Book vs Movie: Differences

Comparison between the ” I Am Number Four” Book and Movie:

I Am Number Four is the first book of the novel called “Lorien Legacies” a teen science fiction novel wrote by Pittacus Lore (a pseudonym of James Frey and Jobie Hughes) and was published HarperCollins on August 3, 2010, and became the New York’s Bestselling Novel. Because of book popularity, the DreamWorks Pictures bought the rights of the book and became the first DreamWorks Pictures film released 2011 by Touchstone Pictures as part of the studio’s 2009 distribution with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The film was directed by D.J Caruso and starring Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron, Callan McCauliffe, Teresa Palmer and Timothy Olyphant. And is produced by Michael Bay.

“I Am Number Four” Movie Poster

After the movie was released on February 18, 2011, it was receives a lot of negative and bad reviews from the viewers. According to Marti Noxon, one of screenwriter of the film claimed that “I Am Number Four” was having a sequel of the film, but because the movie was failed to impress the studios and the punters, it is believed that the plan was shelved.

“I Am Number Four” did get a lot of negative reviews from people because of many differences between the book and the actual movie. There are many things that mentioned in the book but doesn’t explain in the movie causing to those people who haven’t read the book didn’t understand much of the storyline.

Based on my opinion about both book and movie of “I Am Number Four” is that the book is way better than the movie itself because, in the book, it was more explained so that the people understand the story more. Below are the differences between the book and the movie.

Book: In the prologue, Number Three’s Cepan (Guardian, portrayed by Reuben Langdon) was stabbed in chest with a sword by the Mogadorian.

Movie: Number Three’s Cepan was killed by a Piken (Mog’s Beast)

Book: 1. Number Three (Hannu) jump through a ravine while a Piken was chasing him.
2. When Hannu was impaled by a sword, his body became lifeless.
3. Hannu was described as having  a dark complexion, but with a  few shade of lighter compared to other Kenyan villager, and has a sun freckled across his cheeks and nose, making him unique.

Movie: 1. He jumps in a cliff and caught a vine before he falls.
2. Hannu was turns into ash after he was impaled in the chest.
3. In the movie, he was somehow look like a caucasian.

Book: John and Henry (Cepan/ Guardian) burn their hut in Florida to hide evidences, before they moved on Ohio, Paradise after the third scar appear in John’s ankle giving a warning that Number Three was found and killed.

Movie: Number Six burn the hut where John and Henry lived before Three was killed.

  

Book: 1. Number Four (John Smith, portrayed by Alex Pettyfer) develops his first legacy which is called “Lumen” allowing him to create a light from his palm and allowing him to be resistant into fire and heat.
2. John was the one who pick his name
3. He follows of what Henry always say
4. John was demand into going to school, and Henry refuses it.
5. John also develops a legacy which he can communicate to animals when Bernie Kosar (John’s pet animal)

Movie: 1. In the movie, they gave him more than powers than he had in the book. Ex. his lumen were used to shoot lasers and can transfer energy (which he did to Number Six) that is not in the book.
2. Henry was the one who picks John’s name
3. He always seems doubtful about what Henry says.
4. Henry suggest John into going to school and blend in.
5. It is not mentioned in the movie

Book: 1. Sam (portrayed by Callan McCauliffe) was wearing Nasa T-shirts and Sweatshirt and eye glasses which belong to his father.
2. He is quiet kid and didn’t like talk much unless he was ask about it.

Movie: 1. He doesn’t wear his Nasa shirts and glasses.
2. He was talkative and funny.

Book: 1. Sarah Hart (portrayed by Dianna Agron) has a lot of friends
2. Her parents sent her away because the way she acts when she was with Mark (ex boyfriend) before.
3. She was taking picture of John since the first day.

Movie: 1. Since she dump Mark, her friends ditch her
2. She was went to her parents and do photography
3. She doesn’t take much picture of John.

 Book: 1. It is explained why John and the rest of the Garde are living on Earth and running away.
2. John has a vision of the second ship traveling along with their ship.
3. It is explain why the Gardes are remain apart from each other.
4. John explain how the charm works and he shows the content of his loric chest (ex. diamond dagger, loric stones, healing stones and etc.)
5. There’s background story about Lorien

Movie: 1. It doesn’t explain why John and Henry was running away.
2. In the movie, it doesn’t show John’s vision about the second ship.
3. There is no explanation about the other members of the Garde
4. John’s loric chest was shown but the contents are not.
5. There is no nackground story about lorien and the gardes.

