies.
Jurassic Park (1993)
While in the movie most of the main characters simply escape the island, the original 1990 novel has a much darker finale.
Most of the characters die, and although the survivors manage to escape, the entire island is completely burned with napalm to eliminate the dinosaur threat.