uglies movie kept the essence of the book in a way but Netflix netflixed by removing the depth.
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UGLIES Netflix made me read UGLIES book

Why so curious?

Watching the Netflix adaptation of Uglies felt like I was watching an hour-long book trailer because everything seemed so rushed. There wasn’t enough time spent on the characters or the scenes to make me feel anything for them.

Tally and eris Watching the Pretties
Image Credit: leisurebyte.com

I think they had a checklist of things they needed to include from the book to satisfy book fans. They were not interested in making the viewers like the characters enough to root for them or hate them.

Dr Cable speaking pure evil
Decider.com

Is the book a deeper experience?

Yes, but I didn’t love it either.

Let me explain…

In the book, Tally/Squint is given more of a backstory that was shown rather than told. For example, in the movie, Tally tells David that she didn’t grow up with her parents because it is NORMAL not to grow up with one’s parents.

In the book, we are shown. Her parents only come to her when her surgery is delayed and they try to convince her to help Dr. Cable find Shay. In that scene from the book, we learn that in this world, parents only care about you when you are pretty.

As for me loving the book…

I think the fact that I am an adult reading this book is the biggest hindrance to me liking it.

Uglies book cover
Image Credit: simonandschuster.com

Elements from the Uglies book adapted or changed for Netflix

They adapted most of the elements but there were things they changed.

Tally and Nose (Peris)
Image Credit: aol.com

Changed for Netflix

Tally’s parents were non-existent in the movie.

David and the rest of the Smokies find out about Tally’s betrayal at the end of the book. The moment she decides to give herself up as a test subject for Maddy (David’s mother) to work on. Shay and Maddy were the only ones who knew about her betrayal earlier on.

David's mother
Screenrant.com

Tally had to write a consent letter to Maddy and Shay wrote it because Tally never learned penmanship.

The Smokies and the Rangers are two very different sets of people in the books. The Smokies are mostly made up of the runaways and their leader is David.

the smokies going to the smoke
Image Credit: nkl.com

The Rangers are the ones who are responsible for the fires, they burn the orchids because they are toxic. Rangers are also the ones who take the runaways to the outpost because the Smokies are very secretive about the Smoke.

The book ends when Tally says

My name is Tally Youngblood, make me pretty.

Shay had a crush on David.

David and Tally’s relationship took its time to grow. I didn’t care about it but the book took its time to flesh it out.

Tally and David being cozy oohh
Screenrant.com

Even Tally’s friendship with Shay had more depth. In the movie, it felt like they were rushing through it, but in the book, they took their time.

Shay in Uglies
Image Credit: cbr.com

Peris wasn’t a Special in the book. Well, at least in book 1.

The cure is a pill in the book, not a liquid.

Short Recap of Uglies

Tally (a.k.a Squinty) loses her best friend Peris (a.k.a Nose) to New Pretty Town. She makes a new friend, Shay (a.k.a Skinny) who shares the same birthday as Tally.

Shay runs away before their 16th birthday, causing her surgery to be delayed. The ruler of Pretty Town, Dr Cable interrogates Tally about Shay’s whereabouts but Tally doesn’t give Shay up.

After a visit from Peris, Tally rats Shay to Dr. Cable and she is sent to spy on the Smokies. She is given a pendant to track her.

Back in the Pretty Town, Dr. Cable turns Peris into a more advanced and stronger pretty called Specials.

In The Smoke, Tally makes new friends and falls in love with the leader, David. She even burns the tracker necklace which unbeknownst to her sets it off.

Dr. Cable and the Specials come to round up The Smokies and it is revealed Tally helped Dr. Cable find them. David’s father, Az is killed by Peris because Az refused to tell Dr. Cable where David was.

David is angry but Tally begs for forgiveness and offers to help him get The Smokies back.

She gets The Smokies but Shay is not the same again, she’s been made into a Pretty.

In the end, Tally chooses to get surgery so that David’s mother, Maddy can test the cure on her.

Outro

This movie is a 5 over 10 for me.

uglies movie kept the essence of the book in a way but Netflix netflixed by removing the depth.

Most of the images in this article belong to Netflix. If you have any concerns about image usage, please contact myopicconcaves@yahoo.co.uk.

Written by

My name is Nkechi and I am your guinea pig. I watch movies and TV shows not a single person gives a damn about.

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