Book: 1. Mark James (portrayed by Jake Abel) was more of a bully and full of himself.

2. He’s always messing around with both John and Sam.
3. He mess with John becausehe’s hanging out with Sarah considering he is Sarah’s ex boyfriend.

Movie: 1. Mark was being nice towards John
2. He’s only being jerk around Sam
3. He mess with John because only John stands up against him.

Book: Mark and his friends throw meatballs at John and Sam in the Cafeteria.

Movie: Mark puts a manuer in John and Sam’s locker, causing it to explode in their faces.

Book: 1. John, Sarah, Sam and Emily (Sarah’s friend) goes to the Hail Ride
2. John fights Mark and his friend and rescue Sarah

Movie: 1. John and Sarah are the only goes to the Hail Ride
2. John only fights Mark’s friends and throw him in the water.

Book: 1. John waits to tell Sam about him after they attempt rescue Henry in the publication of “They Walk Among Us”.
2. Henry died while battling in Paradise High School with the Mogs.

Movie: 1. He already did tell Sam about him.
2. After rescue mission, Henry gets stabbed with a sword by a Mog. Henry died early.

Book: John rescue Sarah from Mark’s burning house, and jumps through a window, a feet away from the house

Movie: John saves Sarah when she falls off the roof (no burning house happened).

Book: 1. John and Henry has a father-son relationship
2. John obey, agreed, and being nice around Henry, and Henry does the same thing
3. In the book, they never fight. John only use his telekinesis to stop Henry when he’s demanding to leave Ohio because of John’s video was released on Youtube, attracting people’s attention.

Movie: 1. John being skeptical whenever Henry says something
2. In the book, they fight into each other, when Henry demands to leave Ohio.

Book: 1. John and Sarah enter one of the classroom and hides in the teacher’s desk.
2. John and Sarah met a girl when they about to run outside the classroom, and reveals that the girl was Number Six (another member of the Garde).

Movie: 1. John and Sarah hides in the photography room
2. John met Number Six in the hallway when two Mogadorians confronts John and Sarah.

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Book: 1. Number Six (portrayed by Teresa Palmer) describe as having an olive skin, raven hair, grey eyes, and high cheek bones.
2. Number Six name in the book is Maren Elizabeth (this was said in the Power of Six (2nd Book) of Lorien Legacies).
3. She’s not yet wearing her Loric costume
4. In the book, she wasn’t rude and sassy.
5. Her legacies were invisibility, she can control all elements allowing her to manipulate the weather and also telekinesis like John has.
6. She doesn’t have any weapons because her Loric Chest was missing.

Movie: 1. She has a blonde hair and blue eyes
2. Her name was Jane Doe
3. She’s already wearing her Loric costume and bringing a weapons.
4. She’s trying to be somewhat cool, she’s sassy and sarcastic.
5. In the book, it shows her powers to be teleportation, super-speed and resistant to fire which it should be John who has it.
6. She has a small glowing gun and a diamond dagger which also John should have.

Book: While John and Number Six fighting the Mogs, they are joined by Henry, Mark and Bernie Kosar (John’s pet animal).

Movie: In the movie, only Sam and Sarah appear during the battle in the field.

Book: 1. Bernie Kosar (John’s Pet Animal) reveals to be a chimaera (a shape-shifting animal from Lorien that can turn into humongous beast and small animal) when John’s was about to get attacked by a Piken.
2. This is also reveals of why Bernie Kosar was able to keep up with John’s 50 mph run.
3. He is wearing a dog tag that has a name on it.
4. Bernie Kosar transformed into a dragon creature without wings and has two large horns in its forehand before it attacks the Piken that was about to attack John.

Movie: 1. He was revealed to be a chimaera when he transformed in Sam’s truck next to Sam. And later Number Six explains to John what is Bernie Kosar when a Piken attack John in the Hallway.
2. John and Bernie Kosar’s run doesn’t mentioned and seen in the movie.
3. He wasn’t wearing any dog tag, he was named by John after he sees a famous football er in Paradise, Ohio.
4. Bernie Kosar transformed into a giant bulldog with a large club at the end of it’s tail and has pointy ears.

Book: 1. Henri and John has a father-son relationship
2. Henry died while battling in the Paradise High School.

Movie: 1. John was sarcastic towards Henry
2. Henry died before the battle in High School began. In the movie he was stabbed by a Mog sword in the chest after being rescued by John and Sam in Athens, Ohio, where the publication of “They Walk Among Us” are.

 

Book: 1. Piken (a Mogadorian Beast) described like a big weasel creature with its pointy teeth that is so large it barely fits their mouth, had red eyes, broad shoulders and about 30 feet high.
2. A four-legged monster, it stands like a bulldog the size of a rhino: forelegs bowed, mouth all dripping, sagging jowls. Massive teeth jut from its mouth like tusks. Its skin is a putrid, knobby green. It smells of death.

Movie: In the movie the beast is not that large like described in the book, and it looks like a flying large bat with pointy teeth, large claws.

 

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Book: 1. There are two different kinds of Mogadorians: The Scouts and Soldiers (Scouts are the one with a sword, and the Soldiers have powerful sword which can ignite and coming back to life, and also powerful guns).
2. Mogadorian cannons are weapons used by Mogadorians. They are heavy firearms that drain the life from things around it to use in a deadly ray of light.

Movie: 1. There is only kind of Mog shown in the Movie which is a Soldier.
2. Only Mog guns shown and there is no big cannons are scene like in the book.

 

 

Sources:

http://thatwasnotinthebook.com/diff/i_am_number_four_book_2010_vs_i_am_number_four_movie_2011/3#diffPage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Number_Four_(film)

https://moviepilot.com/posts/3789655

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore|| Book Review:

I Am Number by Pittacus Lore

Synopsis: 

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books–but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next

– I Am Number by Pittacus Lore (summary)

• Rating: 9/10

*Spoiler Alert: for those who haven’t watch or read the book, kindly exit this blog. This contains many scenes from the book which may give you information and spoil your reading. Read at your own risk.

The prologue of the story shows the death of Number Three, where his last words are “The Legacies lived they will find each other, and when they’re ready they’re going to destroy you” before the Mog killed him.

The story begins with a boy named John Smith is one of the nine Garde who escaped their planet called Lorien that was destroyed by the Mogadorians where all the people gets slaughtered. During the invasion on their planet, John and the Eight other Garde was sent to earth with their Cepans (Guardian/ Protector) to help them when they develop their legacies. When they arrive to earth they followed by the Mogadorians and hunting them. Each one of the Garde was protected with a charm. The charm only works as long as they remain apart and not seen each other. The purpose of the charm is to protect them so that they can only be killed in orders. But because Number One isn’t protected by the charm the killing start with her and she’s the first person to die and get killed before the other

Whenever one of the Garde gets killed, each of the others will recieves a scar in their ankles that resemblance with their pendant (that has unique symbol that identifies their number). The purpose of the scar is to let the other knows that one of the Garde is dead.

The Garde’s Pendant’s Symbol

As the time grows, the first 3 Gardes are dead, and Number Four (John Smith) knows that he’s next in line.

When the third scar appears, John is in Florida and attending a party near a beach and talking to a girl. When he suddenly feel his ankle burning from heat signaling the death of number three. This caused him and his Cepan Henri to move to the other place in Paradise, Ohio to start a new life, a new identity.

Number Four’s Pendant

John be friends with a boy named Sam Goode who is a conspiracy theorist and addicted in alien. Also, John meets a girl named Sarah Hart and gets attracted, John meets then a beagle dog and named it Bernie Kosar.

Many things happen when John moved in Ohio, his first legacy appear called Lumen, or the ability to create a light in his palm, and also it allows John to be resistant in fire and heat.

John Smith (Number Four’s Legacy: Lumen

As the story grows John and Henry continue in training. Also, John and Sarah starts dating causing Sarah’s ex-boyfriend Mark to bullied both Sam and John.

In Halloween, John, Sarah, Sam and another Sarah’s friend Emily goes to the Hail Ride, and gets attacked by Mark’s friends and beat John, but he used his legacy to block them out and rescue both Sarah and Sam. Later, sam gets a little suspicious about John.

John finds a magazine that Sam was reading, and borrowed a copy of it. The magazine is giving information about Mogadorians and naming it as “They Walk Among Us“. Later sam believes that his father was abducted by aliens.

Henri (John’s Cepan) discovers the magazine being printed in Athens, Ohio and decides to check on it and drives a two hour ride. John however gets invited by Sarah at thanksgiving dinner with her family. Due to the agitated state of John because Henri doesn’t answer his phone, he develops another legacy which is telekinesis and he can’t control it and leaves. John calls sam for help, and they bring Sam dad’s truck and head for Athens where they succeed in rescuing Henry. Sam now knows about John’s alien secret. As they got home, Henri insist on leaving Ohio but refuses and uses his newfound powers to stop Henri, where Henry relents.

Months pass, John and Henry continue to train and use John’s legacies. At a party in Mark’s house, a fire breaks trapping Sarah inside the house, John uses his legacies and save Sarah and jumps through a window feet away from the burning house. He reveals to Sarah about himself and together they lie to the police about what happen, and also lies to Henri.

Lies are revealed and John’s video are released on youtube, Henri was furious and demands they leave immediately but John uses his telekinesis to stop him, and runs to school in order to protect Sarah who he believes is in danger.

He then finds Sarah, but the Mogadorians already arrived. John and Sarah hides in one of the classroom, in the teacher’s desk. Soon hearing someone comes to the room but then they heard nothing, when they about to run, a hand covers their mouth to stop them from screaming and later reveals that the person was Number Six, another member of the Garde. Because of this the charm broke and all the other Garde are now can be killed even if it’s not in order.

Number Six is portrayed by Teresa Palmer

A battle was occurred in the school and soon joined by Henri, Mark and Bernie Kosar. Number Six legacies reveals to be invisibility and control of the weather, also Bernie Kosar reveals to be a chimaera (a shape-shifting animal from Lorien that can turn to a beast and small animals) follows John from Lorien.

Mogadorian (in the film)

Bernie Kosar (John’s Chimaera)

John’s defeats the soldiers but with great difficulty while his friends battle at the school, John can see storms brewing which shows the amazing power of Six but also sees that giant beasts are destroying the school. Another piken charge after John and he leads it away from the school but is struck by a Soldier’s twisting dagger. Bernie Kosar battles with the Mogadorian beast and is almost killed before John stabs the beast in the eye. Soon John and his allies are weakened by the number of Mogadorian troops and their power and weapons. Six is wounded and taken to relative safety by Sam. John uses an ability he was barely aware of to communicate with a beast brought by the Mogadorians and to turn it against them. Henri is killed, but before dying, exhorts John to read a letter he left for him. John survives, though he is very weak, and the Mogadorians are defeated when the final soldier is stabbed in the back with a kitchen knife by Sarah.

After resting and cremating Henri’s body, John leaves Paradise, along with Number Six, Sam and Bernie Kosar and decides in finding the other members of the Garde.

Book Review:

Before I read this book, I only watch the movie without knowing there’s a book, but nit just a book, but a series.

I am enthralled and amaze when I watch the movie because 1.) I like sci fi movies, 2.) I like the originality of the film and 3.) because the graphics and the shot of camera is good unlike other films.

After finishing it in 3 hour, I decide to do a little searching about it and maybe check if there’s a sequel of it just like Harry Potter, and sadly there’s none. But I check more and find there is a book and a series of it so I decided to read it.

One week pass, and I must say, the book is way better than the actual film because there’s a lot of changes happened in the film. I was outraged because I really want to see what is the real scene happened in the book. But maybe a days passed and I moved on and just the read the series of it and continue the book.

The book is so good to read, so much that I might actually cry because there’s a lot of important scene that is been deleted in the film, and I must say the readers hated it.

This book is the first book and novel that I’ve read, so that’s why this is my favorite book ever, because of how the story develops, the characters development and let’s not forget the places that is been discussed in the book.

There are many words that I learn while reading this book, and of course it improves my reading skills.

And of course I would highly recommend this book to everyone because this is my favorite books of them all. Although the movie sucks, but let’s just say “don’t just the book by it’s movie”.